Skechers Goes to Work

Manhattan Beach, Calif. -- In 1992, Skechers USA stepped into the footwear business with its first product line, Sport Utility Footwear for men. This spring, in an effort to revisit its roots, the company has introduced Skechers Work, a complete line of men's and women's oxfords, work boots, trail hikers and athletic shoes. Launching with the line are merchandising materials to meet all retailers' needs, including those carrying a work boot line for the first time. "One of the driving forces behind this launch is getting retailers like the Famous Foot-wears of the world, who may not have carried anything like this brand in the past, into it," says Scott Greenberg, vice president, visual merchandising/bag division. Greenberg, along with Jennifer Rosumny, senior product development manager, visual merchandising, created the P-O-P program. Greenberg says the P-O-P materials created for this launch are critically important for brand recognition. "When you're launching into an arena that you've never been in before, P-O-P absolutely helps tell the Skechers story. Otherwise, how would anyone know we were in that store?"The Skechers Work P-O-P arsenal includes a table/window/counter display, a single shoe slatwall/table display, a slatwall shelf, a floorstand, a box merchandiser and a bench. All of these pieces were produced by United Displaycraft, Des Plaines, Ill. The metal units feature a black-and-orange color scheme. "We wanted a very universal construction theme for this program, with nuts, bolts and I-beams," explains Greenberg. Some of the pieces also include a black Gatorboard header shaped like a construction helmet. The "Skechers Work" logo is prominently displayed on all the pieces.Approximately 250 of each unit were produced in the initial run, with the exception of the slatwall shelf, which had a 2,000-piece first run. According to Greenberg, the upfront demand for the P-O-P was unprecedented. "Most of the P-O-P that came off the assembly line at the end of March was already spoken for in February. I've never had so many accounts call me directly right when we launched to move forward on getting their displays." He says the company has already placed additional orders on some of the units. The permanent pieces are intended to remain in stores for a year or more. Also available to retailers is a neon clock that was produced by Image Time Inc., Perryopolis, Pa., plastic slatwall shelves from Abbey Specialties, Chicago, an embossed aluminum wall sign from Scioto Sign Co., Kenton, Ohio, and a floor mat and counter mat from Leewayne Corp., Culver City, Calif. Greenberg notes that the company also created more premiums for this brand than ever before. Golf balls, fleece vests, thermoses, coolers, T-shirts, pens and keychains will help the in-store effort.Greenberg says the team's main challenge in creating the pieces was making sure that they were UPS shippable and simple to assemble. Most of the units are 90% set up, he says, and then retailers and the company's visual merchandising coordinators do the rest. There is always a simple instruction sheet included as well as whatever tool is required to finish the job. There are currently 60 SKUs in the line that have one or a combination of the following five features: steel toe, electrical hazard, water-resistant, electrostatic-dissipative (ESD) and slip-resistant. "Our shoes are meeting or exceeding all of the safety standards and we're adding comfort to them," he says. Icons for the various technical features are also found on the P-O-P.John Quinn, chief strategy officer, says the company began looking into a work boot line after research showed that not only were the company's earlier steel-toed shoes popular, but they also had a very utilitarian functionality and there was a need in the customer base for shoes that could be worn in a true work situation."Slip-resistant is probably the largest area where there is a need and utility for it, based on what our salespeople are saying," Quinn says. "There are so many jobs where people either need this type of footwear or it would be good to have it." The food-service industry is a great example, he says. "More em-ployers are paying attention to the risks involved in the workplace, and they are taking a variety of measures to encourage their employees to wear shoes that have this slip-resistant sole." Other companies are making these types of shoes, Quinn says, but they don't have the name brand recognition or the styling and quality of a Skechers shoe. "Somebody else can make a nice bottom, but we're making the whole shoe. The employee at Taco Bell, for example, would much rather buy a pair of Skechers that are slip-resistant because when he leaves, he's not going to be embarrassed to have them on. In fact, he'll be able to wear them wherever he's going." Greenberg adds that the company's goal was to help change an industry that hasn't been addressed in a long time. "We're most definitely adding fashion and function to a stagnant business that has no motivation to change its styles."

Skechers Goes to Work

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