As per QaziJamil Islam, Managing Director, Lotto Sport Italia, the ongoing pandemic has been a blessing for the company as it enjoyed increased sales in Bangladesh during the past several months following a boom in the demand for low-cost, non-leather footwear products. The global outbreak had forced Lotto Bangladesh to shut down its operations on March 23, three days ahead of a two-month nationwide lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, reports the Daily Star.

At the time, Lotto employed nearly 1,300 people at its local production facility and since then Islam has recruited another 700 workers at a new facility to increase production and meet the growing demand.

When the lockdown was eventually lifted on May 30, many people took up jogging and other physical activities which led to the increased demand for low-cost washable footwear, in an effort improve their immune systems," Islam told The Daily star in a recent interview.

This led to the increased demand for low-cost washable footwear, he added. Lotto, which has 100 retail outlets and about 100 franchisee shops across the country, then took this opportunity to expand its market share.

The Italian sportswear brand even started producing face masks considering the demand for such items amid the current health crisis. Islam now plans to set up another factory in Tongi, where various sportswear such as jerseys and track suits will be produced.