Lifestyle and performance footwear seller Skechers is transitioning its business in Central Eastern Europe (CEE) from third-party distributors to a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Skechers CEE, Kft.
Skechers CEE, Kft. is comprised of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. Skechers plans to have its headquarters in Budapest and regional showrooms in each country.
Skechers plans to double its CEE sales in the next three to five years through an expanded offering of men’s, women’s and kids’ product and a growing distribution base in new and existing markets that includes department, specialty and Skechers retail stores.
“For nearly two decades, we’ve successfully marketed our product to consumers in Central Eastern Europe through several distributors, but in the last few years we have seen a growing demand and increased potential for Skechers in the region,” says Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “With the strength of our diverse product worldwide, we believe the time is right to further grow our brand – and that transitioning to a wholly-owned subsidiary will allow us to leverage our capital, product, logistics and business model to achieve this growth.”
Footwear industry veteran Petar Dulic has been appointed as the new territory manager of Skechers CEE, Kft. Dulic previously served as the general manager and partner of Skechers distributor Office Shoes, launching the brand in 1997 and overseeing its business in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and other neighboring countries.
Dulic’s experience includes the opening of more than 130 Office Shoes stores in 13 countries across the region, as well as brand negotiation, real estate, retail, wholesale, marketing, distribution and strategic planning for a wide range of international brands.
“With the right infrastructure, expertise and unparalleled marketing support, there is great opportunity to grow Skechers across Eastern Europe,” said Dulic. “Our distribution partners planted solid roots for Skechers’ growth in this region with the opening of seven retail stores and a strong network of established retailers. I look forward to building this new chapter for Skechers, and continuing to work with these great partners including my former company Office Shoes and the Croatian SKECHERS distributor v.o.o.d.o.o.”