Focus Trends ~ Shoes

FOCUS TRENDS is a monthly retail strategies article on a specific retail category highlighting growth and contraction within the market. For more information, please see our WEBINARS.

Focus Trends ~ Shoes

Expansion & Closures

Declines and reinventions have been the story for the shoe store sector in 2017. The bankruptcy and ensuing closures for Payless ShoeSource in April began the year off on the wrong foot. Payless, which has more than 4,000 locations planned to close 400 by year end.

Even in the athletic shoe side of the sector, stores have had trouble. Foot Locker, Hibbett Sports, and Dick’s Sporting Goods are among those that are dealing with slackening sales.

However, a few stores are still opening at a consistent pace and one is reworking its in-store experience. Shoe Sensation, Shoe Carnival, and Shoe Show consider centers with strong anchors and fashion co-tenants. DSW has taken a hard look at its place in the market, and is now redesigning its store to return to the warehouse aesthetic that it originally debuted.

---

THE NUMBERS

Expansion & Closures

Retailer Name	Existing Stores 2016	New Stores	Closures 2016
Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse	81	9	4
Shoe Sensation	131	34	3
Shoe Carnival	392	25	25
Rack Room Shoes	424	16	8
Skechers	437	57	1
DSW	468	49	7
Foot Locker	938	6	42
Famous Footwear	1030	64	62
Shoe Show	1146	43	37
Payless Shoe Source	3089	16	67
Boot Barn	210	32	0