NEWS
Cherry Blossom champions the cause of shoe care in the national press
It is extremely rare to find the subject of shoe care a topic for the national press. So it was extremely heartening for the shoe care trade to see such an article on the topic in The Guardian’s G2 section over the Easter weekend recognising its importance and relevance in general and the more recent successes of Cherry Blossom in particular. Written in a light hearted, entertaining and informative
vein, it made the point that in spite of shoes becoming a commodity product with the younger generation and shoe cleaning “a mystery to younger people” sales of Cherry Blossom products have increased by 20% in the last year. The article suggests that the recession “has seen the
rise in the smartly shod. It appears to have prompted not only a reappraisal of our need to look the part for interviews but a realisation that shoe care makes economic sense” with Kurt Geiger reporting that “even Ugg wearers are requesting suede protector.”
Meindl gives ‘life’ to old boots
Owners of any brand of worn and unwanted walking boots are being encouraged to donate their old boots through a new initiative launched by the leading outdoor footwear brand, Meindl. Boot owners are being given the chance to make a difference in developing countries by donating their used boots with all monies raised from the collection of the footwear donated to WaterAid. From 1st May to 30th June 2010, outdoor enthusiasts can simply take their old boots of a wearable standard to any Cotswold or Ellis Brigham store nationwide or to selected independent retailers (as listed at
www.meindl.co.uk/newlife) Each pair of boots donated will be sent to a developing country to be re-
sold. This provides much needed affordable footwear to meet the needs of local communities, while providing employment and income opportunities. In return, if new Meindl footwear is purchased at the same time, Meindl
will reward the donor with free Meindl boot care products!* The charity WaterAid enables some of the
world’s poorest people to gain access to safe water, improved sanitation and hygiene. All donations received from the New Life scheme will go towards WaterAid’s water and sanitation projects. For more information regarding WaterAid, please visit
www.wateraid.org
www.bramwell-int.co.uk
However it also poses the question about the future of
shoe care when those brought up on the culture of caring and polishing their shoes move on to that “Great Cobbler in the Sky.” Dave Watkins, Sales Director of Cherry Blossom, admits
that getting the younger generation to adopt this practice “remains a challenge” and that a campaign to encourage them to do so would do wonders for everyone in the trade. Perhaps one of the most encouraging aspects of the
article was the number of comments the “Guardian On- line” version provoked. Within twenty four hours of its posting it generated 130 comments via e-mail and social networking sites. So perhaps the topic is still very much on the public’s radar? The full Guardian article can be seen on the news section of the Cherry Blossom web site.
www.cherryblossom.co.uk
Jimmy Choo will launch a school in Malaysia
(Datuk) Jimmy Choo, who has been training shoe students in London for 13 years, is planning to set up a shoe design college in his native country within three years. The famous ethnic Malaysian Chinese shoe designer received a special award last week from the fashion community of Malaysia at Stylo, a fashion event in Kuala Lumpur presented by Mercedes- Benz and Visa. He also was special guest of a new Malaysia International Shoe Exhibition and Festival organized by the Malaysian Tourism Ministry and the Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers Association in the capital. Jimmy Choo, who is also Malaysia’s tourism ambassador, exhibited the 10 most successful styles of his shoe couture collection, in connection with a Formula One automotive race in the country. The show featured 86 booths and more than 100 footwear brands, of which 90 % are local.
www.shoeintelligence.com
Romika sell through figures excite!
Since being integrated into the Josef Seibel Group back in 2005, the Romika brand has experienced tremendous growth across many world markets and in particular within the UK and Ireland. Strong performance trends by the Romika brand have recently been published in the “Schuhkurier” German Trade Footwear Magazine which used the European Clearing Centre (ECC) to determine the performance of footwear brands in the Wellness sector within the German footwear market. The results present two companies sharing the top positions determined
by data collected from 648 sources. With a sell through of 81.7%, Rieker takes the lead. Marginally behind with a sell through rate of 79.7% is the Romika brand; however the brand, distributed by Josef Seibel UK Ltd in the UK and Ireland, achieved a significantly higher average sales value of ¤75.44 compared to Rieker’s ¤52.10.
www.romika.co.uk
6 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
•MAY 2010
www.footweartoday.co.uk
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