Research: Shoe shops

WOLRD FROM ALDO
"Successful companies build on their founding traditions while looking ahead to the future - and that is what we have done at ALDO," states Aldo Bensadoun, founder & CEO of the ALDO Group, a privately-held company which operates close to 1,400 retail stores, over 700 of which are under the ALDO banner. The ALDO Group is present in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland as well as in 41 franchised countries by the end of 2009.

AT ALDO, IT'S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE
We never lose sight of our vision: to make people feel good, through the products and the service we provide everyday. We are dedicated to providing Total Customer Service.

THE ALDO RECIPE
ALDO specializes in the creation of high-quality fashion footwear, leather goods and accessories. This sought-after brand pays close attention to detail and to fine craftsmanship. ALDO is dedicated to bringing you both quality and cutting-edge trends at affordable prices, season after season. What's more, ALDO's dedicated team of buyers and stylists constantly travel the globe to keep you on the pulse of fashion. Whether the latest footwear trends are breaking in London, Milan, Paris, New York or Tokyo, ALDO will have them on your feet first!

GIVING BACK
ALDO places a premium on being a good corporate citizen by working to enrich the communities in which we live and work. It's not uncommon for ALDO or its employees to participate in fundraisers or to volunteer their time to community causes. ALDO is a brand with a conscience, a brand that cares. We actively support the fight against AIDS. Giving back to our communities is a necessary and fundamental part of the work we do everyday.

Dans La Rue
Once again, during the holiday season, the ALDO Group prepared 500 backpacks, which were distributed to DANS LA RUE, an organization that helps youth living on the streets of Montreal.

Over 18,000 items, including backpacks, treats, snacks, personal hygiene products and warm accessories were collected or purchased for the cause!

60 volunteers from all of the ALDO Group's divisions generously donated their time to help out with the packaging of these items, which went directly to street kids.

Since its creation in 1988, DANS LA RUE is a safe place for these kids to go and a place for them to grow. They can find resources that have been tailored to their individual circumstances. But above all, they can draw on an unending source of respect, friendship and encouragement.

ALDO fights AIDS
ALDO has been involved with the fight against AIDS since 1985, a time when the cause carried with it an unfortunate stigma. Over the years, ALDO has committed millions of dollars to AIDS awareness and research organizations, including CanfAR, AmfAR and YouthAIDS.

In Fall 2005 and Summer 2006 ALDO took a stand with the launch of the ALDO Fights AIDS campaign, an effort that demonstrates an ongoing commitment to this important cause. Amongst the diverse and talented group of celebrities from both the big-screen and music industry elite who donated their time and energy to the campaign are some of today's most influential celebrities: Ludacris, Charlize Theron, Michelle Yeoh, Pink, Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera, and the list goes on! The campaign used a powerful combination of top celebrities and multiple media genres to communicate real facts associated with the disease.

As part of the campaign, ALDO designed a series of limited-edition empowerment tags that were sold in-stores and online at www.youthaids-aldo.org. With 100% of net proceeds benefiting YouthAIDS programs worldwide, the simple act of buying one empowerment tag for only $5 helps to educate and protect a young person from HIV/AIDS for 6 months.

TOGETHER WITH YOU, OUR CUSTOMER, ALDO IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Clarks

