All Shoe Intelligence articles in Volume 27, Issue 9+10
View all stories from this issue.
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ArticleGörtz closes its flagship store in Hamburg
The troubled Hamburg-based shoe retailer Görtz has closed its flagship store in the Spitalerstrasse in Hamburg’s city center, handing it over to its landlord on April 30, according to media reports. First opened in the 1980s, the flagship store spanned more than 4,000 square meters of retail space. When it ...
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ArticleZalando’s Q1 revenues beat market expectations
In the first quarter of 2025, Zalando posted a net income of €9.9 million against a loss of €8.9 million a year earlier on rising revenues and improved operating profitability. Gross merchandise volume (GMV) rose by 6.5 percent to €3.5 billion and revenues grew by 7.9 percent to €2.4 ...
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ArticleAndré placed into receivership, again
The French footwear retailer André was placed in receivership on April 30 by a Paris-based commercial court. It is the third time in five years that the banner has been placed in receivership. On May 4, 2023, the Belgian company Optakare, run by Karim Redjal, was chosen by a Nanterre-based ...
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PDF NewsletterShoe Intelligence Executive Edition: Vol. 27 - 9+10
French footwear exports down 1% in 2024 | US postpones reciprocal tariffs for 90 days except for China | Skechers goes private as it is acquired by 3G Capital | Skechers pulls FY guidance amid trade uncertainty after ‘exceptional’ Q1 | Rocky Brands maintains full-year guidance after better-than-expected Q1 | Capezio changes hands but the CEO remains | Arc’teryx sets up a footwear business unit | Aldo in license agreement with G.H.Bass | Gyrus Capital takes over ACBC | Gianvito Rossi promotes its COO to CEO | André placed into receivership, again | Deichmann’s 2024 revenues up 2.3% | Görtz closes its flagship store in Hamburg | AstorMueller sets up a joint venture in India | Semler relocates production to Hungary, cuts 25 jobs in Pirmasens | C-Suite interview: Rohde expects to continue growing in 2025 | Prada buys Versace from Capri | Prada Group’s sales driven higher by Miu Miu | Lowa’s sales rise nearly 2% in 2024 | C-Suite interview: Pegada plans to open 100 stores worldwide this year | Gerry Weber is insolvent again | Primark committed to US expansion | Zalando’s Q1 revenues beat market expectations | Asos narrows its losses as the turnaround plan takes hold | Covision Media raises €5m in seed funding round
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ArticleSkechers goes private as it is acquired by 3G Capital
Skechers has agreed to be acquired by the investment firm 3G Capital in a $9.4 billion deal that will lead to the delisting of the US footwear company. Skechers will continue to be led by its Chairman and CEO, Robert Greenberg, President, Michael Greenberg, and Chief Operating Officer, David Weinberg. ...
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ArticleHumanoid robot launches likely this year
This year could be significant for the launch of humanoid robot models and application expansions, according to the Japanese investment bank Daiwa. It noted that production rates and cost reductions for key components have exceeded its expectations. Daiwa believes that 2025 will be a year for product launches while 2026 ...
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News briefs
Jennyfer files for liquidation
On April 30, the Bobigny commercial court near Paris placed Jennyfer into compulsory liquidation, putting 999 jobs at risk. The French fashion brand can continue operating until May 28, when the court will examine possible takeover offers. “Exploding costs, falling purchasing power, changes in the textile market and increasingly aggressive ...
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News briefs
BasicNet Q1 revenues fall 3.3% amid ‘unstable’ geopolitical and macroeconomic landscape
BasicNet, which owns Kappa, Superga, Sebago and other brands, reported a 3.3 percent fall in consolidated first-quarter revenues to €98.3 million. Royalties from commercial and product licensees rose 24 percent to €16.1 million, while direct sales decreased 7.1 percent to €81.9 million. Aggregate brand sales, including licensed revenues, rose 2.9 ...
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News briefs
VF cuts 400 jobs
VF Corp., the parent company of outdoor and lifestyle brands including The North Face, Timberland, Vans and Dickies, has laid off approximately 400 employees across its global operations, as reported by US trade publication Shop Eat Surf Outdoor. According to a company statement, the layoffs are part of VF Corp.’s ...
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ArticleRocky Brands maintains full-year guidance after better-than-expected Q1
Rocky Brands maintained its full-year sales and earnings guidance after a better-than-expected performance in the first quarter of the year, while it prepares to hike prices and shuffle manufacturing in the wake of new US import tariffs. In the three months ended March 31, Rocky Brands reported sales of $114.1 ...
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ArticlePrada Group’s sales driven higher by Miu Miu
The Prada Group posted net revenues of €1,341 million in the first quarter of 2025, up by 13 percent year-on-year both on a reported basis and at constant exchange rates thanks to the Miu Miu brand. At actual and constant exchange rates, retail sales were up by 13 percent to ...
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ArticlePrimark committed to US expansion
Primark said it is committed to the expansion of its store network in the US despite the unreliable approach to tariffs by the US President Donald Trump. The current chain of 29 US stores accounts for about 5 percent of Primark’s sales. It has also signed leases on an extra ...
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News briefs
DSW installs Imbox Protection in nearly 500 US stores
DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, the US footwear retailer owned by Designer Brands, said that it has launched “the largest retail partnership in North America” with Imbox Protection, a provider of an in-store shoe protection solution. The service is currently available in nearly 500 DSW locations across the US. “Using a ...
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News briefs
German consumer sentiment improves
German consumer confidence is expected to rise by 3.7 points to -20.6 points in May from -24.3 points in April, according to the GfK Consumer Climate powered by NIM which has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM). The April reading was revised up ...
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News briefs
Vessi names a new Chief Marketing Officer
Vessi, a Vancouver-based footwear brand known for its waterproof sneakers, appointed Lorrin Pascoe as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). “This strategic hire signals a significant step forward in Vessi’s mission to scale globally and deepen its market position as a category leader in waterproof footwear,” the company said. Prior ...
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News briefs
Hudson’s Bay liquidates its remaining stores
On April 25, Hudson’s Bay Company, the Canadian group comprising the retailer Hudson’s Bay and TheBay.com, started liquidating inventory at its remaining six Hudson’s Bay stores and one Saks Fifth Avenue location. The group believes that ”a viable bid for the current six-store model is unlikely.” The locations join the ...
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News briefs
Baffin introduces online sales in France, Germany, the UK and Italy
Baffin, a Canadian brand of high-performance footwear and apparel founded in 1979, has launched direct-to-consumer (DTC) international shipping to France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy. “With this expansion, customers in these key European markets can now order directly from Baffin.com, gaining easier access to the brand’s innovative products – ...
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ArticleLowa’s sales rise nearly 2% in 2024
German outdoor footwear brand Lowa Sportschuhe GmbH announced that it achieved the second-best financial result in its history in fiscal 2024, posting revenues of €233.9 million, an increase of 1.9 percent year-over-year. The company also sold 2.97 million pairs of shoes, up 0.8 percent compared to the previous year. “Our ...
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ArticleCapezio changes hands but the CEO remains
Argand Partners, a New York-based private equity firm, has bought Ballet Makers, the US owner of the Capezio brand of dance shoes. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1887, Capezio designs and manufactures premium and highly technical footwear, apparel, and accessories that support dancers and athletes ...
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ArticleAsos narrows its losses as the turnaround plan takes hold
Asos reported lower sales in the first half of its fiscal year as it continued to clear excess inventory, but said its new business model was showing signs of progress and left it better placed to deal with the impact of US trade tariffs. The company narrowed pre-tax losses to ...
