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- We’re also currently developing and expan- ding the way that our shoes are presented in retail stores. We’re opening more shop-in-shops in co- operation with several of our wholesale customers, and we have a beautiful wall that showcases the full Skechers range for all target groups. We have many loyal shoe store owners, and we have a clear ambition to grow and evolve side by side with them, says Hanne Sørensen. The primary target audience for Skechers are women in the 35+ age bracket, but more and more young people are also being drawn to the brand, particularly because of its new chunky sneakers that are in style right now. - Our new boots for A/W 2020/21 are super trendy, and they’re designed to appeal both to our primary audience and to the younger customers. Skechers in the US develops up to 10,000 sty- les per season, from which Skechers selects its collections for the Scandinavian market. There are around 400-500 different styles in a typical concept store, which really puts the size of the whole collection into context. - Our knowledge about the Nordic market has had a huge influence on the success of Sports Connection. Selecting the right styles for the retailers in the four markets is incredibly im- portant, establishes Hanne Sørensen. HUMBLE DANES Sports Connection, who celebrated its 25- year anniversary in 2019, has been the distri- butor of Skechers in Scandinavia since 2005. In its office in Esbjerg they have around 50 employees working in sales, purchasing, ad- ministration, logistics, marketing, and ware- housing. In 2018, Sports Connection sold more than 1 million pairs of shoes for the first time. And its growth looks to continue in all categories and in each of the four countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. At the time of publication, they had 25 shop-in- shops, and deals had been reached for further additions in 2020. At Skechers in Esbjerg, they don’t see concept stores as competition for existing retail costu- mers. - We typically see sales rising at our retailers when a Skechers concept store opens in a town. One part of the reason is that the two stores don’t carry exactly the same items, and another part is that the visibility and profile of the brand increases in the minds of con- sumers when a concept store opens. What often happens is that Skechers will grab a significantly larger share of shoe sales in the town when a concept store opens. In that way, the concept store becomes a colleague more so than a competitor, says Hanne Sørensen. - Even though things are going well, we’re still just humble Danes at heart. We’re dedicated and hard-working. Our owner and managing director Peter Jørgensen lives and breathes Skechers, and that passion really has an im- pact on the entire organization. In May 2019, Sports Connection was named Distributor of the Year by Skechers in the US, an achie- vement the whole team is very proud of. We were chosen among a strong field of distri- butors from all over the world, including the Indian distributor who is opening a new store every four days at the moment, ends Hanne Sørensen with a big smile. SKECHERS ER DET TREDJESTØRSTE SKOMÆRKE I VERDEN, KUN OVERGÅET AF NIKE OG ADIDAS SKECHERS THE STORY OF SKECHERS Stiftet i 1992 i Californien som et arbejdsstøvle-brand I dag dækker kollektionen mange tusinde modeller og tilbyder et bredt sortiment af sko til kvinder, mænd og børn i hele verden. Skechers har syv procent af markedsandelen på sneakers på globalt plan Tredjestørste skomærke i verden, kun overgået af Nike og Adidas Far og søn, Robert og Michael Greenberg, der stiftede virksomheden, er stadig i ledelsen, og siden 1999 har virksomheden været børsnoteret på New York Stock Exchange Familien stiftede oprindeligt L.A. Gear, som de senere solgte, hvorefter Skechers blev etableret. Senest har de to virksomheder lanceret linjen L.A. Gear x Skechers – en serie sneakers med tydelig 90’er-reference og retro-stil målrettet unge kvinder Skechers har udviklet et stærkt fashion-orienteret label ved navn Mark Nason Los Angeles by Skechers Originally founded in 1992 in California as a work boot brand, Skechers today carries thousands of different models and offers a wide selection of shoes for women, men, and children all over the world. Skechers has a 7 percent share of the global sneakers market and is the third-largest shoe brand in the world, behind only Nike and Adidas. The father and son, Robert and Michael Greenberg, who founded the company are still part of its management, and since 1999 the company has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The family originally founded L.A. Gear which they later sold, after which Skechers was established. Recently, the two companies launched the line L.A. Gear x Skechers — a series of sneakers with a clear 90s feel and retro style intended for young women. Skechers has developed a strong fashion-oriented label called Mark Nason Los Angeles by Skechers.