It began with a flash of inspiration. It was 1825 in the Somerset village of Street and James Clark was busy working at the tannery owned by his brother, Cyrus. Among the sheepskin rugs, the off-cuts and cast-offs were piling up when James had a brainwave: “Slippers!”. And the rest, as they say, is history. A few stitches and a few years later, the sheepskin slipper was born.
It was the very first Clarks shoe and the opening chapter in a remarkable story that continues to unfold to this day. In the decades that have passed since the young Mr. Clark’s eureka moment our shoes have seen social, political and economic revolution. They’ve seen fashions in footwear come and go, and come again – everything from court shoes and winklepickers to wedge heels, sandals and sneakers. They’ve tapped to the beat of crooners, rockers, Britpoppers and hip hoppers. They’ve walked, marched, strode and sashayed through an ever-changing world.
Our feet, meanwhile, have stayed firmly rooted in Street. It’s where Clarks started. It’s where our heart lies. And still, as always, we put that heart into every pair of our shoes to create stylish footwear that protects and cares for our customers’ feet.
1825-1900
Britain was perhaps at its greatest in the 1800s. Queen Victoria was on the throne from 1837 to just beyond the end of the century and reigned over a time of phenomenal economic, colonial and industrial growth. And while Charles Dickens gripped the nation with his storytelling skills, engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel got it moving via his remarkable tunnels, bridges, railway lines and steam ships.
For Cyrus and James Clark business was booming. Their sheepskin slipper, named the ‘Brown Petersburg’, was a huge success. Within years of its unveiling, its unique design graced feet the length and breadth of the country and by 1842 sales were averaging 1000 pairs a month.
The ‘Brown Petersburg’ was made by hand in Street. There were no factories, so the brothers – now trading as C&J Clark Limited – relied on outworkers to meet the growing demand. The workers collected the leather from the tannery, along with a pattern, took the whole lot home and turned it into slippers. Production was often a family affair – everyone did their bit of cutting, sticking and sewing. Then, every Friday, all the finished footwear would be taken to Cyrus and James and swapped for wages.
The system worked well for many years. The good people of Street were happy in their work and the company prospered. In fact business was so brisk that in 1851 the Clark brothers won two awards at the Great Exhibition, an event organised by Prince Albert to showcase the achievements of British industry.

Riding the storm
Then, in 1863, disaster. A recession hit business badly and, almost overnight, the Clarks needed help. Lifelong Quakers themselves, they turned to contacts in the Quaker community for financial support and managed to secure a loan. But it came with conditions: James and Cyrus were to step down and William – James’ youngest son – was to take the reins.
It was another turning point in the company’s fortunes. Something of a visionary, William modernised the manufacturing process by bringing in the factory system and investing in the Singer sewing machine – a groundbreaking piece of technology at the time. Under his watchful eye, C&J Clark was revitalised, the loan was paid back in full and the company continued to move forward with developments like the Hygienic range. Launched in 1883, it was the first ever shoe designed to fit the shape of the foot; an innovation that is still the bedrock of Clarks’ reputation.
Whilst developing the commercial side of the business, William remained true to the ideals of his Quaker roots. He invested in the community, looked after his workers and built them homes – many of which can still be seen in Street today.
1900-1946

What the latter days of the 19th Century had started, the new millennium carried on with a passion. Science and technology were the watchwords. Inventions came thick and fast and included everything from the telephone and the zip to assembly line automobiles. Meanwhile, mass production and inexpensive alternatives to fabrics like silk meant a nation increasingly interested in fashion could finally afford to indulge itself.
With John, Roger and Alice Clark now running the company, Clarks continued to expand. Emerging from the buttoned-up days of the Victorian era, women in particular were a major new consumer. The female ankle was suddenly on display and shoes that showed them at their best were a must-have for every elegant lady of the time. C&J Clark was happy to oblige.

Spreading the word
With more and more product to promote, Clarks began advertising – our first press ad appeared in 1936. We opened our own chain of shops called Peter Lord, a name which remained on the high street until the 1990s. We also introduced a choice of width fittings to our children’s range, not forgetting the first ever Clarks foot gauge – two innovations which became a benchmark in the care of growing feet.
Before the 1900s were even half over, the world was plunged into two terrible wars. British industry stepped up to play its part in the war effort and during the Second World War the main Clarks factory was used to make torpedoes. On the home-front, meanwhile, the global conflict led to all sorts of shortages; raw materials became scarce, testing the ingenuity of manufacturers determined to meet the demand for everyday essentials. Clarks, for example, designed a unique, hinged wooden sole, so we could carry on supplying the nation with shoes even when leather was hard to come by
194-1990

