All Shoe Intelligence articles in Volume 28, Issue 3+4
View all stories from this issue.
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ArticleNext lifts guidance after bumper Xmas but warns of tougher 2026
Next lifted its full-year guidance after festive season trading was better-than-expected but warned that 2026 will be tougher amid “continuing pressures on UK employment”. Full-price sales in the nine weeks to December 27 rose 10.6 percent year-on-year for the British fashion retailer, well ahead of forecasts for a 7 percent ...
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ArticleKybun Joya revives Switzerland’s oldest shoe brand Elgg
Switzerland’s oldest shoe brand is set for a comeback after more than two decades. The Swiss group Kybun Joya has acquired the traditional combat boot brand Elgg and plans to resume production in Switzerland, reviving a name closely associated with the Swiss Army. Elgg was best known for producing the ...
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Zalando to close its Erfurt logistics center
Zalando plans to close its fulfillment center in Erfurt, Germany, at the end of September as it reshapes its pan-European logistics network. The site employs about 2,700 people. The German online fashion retailer said it will also discontinue operations at three warehouses outside Germany that external service providers operate for ...
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Ferragamo downgraded by a broker
The Italian bank Banca Akros cut its recommendation on Salvatore Ferragamo to “sell” from “neutral” and lowered its target price to €5.7 from a previous €6.0. The bank also reduced its forecast for the Italian fashion house’s Ebit for 2026 to €12 million from a previous prediction of €29 million, ...
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ArticleMarubeni buys Gola as it expands its lifestyle business
Marubeni, a Japanese trading and investment group, has acquired Jacobson Group, a British company that owns and operates six footwear brands, including its flagship label Gola, a sneaker brand founded in 1905. No financial details were released. Jacobson distributes its products in more than 30 countries primarily across the UK, ...
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GlobalTech buys a majority stake in Moda in Pelle
GlobalTech Corporation, a US-based technology holding company, acquired a 51 percent stake in Moda in Pelle (MIP), a premium footwear brand established in 1975, with a strong presence in the UK market. The acquisition, which completed on Dec. 18, will provide GlobalTech with an additional revenue stream and is intended ...
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ArticleEU countries clear the Mercosur trade deal
A qualified majority of European Union member states has given the go-ahead to a free trade deal with the South American trade bloc Mercosur, despite protests of farmers and the opposition of France. Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, said that the parties had found a “balance” between the interests of ...
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ArticlePrimark’s sales suffered over Christmas
Primark’s parent company, Associated British Foods (ABF), has cut its profit outlook due to a weaker sales performance at the discount clothing chain as consumers in both the UK and Continental Europe tightened their belts. Sales growth of 3 percent at Primark’s UK stores in the 16 weeks to ...
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News briefs
JD's Global Managing Director steps down
Michael Armstrong has stepped down as Global Managing Director of JD Sports Fashion after nearly 30 years with the sportswear retailer, with the company promoting Paul Orange from General Manager to Managing Director of the EMEA region. Armstrong departed the British sportswear retail giant to “pursue other opportunities” after holding ...
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ArticleExperts are confident about global footwear sales growth
The short-term outlook for footwear sales volumes and price growth is positive, based on the findings of the latest survey of experts published in the latest Business Conditions Survey released by World Footwear. About 77 percent of the panel expect sales volumes and prices to increase by at least 1.5 ...
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German AI project aims to transform shoe sales forecasting
The Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (IAIS) and CPA SoftwareConsult have launched a new project to develop an AI model capable of accurately predicting shoe sales, enabling footwear manufacturers to “react more quickly to market changes, reduce their inventory, and achieve significant cost savings,” the research institute ...
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Birkenstock Q1 sales up by 17.8% at constant forex
Birkenstock Holding, the UK-based parent company of the German sandal maker, reported preliminary sales of €402 million in the fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 31, up by 11.1 percent year-over-year on a reported basis and by 17.8 percent in constant currency.
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ArticleGenesco sees ‘meaningful’ earnings growth after strong holiday sales
Genesco lifted its full-year earnings per share guidance in the wake of strong holiday sales and forecast that “meaningful” earnings growth would continue in fiscal year 2027. “We were very pleased with our holiday results. The consumer absolutely came out and shopped in force in December,” said Mimi Vaughn, Genesco’s ...
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ArticleSaks Global files for bankruptcy
Saks Global, the US high-end department store group, has filed for bankruptcy and has announced the appointment of a new CEO and a financing commitment of about $1.75 billion to help fund a turnaround. Geoffroy van Raemdonck, the former CEO of Neiman Marcus Group, had been named as the ...
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ArticleShoe Zone issues a warning on its 2026 earnings
Shoe Zone issued a profit warning for 2026 after posting a slump in full-year sales and revenues, citing a tough consumer environment and government policies. Pre-tax profit in the year to Sept. 27, plunged to £3.3 million (€3.81m) from £10.1 million a year earlier, on revenues of £149.1 million (€172m), ...
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Puma makes two top management appointments
Puma appointed Anne Putz as Senior Director of Corporate Communications effective immediately. Putz, who will report directly to the CEO, Arthur Hoeld, succeeds Kerstin Neuber, who left the company at the end of 2025 after 18 years. In her new role, the 53-year-old will lead Puma’s external and internal corporate ...
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ArticleExpo Riva Schuh and Gardabags attracts 8,000 visitors
Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags, the Italian trade show specializing in footwear, bags and accessories that was held from Jan. 10 to 13 in Riva del Garda, attracted nearly 8,000 visitors. The event focused on the autumn/winter 2026-2027 season. ”Attendance reached almost 8,000 visitors, with a contraction in mature markets ...
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Solaya wins Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags’ Startup Competition
Solaya is the winner of the Startup Competition held during Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags, the Italian trade show specializing in footwear, bags and accessories held from Jan. 10 to 13 in the town of Riva del Garda. The startup is a French AI-powered content creation platform that uses ...
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Spanish footwear exports down 1.5% in first 10 months of 2025
Spanish footwear exports during the first ten months of 2025 totalled €2.92 billion, down by 1.5 percent compared to the same period in 2024, according to data released by the footwear association Fice.
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Apiccaps appoints Paulo Gonçalves executive director
The board of Apiccaps, the Portuguese footwear association, has appointed Paulo Gonçalves as Executive Director. ”The decision recognizes his 26-year career with the institution, marked by professionalism, competence, and dedication,” the trade association commented. Holder of a degree in Media Studies from the Porto School of Journalism, Gonçalves has been ...
