Casual Male Retail Group has some big shoes to fill. The specialty retailer of men’s big and tall apparel and operator of the LivingXL, Casual Male XL, and Rochester Big & Tall stores, has launched ShoesXL.
The ShoesXL Website went live in late August, and the 48-page print catalog mailed this month. Specializing in fashionable shoes for the big and tall fellow, ShoesXL’s brands include Cole Haan, Bacco, Bucci, Calvin Klein, Bruno Magli, and Converse. Sizes range from 12M and 10W to 17M/W and up to widths of 5E. Price points fall between $50 and $500.
In May, Casual Male launched LivingXL, a catalog of non-apparel products for obese men and women. Ric Della Bernarda, senior vice president of marketing for the Casual Male Retail Group, says that ShoesXL is an extension of the XL brand within a category of merchandise sold at Casual Male. The company has seen double-digit sales increases in the past four years from its direct channels, making ShoesXL a natural progression.
“As the largest one-stop shop for the Big & Tall male, we only thought it was fitting to expand our offerings further into shoes,” Della Bernarda says. “The Shoes XL catalog allows Casual Male Retail Group to expand the selection to current customers as well as attract new ones.”
Since the new catalog has only been out for less than two weeks, circulation/drop plans have not been finalized for the Canton, MA-based company. “It is too early to tell,” Della Bernarda adds. “As in any new business, drop schedules and circulation plans are established based on customer response.” At this point, he adds, Casual Male Retail Group has no plans to launch any more new titles.