Shoe shops move into fashion market

Two footwear retailers are attempting to invigorate the lacklustre shoe market with new concepts, both of which will introduce fashion clothing to their stores.

International shoe chain Bally is to launch a new footwear and fashion brand, and has appointed Minale Tattersfield & Partners to develop branding, corporate identity and interiors for the planned chain.

The venture will launch in the autumn and operate internationally, under a new name which is currently being registered, says consultancy chairman Marcello Minale. Minale Tattersfield won the work after a credentials pitch, which is thought to have included a number of consultancies from outside the UK.

Meanwhile, Revolution has developed a new format for UK chain Foothold. The chain will move away from its current sports image, which the client feels has saturated the footwear market, towards a street fashion look. Foothold is also to introduce street fashion clothing, says Revolution director Derek Pover.

Three Foothold stores – at London’s Kensington High Street, Poole in Dorset and the Merryhill Centre in Dudley – will be refitted with the new format during May.

The Revolution design replaces a previous version, designed by Kane & Co, which was introduced in Manchester and Watford stores last December. Those stores will be given a makeover to bring them more in line with the new format without the expense of a second full refit.

Foothold spokesman Clive Klinger describes the new stores as an evolution of Kane & Co’s format.