INSIDEROn deadline × Top StoriesDr. Scholl’s New ConceptWhen parent <strong>com</strong>pany Brown Shoe Co. founditself with some unused retail space in hightrafficshopping centers, Dr. Scholl’s execs sawan opportunity. earlier this month,the brand debuted its first threeretail stores, in Las Vegas; ellenton,fla.; and San marcos, Texas. “itwas a perfect way to test a new format,” saidmaureen mcCann, VP of wholesale marketingat Dr. Scholl’s Shoes. “The stores presenta unique opportunity to showcase a brandwith great dimension. nowhere else can youbring it all together as well as in your ownenvironment.” The stores, ranging in size from1,700 to 2,600 square feet, showcase sandals,casual shoes, boots and sport shoes for menand women. They also stock an assortmentof foot-care products. mcCann said it’s toosoon to offer a prognosis for the brand’s retailpotential, but execs will be studying the doorsclosely. “as soon as we better understand thevolume and profit potential of the stores, wewill plan a measured rollout into other centersacross north america,” she said.Crocs on the AttackCrocs recently placed a bigger bet on retail.The brand, which has 72 full-price stores,launched three new doors — at the mallof america in Bloomington, minn.; BartonCreek Square in austin, Texas; and Streets atSouthport in Durham, n.C. The stores rangein size from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet andare designed to be fun, innovative and easyto shop, said angie Callaway, senior directorof retail for the brand. “Just like a pair of Crocsshoes, the retail experience puts the fun intofunctional and discovers the extra in theShopTalkordinary,” she said. “The stores allow our brandto have a direct dialogue with our customers.”and that dialogue will soon be in manydifferent languages. Callaway said the brand ispreparing to test the retail concept in europeand asia starting in march of next year.Sebago DebutsLondon FlagshipSegabo is giving Londoners a taste of newengland fashion. The brand recently opened itsfirst door in London, a flagship at 78 regent St.The décor of the two-story, 1,600-sq.-ft. storedraws on the line’s new england heritage andnautical aesthetic with a yachtinspiredstaircase, portholes on thewalls and a wall wrap featuring aboating theme. The shop is said tooffer the widest assortment of Sebago productin the u.K. “The customer will be immersed ina truly authentic nautical, Sebago experience,”said CeO Gary malamet. “The store will allowSebago to feature its newest artisan collectionsand the filson collaboration, giving theconsumer full access to all things Sebago.”Pretty BallerinasPreps Second L.A. Doorfollowing the opening last summer of itsfirst West Coast store, in Beverly Hills, Calif.,Pretty Ballerinaswill bow itssecond locationon the left coastin Santa monicain January. andthat’s just thebeginning of amore aggressiveretail rollout.“Our aim was toopen in new york and Los angeles first, asthey are the most important cities for image,”said founder and Creative Director DavidBell. “We are about to open our second newyork store, and this will be our second Losangeles store. next, we are setting our sightson San francisco and Chicago [and] moreaffluent coastal towns.” The 93-year-oldbrand, known for its ballet flats and pumps,could also branch into wholesale soon. “We’realready in the process of expanding the mainproduction facility by 40 percent to preparefor fall ’12 orders,” Bell said. “We’ll probablylook for retailers toward spring ’13.”Send retail newS to:wayne_niemi@condenast.<strong>com</strong>REI Heads to Big Appleby jennifer ernst beaudryNEW YORK — REI is in a NewYork state of mind.The Kent, Wash.-based outdoorgiant soft-opened its latest store,in New York’s Soho neighborhood,last week. The three-level,35,000-sq.-ft. space in the PuckBuilding showcases the technicalfootwear, apparel and gear thathas made the retailer famous.Covering 17,000 square feet ofselling space and employing 150store associates, the store wasdesigned to evoke the building’soriginal functions: Giant flywheels, left over from the space’sdays as a printing press, getprominent display in the subcellarlevel where footwear will live,and wood and nails taken fromthe rebuild are used as shelvesand display pieces.The store’s grand opening isscheduled for Dec. 2.The debut marks not only theretailer’s first door in Manhattanbut also its fourth tristateareastore to open in the past sixmonths. “There is a huge marketfor authentic outdoor product inthe tristate area,” said Tim Spangler,SVP of retail for REI.According to Spangler, the<strong>com</strong>pany’s co-op membershiplist and sales from the websiteled them to see the market in theNew York as underdeveloped fortheir shopper.And that means maintainingREI’s core outdoor and gear focus,even in the heart of the city.According to store manager LesHatton, formerly of the retailer’sSanta Monica, Calif., shop, thenew location will not reduce itspercentage of tents, camp stovesand equipment to cater to a downtowncrowd. “It’s almost exactlythe same,” Hatton said. However,he added, the 500-SKU footwearmix, which accounts for roughly20 percent of REI’s store sales,has been adjusted slightly, withmore casual offerings and somecolor updates to “what we believedwas relevant” for the Manhattanmarket, Spangler said.While he declined to reveal salesprojections for the site, Spanglerdid say the <strong>com</strong>pany is optimisticabout the store’s potential —despite New York’s higher rents— and that it was designed for thehigh shopper volume required forurban stores.Since 2009, when REI openedits first tristate store, in EastHanover, N.J., the <strong>com</strong>pany hasadded locations in Paramus, aswell as in Norwalk, Conn., andYonkers and Carle Place in NewYork. But the Soho store is the“keystone,” according to AnneMaleady, retail director of thetristate area for REI.It’s a strategy vendors areapplauding. “REI is a leader inoutdoor retailing and a significantcustomer of Teva,” said Pete Worley,president of the brand, a divisionof Goleta, Calif.-based DeckersOutdoor Corp. “We’re excited tosee REI going into Soho and expectthat they’ll be very successful asmore and more urban consumersseek outdoor adventure.”Jim Zwiers, president of theOutdoor Group at Rockford,Mich.-based Wolverine WorldWide Inc., agreed: “When we lookout there, we see this concept ofthe outdoor athlete gaining in popularityand breadth of appeal, andcities are an important epicenter,”he said. “REI’s decision to move toa big-city focus with New York is anatural and savvy business moveon their part.”In New York, REI joins a flourishingoutdoor retail network.EMS operates a store in Soho, aswell as a location on the UpperWest Side that opened this summer.Outdoor- and athletic-marketstalwart Paragon Sports is ashort walk uptown from Soho, andindependent retailer Tent & Trailsis farther downtown. Soho also ishome to brand stores for Patagonia,The North Face and others.PHOTOS: COurTeSy Of COmPanieS18 | | NOVEMBER 28, 2011FN1128P18.indd 181122201120245011/22/11 8:24 PM
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