Shoe Zone expects to be profitable but warns on costs, supplies
The U.K. footwear retailer Shoe Zone expects to swing to an annual profit, but warned that Covid-19, supply-chain and inflationary issues still present challenges over the next 12 months.
LionRock bought 51% of Clarks for £1
The Hong Kong-based private equity firm LionRock Capital paid £1 (€1.2-$1.4) for a 51 percent stake in Clarks, when it took over the British footwear company earlier this year, according to documents filed with the British registrar of companies, Companies House.
Pittards returns to profits as sales recovery gathers momentum
Pittards, the British leather and leathergoods manufacturer, which owns the brand Daines & Hathaway, returned to profit in the first half and said there are “clear signs” a recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic was gathering momentum with orders at their highest level for two years.
Italian footwear industry faces 2 years of M&A activity
The Italian footwear industry could undergo a couple of years of “significant” merger and acquisition activity as foreign investors, especially French and Chinese firms, large Italian groups and investment funds seek specialized manufacturers, according to Tommaso Cancellara, general manager of the Italian footwear association Assocalzaturifici.
Vivarte sells Minelli to the owners of San Marina
The ailing French retailer Vivarte has sold its footwear and accessories brand Minelli to the businessmen Stéphane Collaert and Laurent Portella, who run the footwear brand San Marina. Collaert was involved in the purchase of San Marina, in February 2020, from Vivarte.
Rizzo applies for extension of restructuring period
Rizzo Group has applied for a three-month extension to its corporate reorganization. The restructuring began on March 23 following a ruling by a Stockholm-based court and had already been extended to Sept. 23.
Ferragamo hires 2 new managers
The Italian fashion company Salvatore Ferragamo has bolstered its management structure for North America and the EMEA region, with the nomination of two new managers.
Crocs seeks to block import of counterfeits into the U.S.
Crocs filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking an investigation of allegedly ”unlawfully imported shoes” into the U.S. in ”violation of its registered trademarks.”
HR Group promotes Steffen Rosenbauer CEO
The German shoe retailer HR Group has appointed a new CEO. Steffen Rosenbauer, the managing director of the group’s Reno footwear chain, took up the post on April 1 as Peter Wolf resigned after a three-year tenure to return focusing on the role of chairman of the advisory board.
Italian footwear output rises 12.9% in H1
Italian footwear production rose by 12.9 percent in the first half of 2021 against the same period in 2020, when the industry was affected by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. But, output remained 26.3 percent below the level seen in the first half of 2019, according to data from ...
Russian shoe sales remain weak except in main cities
In March, demand for shoes in Russia was estimated 15 percent lower in volume than during the same period of the previous year, according to a research conducted by the Russian IT firm Evotor.
Top footwear brands gain 9% in value
Footwear is the only subsector of the Brand Finance Apparel 50 2021 survey to increase in brand value year-on-year, posting a 9 percent increase on average to $5.0 billion. New entrants in the ranking, Timberland and Converse, recorded 47 percent and 8 percent increases in brand value respectively.
Vietnam sees 2021 leather and footwear exports reaching $20 billion
Vietnam’s Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso) expects its industry to achieve exports of more than $20 billion this year after suffering from a decline last year due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on supply chains, consumption and trade.
