NPD Reports Major European Markets Showing Growth in ‘Leisure & Classics’ Footwear

News source: Centraldaily.com

Tuesday, Jun. 24, 2008

Major European Markets Showing Growth in ‘Leisure & Classics’ Footwear

Online Purchasing Also on the Rise

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — The NPD Group, Inc., a leading market research company reports the European athletic footwear market is seeing the biggest growth in ‘Leisure & Classics’ or low performance athletic shoes, sneaker-type shoes designed primarily for fashion and style rather than pursuit of a specific sport. Annual 2007 figures for Europe’s Big 5* market show that sales of athletic footwear used for leisure grew by 2% while sales of athletic footwear used for sport declined 5%. NPD is seeing a similar trend in the U.S. athletic footwear market, where sales of low performance shoes showed a 12.4% increase for Annual 2007.

“The long-term trend we see is that sport inspired/fashion focused shoes are taking over market share from more functional shoes. Clearly, this is a trend that is here to stay and will be a primary driver of growth in the European sport industry.” said Renaud Vaschalde, sports industry analyst, Europe.

This is a trend that is crossing demographic boundaries, too. Women tell NPD they love these fashion forward shoes but wear them more for after work pursuits while their daughters wear them on a daily basis. Men are currently buying into this trend but are opting for vintage or classic style shoes. Styles from the Air Max series or Stan Smith shoes are among the most popular with male consumers. “The male consumer still remains very interested in the functional/performance oriented shoes when they are serious about pursuing a specific sport.” noted Vaschalde.

The five best-selling athletic footwear styles in Europe for Annual 2007 are all ‘Leisure & classics’ styles.

            Top Selling Athletic Footwear Styles in Europe
                  Not Ranked - Listed Alphabetically
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                           Adidas adi racer
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                            Asics whizzer
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                          Converse all star
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                      Nike Sprint brother/sister
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                  Nike Air max series (95,97, plus)
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                     Source : NPD EPOS in Europe

According to Vaschalde, the main driver behind this growth trend is higher acceptance of these sport inspired shoes in the workplace and hence in daily life. While teenagers and 18-34 year olds account for the largest share of purchases, popularity is growing in the 35-44 year old group, fueling the trend

Online Purchasing is Also on the Rise

NPD reports that just as what consumers are purchasing is changing, so is how they are purchasing. Internet sales experienced steady growth over the last four years, making up 8 percent of total footwear sales in 2007 compared to only two percent in 2002.

For Annual 2007 overall, Great Britain had the highest share of Internet sales while Italy and Spain had very little. In the categories of shoes purchased online, Football shoes garnered the largest share at 10%, and Running shoes got 7%.

“The sport industry in Europe is dynamic and ever evolving. The sport marketplace will be one we continue to study.” said Vaschalde, “And we will continue to help the industry understand and keep pace with it.” concluded Vaschalde.

*European Big5 Countries are: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,600 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit http://www.npd.com/.

Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, Inc. Welcomes Famous Footwear to Brunswick, Georgia

News: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/6/prweb1050854.htm

The commercial division of Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, Inc. has recently assembled a long-term lease for Famous Footwear at Glynn Isles Market in Brunswick, Georgia.

June 25, 2008 — The commercial division of Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, Inc. has recently assembled a long-term lease for Famous Footwear at Glynn Isles Market, Brunswick, Georgia on behalf of the landlords, Bill and Sandra Brunson.

In addition to owning the space now occupied by Famous Footwear, the Brunson family also owns H&H Lifestyles. The balance of the retail space at Glynn Isles Market is owned by Centennial American Properties of Columbia, South Carolina.

Famous Footwear, the largest brand-name, value-priced family shoe store chain in the U.S., is operated by Brown Shoe Company, Inc., a leading consumer-driven footwear company and wholesale supplier of women’s fashion shoes under the brand names Naturalizer, Via Spiga, Fanco Sarto, and LifeStride. For more information on Famous Footwear or Brown Shoe, please visit http://www.brownshoe.com.

The commercial division of Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, a professional property management, leasing, and sales firm, consists of Sean Kasper, Associate Managing Broker, Kirk Watson and Alan Anderson. For more information on commercial real estate opportunities in the Golden Isles, please contact Hodnett Cooper at 888-638-4750 or visit them online at http://www.hodnettcooper.com.

APLF to Launch New Footwear Related Event in India

NEW DELHI, India, June 25 /PRNewswire/ –

It was announced today that a new trade fair initiative in India to be launched by APLF Ltd, FOOTWEAR, MATERIALS MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGY (FMM&T) will take place in Delhi in the Spring of 2009.

This new trade fair will be organised in association with the Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers Association (IFCOMA), one of the leading trade associations servicing the US$ 5 billion Indian footwear industry, with the support of other relevant trade associations.

FMM&T will service this major Indian industry, which is encountering a growth of 9-10% per annum. The new fair will create a platform for both Indian and foreign manufacturers to keep abreast of the latest trends in the manufacture of footwear from design through to the finished product. It will also create a bridge between the footwear manufacturers and the component producers targeting this vast Indian footwear market.