As the world emerged from the dark days of war, the next four decades saw change beyond the wildest dreams of many. What began with a baby boom, rock ‘n’ roll, teenagers, television and sputniks boldly going into outer space would end with mobile phones, the music video, Live Aid and an obsession with working out at the gym.
For C&J Clark the end of the 1940s ushered in a period of rapid growth. The available workforce in Street was too small to meet demand so, under the guidance of chairman Bancroft Clark, the company opened 15 new factories in neighbouring towns and cities. New shops and stores were also opened, including, in 1957, Clarks’ first flagship store on London’s Regent Street.
In the decades to come, expansion at home and abroad, increased production and the introduction of new materials like polyurethane and trademark technologies like Active Air all helped Clarks become the world’s best-known name in footwear. There were innovative styles too. The Desert Boot for example, brainchild of Nathan Clark, made its debut in 1950, captured the imagination of millions and remaining a global icon to this day.
1900-present
As the 90s became the noughties, the computer revolution that had started two decades earlier with the invention of the microprocessor continued to transform work and play. And it still does, with the worldwide web, uploading, downloading and emailing all very much a part of almost everyone’s daily routine.
The dawn of the 1990s found Clarks facing some tough decisions. Major changes in world trade meant the company could no longer stay competitive while manufacturing in the UK. Reluctantly, production was moved to the continent. We began in a small way in Portugal, but it wasn’t enough. In the end, we had little choice but to close our UK factory doors and move the entire production process overseas.
It was a change of location but our high standards remained, and remain to this day, the same. Overseas modern factories, many of them purpose-built for Clarks, are audited either by independent auditors or our own on-site teams in order to monitor conditions and promote the best working practices.
The decision to move overseas wasn’t taken lightly. However, coupled with our continuing commitment to quality, new marketing and ad campaigns – including ‘Act your shoe size, not your age’ and the current ‘Enjoy Every Step’ – plus a rebranding in the high street, it has helped us return to the success of the good old days.
Into the future
We’re pleased to say that things are still going well. New technology, state-of the-art facilities and our love of shoes means we’re not only the number one shoe brand in the UK. With continuing growth in North America, Western and Eastern Europe, India and China, we’re also the world’s largest casual and smart shoe company and the fourth largest footwear company on the planet.
We’ve come a long way since Cyrus and James Clark and the ‘Brown Petersburg’. But their vision and passion live on in our shoes. You could say we’re following in their footsteps.

Culture
From the moment Cyrus and James Clark established the company we know today as C&J Clark, we’ve built a reputation for treating our people with courtesy and respect. And from the moment you join us, we believe in doing everything we can to help you enjoy your work and really feel good about your career.
That’s why our people are proud to work with us. We’re a company where heritage and innovation sit side by side; where work is a journey to be enjoyed; and where every day brings new experiences and exciting new challenges.
One of the first things you’ll notice on joining Clarks is just how open, honest and down-to-earth we all are. And that’s before we’ve even mentioned the innovative, inspirational working environment....



