Apex Footwear: From tannery to retail giant

From a leather tannery established in the mid-1970s to the country's largest footwear retail network, Apex Footwear Limited has grown alongside Bangladesh's leather industry. Over nearly five decades, the company has expanded from exporting leather products to manufacturing, retail, and lifestyle fashion, becoming one of the country's most prominent consumer brands.

The company's roots trace back to 1976 with the establishment of Apex Tannery Ltd., at a time when Bangladesh's leather industry primarily exported raw hides and semi-processed leather. Seeking to move further up the value chain, Apex entered footwear manufacturing in 1990 with the launch of Apex Footwear Limited in Shafipur, Gazipur. Equipped with modern production technology and influenced by Italian shoemaking techniques, the company set out to manufacture finished leather footwear for international markets.

The transition was not without setbacks. Early export orders exposed quality challenges, prompting significant investments in production technology, quality control, and workforce development. Those investments helped Apex establish long-term relationships with buyers in Japan, Europe, and North America, laying the foundation for its export business.

Building on that experience, Apex entered the domestic retail market in 1997 with the launch of Gallerie Apex. What began as a footwear retailer has since evolved into Bangladesh's largest footwear retail network, operating more than 250 company-owned outlets and over 275 franchise stores across all 64 districts.

Over the years, Apex has broadened its portfolio beyond footwear. Alongside its flagship Apex brand, the company operates premium labels such as Venturini and Moochie, value-focused brand Nino Rossi, athleisure brand Sprint, lifestyle brand Maverick, and children's brands Twinkler and SchoolSmart. Its retail stores also carry internationally licensed brands including Nike, Reebok, Asics, Clarks, and Steve Madden, allowing the company to serve consumers across different price points and lifestyles.

Manufacturing remains at the heart of Apex's business. Its production facility in Kaliakair, Gazipur employs around 10,000 workers, the majority of whom are women, and produces more than 50,000 pairs of shoes each day. The company exports to more than 130 retailers across Europe, North America, and Japan, contributing approximately 15 percent of Bangladesh's leather footwear exports.

Apex has also invested heavily in sustainable manufacturing and operational efficiency. Its LEED-certified factory combines gas-based power generation with nearly 3 MWh of solar capacity, while a rainwater harvesting system supplies more than one-third of its annual water demand. The company's in-house laboratory is among the few in Bangladesh accredited by SATRA, the global footwear testing authority, helping maintain international quality standards and high on-time delivery performance.

Financially, Apex continues to be the country's leading footwear retailer. In the 2024–25 financial year, the company recorded revenue of Tk 17.73 billion, significantly ahead of its closest domestic competitor. However, like many export-oriented manufacturers, it has faced pressure from rising financing costs, increased export taxes, and inflation, factors that weighed on profitability despite strong sales growth.

Today, Apex operates as a vertically integrated business, managing every stage of the value chain—from leather processing and footwear manufacturing to retail and exports. Nearly fifty years after its beginnings, the company remains one of Bangladesh's most influential names in the leather and footwear industry, demonstrating how sustained investment in manufacturing, branding, and retail can transform a traditional industry into a modern consumer business.