The organisers are also planning a number of seminars to augment the trade fair which will be managed by CMP India who have become one of the largest privately owned Trade Fair organizers in the country.

CMP India is part of United Business Media plc, a global business media group with operations in more than 30 countries and over 5,000 employees. It organises some of India’s largest exhibitions including CPhI (the region’s biggest pharmaceutical show), IFSEC (a leading security show), the Embedded Systems Conference (India’s only semiconductor exhibition) and Hotelex India (a leading hospitality show).

The Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers’ Association (IFCOMA) is a duly registered body and the only trade association of Footwear Component Manufacturers in India. It is a non-profit organization managed by a duly elected apex body called the Executive Committee. IFCOMA has been an implementing agency under the National Leather Development Program (a UNDP assisted program of the Govt. of India) and is duly recognized by various ministries of the Government of India and associated institutions.

IFCOMA has members comprising of manufacturers of Soles, Insoles, Lasts, Toe-puffs, Counters, Linings, Interlinings, Adhesives Metallic Fittings, Chemicals & Compounds, Clicking Dies, Eyelets, EVA Sheets & Compounds, Finishes & Polishes Labels, Laces, Boxes, Leather & man-made materials, etc. representing all the major Footwear Manufacturing hub centers spread across India.

IFCOMA’s objectives are to promote the healthy growth of the Indian footwear component industry in the domestic as well export markets also to promote interaction among members for development of products of international quality & standards, in order to address global competition in the new liberal economic environment.

APLF Ltd, a joint venture between CMP Asia and SIC SA, Paris, has organised annually in Hong Kong since 1994, one of the most important leather related Trade Fairs in the world, MATERIALS, MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGY (MM&T) and the twice yearly fashion accessories event — the largest of its kind in Asia — FASHION ACCESS which highlights footwear, handbags, travelware and a wide range of fashion accessories sourced from all over the world. For the last three years another APLF event, PRIME SOURCE FORUM, the annual meeting of the global apparel industry, has been collocated with FASHION ACCESS. Additionally, in partnership with the China Leather Industry Association, APLF Ltd organises the annual ALL CHINA LEATHER EXHIBITION in Shanghai.

http://www.aplf.com

The Walking Company Opens Flagship Comfort Footwear Locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New Jersey

June 24, 2008 8:00 AM ET

The Walking Company (NASDAQ: WALK), the world’s largest specialty retailer of comfort footwear, today announced the opening of three flagship locations; a brand new location in the heart of Los Angeles’ upscale Century City district and newly designed flagships at The Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas and The Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey. The new flagship locations bring The Walking Company’s total count to an impressive 200 stores.

“These flagship locations feature design, inventory and technology innovations that make them the benchmark for the footwear industry and provide shoppers with the ultimate customer experience,” said Lee Cox, senior vice president of retail at The Walking Company. “We continue to receive extremely positive feedback from customers in these premium locations and plan to continue opening flagships in strategic locations across the country.”

The Walking Company’s new flagship locations feature innovative store design elements and offer the largest comfort footwear selection in the world, including exclusive product lines and styles from brands like ECCO, Dansko, Mephisto, UGG, Pikolinos, MBT and other premium comfort brands from around the world. Each location will have access to over one million pairs of premium comfort shoes via the in-store internet kiosk.

In addition to the new flagship stores, The Walking Company also continues to open standard format locations in premium malls across the country including 11 new stores in the second quarter of 2008. This continued growth extends the chain’s retail presence to over 200 top performing locations throughout the nation further strengthening the company’s position as the world’s largest specialty retailer of comfort footwear. The Walking Company has plans for additional store openings this summer following the aggressive expansion plan that has helped the chain more than double its store count in the past three years.

All of the footwear sold at The Walking Company comes with the company’s promise of authentic comfort, which guarantees every product is made with the highest quality materials and unsurpassed craftsmanship to provide optimal comfort.

About The Walking Company

The Walking Company is the world’s largest specialty retailer of high quality comfort shoes and accessories and is dedicated to bringing customers the best brands from around the world, featuring premium brands such as ECCO, Mephisto, Dansko, and UGG among many others. The Walking Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walking Company Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: WALK), sells its products through 200 stores in premium malls across the country as well as The Walking Company catalog and Web site. More information is available at www.thewalkingcompany.com.

Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, Inc. Welcomes Famous Footwear to Brunswick, Georgia

The commercial division of Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, Inc. has recently assembled a long-term lease for Famous Footwear at Glynn Isles Market in Brunswick, Georgia.

(PRWEB) June 25, 2008 — The commercial division of Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, Inc. has recently assembled a long-term lease for Famous Footwear at Glynn Isles Market, Brunswick, Georgia on behalf of the landlords, Bill and Sandra Brunson.

In addition to owning the space now occupied by Famous Footwear, the Brunson family also owns H&H Lifestyles. The balance of the retail space at Glynn Isles Market is owned by Centennial American Properties of Columbia, South Carolina.