Diversity
As you’d expect from a company which designs, manufactures, markets and sells an astonishing array of men’s, women’s and children’s shoes, diversity’s in our make-up.
For us it means making sure that we continue to recognise, value and take into account different backgrounds and experiences, skills and knowledge. It’s celebrating our differences and using those differences to create a productive, effective and happy workforce. It’s this diversity that adds to the way we work and the way we do business. You could say that it’s what makes Clarks, well, Clarks.
We treat everyone fairly and with courtesy and respect. We recruit and promote solely on the basis of merit, aptitude and ability. We never knowingly discriminate on the grounds of sex, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability. And we refuse to tolerate harassment, bullying or victimisation in any shape or form.
Social responsibility
As individuals, we all have an effect on the world around us. And when hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people are grouped together – for example, at a workplace – that impact can be considerable.
Social responsibility is the responsibility that companies accept for the way in which their operations make a social, environmental, and economical impact. It’s about making a difference by the practices they adopt – accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative.
Clarks have always taken our role in the community seriously – from providing education and housing for our very first workers to supporting international initiatives to improve people’s lives today. We recognise the importance of caring for our employees, suppliers and stakeholders all over the world; and we are helping to create a sustainable future through our ‘reduce, re-use and recycle’ policy.
We’ve supported a variety of charities and their campaigns over the years, from personal appeals – such as our in-store scheme encouraging staff to apply for a £500 award to a charity of their choice – to large-scale initiatives like those listed below:
Soul of Africa
Soul of Africa
Soul of Africa is a self-sustainable charity initiative that helps orphans affected by AIDS. Its aim is to raise funds and create employment through the sale of hand-stitched shoes. Lance Clark set up the initiative in 2004 after visiting an AIDS-stricken community in Durban, South Africa. South Africa has been badly hit by HIV/AIDS, with many children left orphaned by the virus.
The scheme trains previously unemployed, and often unskilled, women to hand-stitch shoes, which are sold through Clarks and other retailers.
Since it was founded, the charity has raised over $1,000,000, which has been invested in facilities for the area’s orphans, as well as given meaningful employment to many women in some of the worst hit regions of South Africa.
Shoe Biz
Launched by Blue Peter and Unicef last year, the Shoe Biz appeal encouraged viewers to recycle their old shoes to raise money for education projects worldwide. As the leading children’s shoe retailer, Clarks were happy to support the scheme and helped collect over 1,500,000 pairs of shoes – which raised funds for safe learning environments across Malawi. We were able to help 175 of these ‘children’s corners’ in total, giving care and support to 43,000 children in need.
Although the Blue Peter appeal has now come to an end, we’ve pledged to continue our support to the initiative for the next three years.
Collection points have been set up at more than 500 of our stores nationwide for people to deposit their old or unwanted footwear. Three pairs of shoes could provide three children with basic school supplies; 84 pairs could buy 300 exercise books (enough for 150 children for a year); and 600 pairs could buy a 'school-in-a-box' kit which contains education equipment for a teacher and 80 pupils.

Kickers

Pentland Group PLC is a family owned group of companies. Our
values are family values. We believe that business should be conducted
honestly, fairly and with respect for people, their dignity and their rights.
This code is intended to make clear what this means in terms of practical
behaviour. It spells out the standards of behaviour by which we try to
manage the organisation. We expect and require that all managers and
employees of the Group apply the same standards in their dealings with
other people and organisations.
What are we in Business for?
We are in business to create shareholder value by developing and
marketing products of quality, reputation, performance, style and value and
by selling them on fair terms to our customers.
To build long term sustainable shareholder value, we need to implement
our vision to develop a portfolio of category leading brands and
businesses. We will do this honestly, fairly and with respect for people.
To continue to grow and prosper we will need, increasingly, to build
partnerships with our customers and suppliers. Such partnerships must be
based on mutual trust and we will earn our partners’ trust by operating
according to the principles laid out in this document.
Stakeholders
There are a number of categories of people and organisations who are
affected by our actions and to whom we have responsibilities. These
include our employees, our customers, our suppliers, other business
partners (such as licensees, distributors and joint venture partners) and
the wider community. These are, of course, in addition to our shareholders,
the owners of the business, to whom we have the responsibility to protect
their investment and to make sure that they receive an appropriate return.
Status of this Code
This Code has over-riding status in governing the standards of our
business behaviour. All contracts entered into by Group companies should
be consistent with it. If there are any inconsistencies, Group companies are
required to act in accordance with this Code’s standards rather than any
lower standards set out in such contracts.
In running our businesses, Group companies are required to observe the
standards of conduct set out below.


