SKECHERS Stages Successful National Sales Conference in China
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a global leader in the lifestyle footwear industry, announced that it recently held its first national sales conference in China with its joint venture partner Luen Thai Enterprises, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate with investments in various industries in Asia, North America and the Pacific Region. The three-day conference was held during the last week of March in Guangzhou, the nerve center of commercial and trade activities in the country's booming Southern region of Guangdong.
The conference also heralded the official entry of SKECHERS into the China market. Guangzhou is the headquarters of SKECHERS in China, and company-owned flagship stores are already being established in major fashion cities across the country -- specifically Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Now supported with an even stronger foundation via the joint venture SKECHERS China Limited, the Company's success is expected to be replicated in China, a country of approximately 1.4 billion people. With more than 3000 styles for men, women and children, SKECHERS believes there is great potential in the Chinese market.
"SKECHERS was born out of the passion that we all have for the footwear business," said Michael Greenberg, president of SKECHERS and Chairman of SKECHERS China Limited, to an audience of more than 100 department store owners, mall operators and other franchisees. "It is this passion that will ensure the success of SKECHERS in China."
Mr. Willie Tan, CEO of the joint venture, led the management team in securing the trust of partners and vendors by emphasizing the solid and capable background of the joint venture companies Luen Thai Enterprises and SKECHERS. Mr. Tan said: "Our experience in the China market and long business heritage in the country will propel SKECHERS to reach its target market. At SKECHERS, we have great products as well as the vision, passion and the commitment of the people. With SKECHERS, you can rely on strong infrastructure, systems support, world class marketing and positioning programs and highly experienced people to reach our target customers."
At the close of the conference, Mr. Greenberg commented: "This is a first-class way to launch a brand in a country with so much opportunity, and it is exciting to see so many key accounts here - and to have them hungry for a lifestyle brand such as SKECHERS. The success of the event is evident in the enthusiasm of all here, as well as in the number of orders and inquiries made on the spot."
ABOUT Luen Thai Enterprises
Based in Hong Kong, Luen Thai Enterprises is a conglomerate with businesses and investments in multiple industries including footwear manufacturing and supply-chain services, ocean and air cargo services, long-line fishing and distribution of fresh seafood products, real estate development, travel and tours, and wholesale distribution. Luen Thai Enterprises has business operations in China, Japan, Philippines, the United States, Micronesia and the Pacific region. A sister company of Luen Thai Enterprises, Luen Thai Holdings Limited is one of the leading apparel manufacturing and supply chain services providers worldwide. The Company produces more than 80 million pieces of apparel annually for men, women and children.
Luen Thai Enterprises is a privately held company and employs more than 2,000 people. It is part of close to a $1 billion group of companies that also includes footwear manufacturing, logistics, hotels, travel and tour operation among others. Most of the businesses have been operating for more than 20 years. Luen Thai Enterprises is steadily bolstering its foundation in Mainland China. Its strong business network in the local retail industry and long heritage of doing business in the country is expected to complement SKECHERS China's growth plans.
ABOUT SKECHERS USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of footwear for men, women and children under the SKECHERS name, as well as under several uniquely branded names. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States via department and specialty stores, Company-owned SKECHERS retail stores and its e-commerce website, as well as in over 100 countries and territories through the Company's global network of distributors, subsidiaries in Canada, Brazil, Asia, and across Europe, as well as in China through a joint venture. Please visit www.skechers.com or call the Company's information line at 877-INFO-SKX.
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or simply state future results, performance or achievements of the Company, and can be identified by the use of forward looking language such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "project," "will be," "will continue," "will result," "could," "may," "might," or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include international, national and local general economic, political and market conditions; intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers; changes in fashion trends and consumer demands; popularity of particular designs and categories of products; the level of sales during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; the ability to anticipate, identify, interpret or forecast changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for our products and the various market factors described above; the ability of the Company to maintain its brand image; the ability to sustain, manage and forecast the Company's growth and inventories; the ability to secure and protect trademarks, patents and other intellectual property; the loss of any significant customers, decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments; potential disruptions in manufacturing related to overseas sourcing and concentration of production in China, including, without limitation, difficulties associated with political instability in China, increases in labor or raw material costs, the occurrence of prolonged adverse weather conditions, a natural disaster or outbreak of a pandemic disease in China, or electrical shortages, labor shortages or work stoppages that may lead to higher production costs, production delays and/or transportation delays; changes in monetary controls and valuations of the Yuan by the Chinese government; increased costs of freight and transportation to meet delivery deadlines; violation of labor or other laws by our independent contract manufacturers, suppliers or licensees; potential imposition of additional duties, tariffs or other trade restrictions; business disruptions resulting from natural disasters such as an earthquake due to the location of the Company's domestic warehouse, headquarters and a substantial number of retail stores in California; changes in business strategy or development plans; changes in economic conditions that could affect the Company's ability to open retail stores in new markets and/or the sales performance of the Company's existing stores; the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the disruption, expense and potential liability associated with existing or unanticipated future litigation; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. The risks included here are not exhaustive. We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and we cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of the Company's future performance.
Source: SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Released Apr 16, 2008 • 9:01 am EDT