Famous Footwear, the largest brand-name, value-priced family shoe store chain in the U.S., is operated by Brown Shoe Company, Inc., a leading consumer-driven footwear company and wholesale supplier of women’s fashion shoes under the brand names Naturalizer, Via Spiga, Fanco Sarto, and LifeStride. For more information on Famous Footwear or Brown Shoe, please visit http://www.brownshoe.com.

The commercial division of Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, a professional property management, leasing, and sales firm, consists of Sean Kasper, Associate Managing Broker, Kirk Watson and Alan Anderson. For more information on commercial real estate opportunities in the Golden Isles, please contact Hodnett Cooper at 888-638-4750 or visit them online at http://www.hodnettcooper.com.

ARTICLE DOWNLOAD if-the-shoe-fits-you-r-lucky

‘Worldclass’ footwear studio to start near Chennai

June 26, 2008

Chennai, June 26: The UK-based Pavers Foresight Smart Ventures Limited (PFSV) will set up a world class footwear design development studio at Ambur with an investment of three million US Dollars.

Talking to reporters at the launch of Pavers footwear products in the Indian market, PFSV President and CEO Stuart Paver said the studio would be powered with Pavers worldwide product development and design team in Europe, China and Brazil.

”The studio will be the first of its kind in India and will provide a unique advantage in developing European comfort footwear customised to the needs of Indian customers,” he added.

The studio would be ready in three months.

Mr Paver said PFSV would be entering into a joint venture with Italy’s largest footwear manufacturer to set up a plant in Tamil Nadu. It would have a production capacity of one million units, which would be enhanced to four million units three years later.

He said Pavers footwears were available in 15 stores in India and it would be upped to 50 stores by the end of this calendar year and 100 by the end of this fiscal.

— UNI

Link http://www.newkerala.com

Press Trust of India / Chennai June 26, 2008, 15:49 IST

Mauritius-based Pavers Foresight Smart Ventures today announced setting up a footwear design development studio in Ambur, near here, at a cost of Rs 12 crore.

The studio would come up in three months with focus on European designs, Foresight Smart Ventures Limited President and Chief Executive Stuart Paver told reporters here.

“There has not been much of developing of new designs and own ideas in the footwear industry in India and this studio would therefore focus on new designs,” he said.

The firm is also planning a one million pairs-a-year footwear plant jointly with a top Italian shoemaker, he said.

He said PFSVL was also keen on other sectors such as real estate in India.

“Our joint venture company, Aditya Moda Realtech, is currently building a residential complex in Ghaziabad and has finalised a 1.2 million sq ft Commercial complex, which would be completed by 2012 and have an endline value of $200 million,” Paver said.

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Le Dame Footwear sells women’s shoes in men’s sizes

Le Dame Footwear sells women’s shoes in men’s sizes
Verona-based business caters to transgendered shoppers

Kenneth Burns on Tuesday 06/24/2008 12:06 pm

The idea came as Bernie Fatla perused the newspaper.

“I read an article in the Sunday New York Times back in April ‘06,” he says. “The headline was something like, ‘If the Shoe Fits, You’re Lucky’.” The story described the woes of drag queens who can’t find shoes in their sizes.

“I told my wife, ‘There’s a business here,’” says Fatla, a Verona resident who for “26 years and a week” worked as a buyer and manager at Famous Footwear.

Last year Fatla’s idea came to fruition with the first shipment of shoes for Le Dame Footwear, which have feminine designs but are sized for men. Made in Quanzhou, China, the shoes are sold online, at transgender support groups and conferences, and at far-flung retail stores like Secrets of Romance in Sunrise, Fla. Fatla runs the business from his home; locally, Le Dame shoes are available at Wigs Too, 6317 Odana Road.

“This community has never been directly targeted,” says Fatla. At mainstream shoe outlets, his customers are out of luck. “Look in women’s shoes. The products stop at women’s 10. That’s a men’s 8 1/2. The average men’s size is 10 1/2.”

In the Le Dame line are choices for both office and nightclub. The designs bear women’s first names. “We have the Sharon, a four-inch heel pump,” says Fatla. “It’s in black, silver metallic, bronze metallic. We reinforce the heel. You get a girl who is six feet or 6′2″ and weighs 220, you want stability. We engineered it right.” The Sharon costs $69.99.

Also available are, among others, the Sophie ($79.99), an open-toe pump; the Kandi ($99.99), a thigh-high boot in silver or black; and the Barbara ($79.99), a pump with a one and three-quarter inch heel. “It’s a nice piece of leather with a stretch vamp,” says Fatla of the Barbara. “It’s a nice-looking shoe.”

It is now commonplace for companies to market their wares to lesbians and gay men, but firms catering to transgendered people are comparatively rare. That makes Le Dame a pioneering endeavor, but changing the world was not necessarily Fatla’s goal. “It is a business,” he says. “I didn’t set out and say, ‘It’s time for people to recognize the transgender community.’ I wasn’t that altruistic.”

But Fatla’s customers are grateful for their comfortable shoes, and they tell him so. Their happiness motivates him.

“If I can make someone’s life better because they’re in shoes that fit,” he says, “then wonderful.”

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