Towards Customers
To continue to succeed, we need to win and retain customers
by building partnerships with them. We will:
• Supply products and services that offer consumers good value in terms
of price, quality, performance, style, safety and environmental impact.
• Establish mutually beneficial business relationships and strive to meet or
exceed the spirit as well as the letter of our contractual commitments.
• Seek clarity in all our agreements, trying to avoid any ambiguity about
what we undertake to do and what we expect of our customers.
• Ensure that any quality or performance problems that occur in our
products are dealt with expeditiously with the minimum inconvenience
to our customers and consumers.
• Not seek to obtain sales or other business advantages by giving bribes
or other dubious inducements. We will not make any payments to any
employees of customers or government departments or agencies in
order to obtain commercial advantage.
• Take all reasonable practicable measures to prevent counterfeits of our
products from being marketed.

Primark

Primark Stores Limited is a clothes and linens retailer in the UK and Republic of Ireland with over 100 branches. In the Republic of Ireland - where the company's headquarters is based - it trades as Penneys. It is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc.
History
Penneys opened its first store in Mary Street, Dublin, Ireland in 1969, with the first UK Primark store opening in 1973. In the early 1990s, Primark acquired BHS Republic of Ireland stores and rebranded them as Penneys.
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Prior to 1997, Pennys often shared sites with Power Supermarkets, also at the time an ABF susbsidary, however this practice ceased after the sale of PSL to Tesco in 1997. ABF decided to maintain control of Primark rather than sell it on also, despite the fact that it is the only non-food part of the operation.
Related Topics:
Power Supermarkets - Tesco
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In July 2005 Primark/Associated British Foods purchased the 120 branch Littlewoods retail chain for £409 million. Some of the stores, variously reported as 30 or 50, will be converted into branches of Primark, but the majority are expected to be sold on to other retailers. The Littlewoods catelogue business has been retained by the Barclay brothers and will continue to operate under the Littlewoods brand.
Related Topics:
Littlewoods - Barclay brothers
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In 2006, the company is planning to head to Spain with a branch in Madrid.

Schuh

Back in 1981 Schuh opened its first store in the North Bridge Arcade, Edinburgh. Since then Schuh has grown significantly and now has a retail network of Schuh stores and Republic concessions spanning over mainland UK and ROI. Today Schuh still operates under its original philosophy:

To provide aspirational but accessible
fashion footwear, sold in a unique and
exciting retail environment at prices
which represent value for money and
sold by friendly, knowledgeable staff.

Schuh is at the leading edge of the
UK fashion footwear industry and is
widely recognised as one of the most
innovative independent footwear
retailers, not only on the high street
but online too. With over 100 brands
in stock Schuh has something for
everyone with a passion for
fashion footwear.

