News In Brief . . .

Published: 11 February, 2010

Manas has launched a line of men’s shoes. Positioned in the same market segment as its successful line of women’s shoes, it is described as a well-designed cross-over between urban and outdoor fashion, targeting an independent, contemporary and demanding client.

MBT is introducing lighter and more technical models in its athletic shoe collection for spring 2010, and a new line of business shoes for men and women for autumn 2010. The big Swiss company, whose main patents have fallen into the public domain, is warning shoppers to be careful and not buy counterfeit versions of its shoes, saying that fake MBT shoes are flooding the market and could pose a health threat to the wearer.

Skechers is reporting that it expects sales for the fourth quarter to rise by about 29 % to more than $385 million. It will have positive net earnings per share of more than 50 cents, a significant improvement over last year’s loss of 44 cents. The company cited record sales in the fourth quarter.

Lacrosse Footwear has reported that it expects a 21 % increase in sales to $42.5 million for the fourth quarter. The performance was good of both work shoes, up by 25 % to $25.2 million, and outdoor footwear, expected to rise by 16 % to $17.3 million. Sales for the full year are forecast to grow by 9 % to $139.2 million.

This year’s Christmas present for Bakers Footwear Group was a 9.5 % increase in sales to $30.0 million for the five-week period ended Jan. 2. Comparable store sales grew by 9.9 % for the month of December. Boot sales at regular prices were given credit for the good performance. As a result of the positive figures, Bakers is now forecasting net income of $6.0 million to $7.0 million for the fourth quarter, compared with $0.5 million for last year.

Kingmaker, a Chinese supplier to companies such as Skechers, Clarks and Stride Rite, saw an 11 % drop in sales to 709.0 million Hong Kong dollars (€63.0m-$91.4m) for the first half ended Sept. 30, but still managed a jump of 36 % in profits to HK$39.5 million (€3.5m-$5.1m). This increase came as a result of efforts to increase its higher-margin businesses while cutting costs.

Kevin Monahan will be Frank Wright’s new sales agent for Ireland and Northern Ireland starting Feb. 1. He is the owner of Wired Agencies, a fashion agency based in Dublin. Frank Wright’s head office in the U.K. will provide additional sales and marketing support

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