SKECHERS SOUTH ASIA NAMES BANAJA SAMAL AS HEAD OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING

Skechers South Asia has appointed Banaja Samal as Head Visual Merchandiser, bringing over a decade of experience from Puma and Blackberrys. Known for her blend of design sensibility and retail strategy, she will lead in-store visual direction as Skechers continues its expansion across the growing Indian footwear market.

Skechers South Asia Pvt. Ltd. has appointed Banaja Samal as its Head Visual Merchandiser, marking a strategic move as the global footwear brand sharpens its retail presence in India. The announcement, shared by Samal on social media on Friday, signals the company’s intent to strengthen its in-store experience amid rapid market expansion.

Samal joins the American footwear giant after nearly nine years with Puma Group, where she built a reputation for combining operational precision with creative direction. Her journey at Puma began as an Area Visual Merchandiser overseeing Karnataka and Mumbai, a role grounded in regional execution and store-level consistency. Over time, she advanced to become Visual Merchandise Manager, while also taking on the additional responsibility of LFR (Large Format Retail) Concept Manager — a dual role that reflected her growing influence in both strategic planning and large-scale retail design.

Her career trajectory underscores a balance between hands-on retail experience and high-level conceptual thinking, a combination increasingly valued in India’s competitive fashion and footwear sectors. At Puma, she played a pivotal role in shaping store layouts, campaign executions, and brand storytelling through visual formats, contributing to a cohesive retail identity across varied markets.

Prior to her tenure at Puma, Samal worked with Blackberrys Menswear, where she handled visual merchandising across eastern and central India, including key markets such as Kolkata, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. Her early professional years also included a stint as a concept designer at StudioJ, where she developed window displays and in-store concepts for multiple brands — a formative experience that honed her design instincts and understanding of consumer engagement.

Samal’s grounding in design stems from her academic training at the National Institute of Fashion Technology India, where she earned a Bachelor of Design. During her studies, a textile design internship introduced her to surface techniques, prints, and jacquard design — skills she credits with shaping her technical capabilities and guiding her transition into visual merchandising.

In her new role at Skechers South Asia, Samal is expected to lead the brand’s in-store visual strategy, aligning global brand aesthetics with local market sensibilities. As Skechers continues to expand its footprint in India’s fast-growing footwear market, the emphasis on immersive retail environments and cohesive visual storytelling is likely to play a crucial role in strengthening consumer engagement.

Her appointment comes at a time when international brands are investing heavily in experiential retail, recognising that store design and visual merchandising are key differentiators in an increasingly crowded marketplace. With Samal at the helm of its visual strategy, Skechers appears poised to enhance its retail narrative across the region.