Nike

Nike's Heritage
NIKE, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. She sat at the side of Zeus, the ruler of the Olympic pantheon, in Olympus. A mystical presence, symbolizing victorious encounters, NIKE presided over history's earliest battlefields. A Greek would say, "When we go to battle and win, we say it is NIKE." Synonymous with honored conquest, NIKE is the twentieth century footwear that lifts the world's greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and achievement. The NIKE 'swoosh' embodies the spirit of the winged goddess who inspired the most courageous and chivalrous warriors at the dawn of civilization. (from Nike Consumer Affairs packet, 1996)
The Swoosh
The SWOOSH logo is a graphic design created by Caroline Davidson in 1971. It represents the wing of the Greek Goddess NIKE. Caroline Davidson was a student at Portland State University in advertising. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company. Phil Knight asked Caroline to design a logo that could be placed on the side of a shoe. She handed him the SWOOSH, he handed her $35.00. In spring of 1972, the first shoe with the NIKE SWOOSH was introduced.....the rest is history! (from Nike Consumer Affairs packet, 1996)
A brief history of Nike
The Nike athletic machine began as a small distributing outfit located in the trunk of Phil Knight's car. From these rather inauspicious beginnings, Knight's brainchild grew to become the shoe and athletic company that would come to define many aspects of popular culture and myriad varieties of 'cool.'
Nike emanated from two sources: Bill Bowerman's quest for lighter, more durable racing shoes for his Oregon runners, and Knight's search for a way to make a living without having to give up his love of athletics. Bowerman coached track at the University of Oregon where Phil Knight ran in 1959. Bowerman's desire for better quality running shoes clearly influenced Knight in his search for a marketing strategy. Between them, the seed of the most influential sporting company grew.
The story goes like this: while getting his MBA at Stanford in the early '60s, Knight took a class with Frank Shallenberger. The semester-long project was to devise a small business, including a marketing plan. Synthesizing Bowerman's attention to quality running shoes and the burgeoning opinion that high-quality/low cost products could be produced in Japan and shipped to the U.S. for distribution, Knight found his market niche. Shallenberger thought the idea interesting, but certainly no business jackpot. Nothing more became of Knight's project.
Cut to 1963. Phil Knight traveled to Japan on a world-tour, filled with the wanderlust of young men seeking a way to delay the inevitable call of professional life. Seemingly on a whim, Knight scheduled an interview with a Japanese running shoe manufacturer, Tiger--a subsidiary of the Onitsuka Company. Presenting himself as the representative of an American distributor interested in selling Tiger shoes to American runners, Knight told the businessmen of his interest in their product. Blue Ribbon Sports--the name Knight thought of moments after being asked who he represented--was born. The Tiger executives liked what they heard and Knight placed his first order for Tigers soon thereafter.
By 1964, Knight had sold $8,000 worth of Tigers and placed an order for more. Coach Bowerman and Knight worked together, but ended up hiring a full-time salesman, Jeff Johnson. After cresting $1 million in sales and riding the wave of the success, Knight et. al. devised the Nike name and trademark Swoosh in 1971.
By the late '70s, Blue Ribbon Sports officially became Nike and went from $10 million to $270 million in sales. Katz (1994) describes the success via Nike's placement within the matrix of the fitness revolution: 'the idea of exercise and game-playing ceased to be something the average American did for fun,' instead Americans turned to working out as a cultural signifier of status. Clearly, the circumstances surrounding the shift are not this simple; it is one of the aims of this project to discover other generators of popular attention to health.
If Nike didn't start the fitness revolution, Knight says, "We were at least right there. And we sure rode it for one hell of a ride" (Katz, 66). The 80s and 90s would yield greater and greater profits as Nike began to assume the appearance of athletic juggernaut, rather than the underdog of old. "Advertising Age" named Nike the 1996 Marketer of the Year, citing the "ubiquitous swoosh...was more recognized and coveted by consumers than any other sports brand--arguably any brand" (Jensen, 12/96). That same year Nike's revenues were a staggering $6.74 billion. Expecting $8 billion sales in fiscal 1997, Nike has targeted $12 billion in sales by the year 2000.
And all from the back of a car.
Few can question Nike's financial hegemony. But nearly $7 billion in revenues clearly begs the question, What sells these shoes? It is my assertion that Nike's power to sell comes from deep-rooted yearnings for cultural inclusiveness and individual athletic accomplishment. These seemingly paradoxical desires collide in consumers hearts and minds and produce the unyielding zeal for Nike shoes and apparel. Unfortunate effects of this zeal can be found in the rash of Nike apparel killings in 1991 and the profusion of Nike collectors and webpages designed around the company's products. (See listing of homepages on Works Cited Page) Nike appeals to these disparate elements of Americans' personalities through an advertising philosophy that is, at once, simple and sublime. In addition, Nike's practice of top-level athletes promoting their products appeal to countless ages and creeds as a way to identify with and emulate their athletic heroes. These forces work powerfully upon the individual consumer, but one should not lose sight of the cultural context in which the individual moves.