New Brand Shows Retailer's Passion to Democratize Green; Retailer Also Signs Agreement with Summer Rayne Oakes to Serve as Eco Consultant to Help Drive Innovation TOPEKA, Kan., Oct. 13
TOPEKA, Kan., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Payless ShoeSource
announced today plans to launch the first-ever affordable green footwear line
due in stores early next year and that it has signed an agreement with Summer
Rayne Oakes, Discovery Network's Planet Green fashion and beauty expert and
author of Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion &
Beauty (Chronicle Books, February 2009), to serve as the green footwear
brand's Eco Consultant.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060627/CGTU040LOGO-b)
The new brand is a key part of Payless' mission and strategy to
democratize fashion, design and new ideas in footwear and accessories and to
position Payless as a "House of Brands" retailer, offering well-recognized,
fresh new brands -- all at a great price.
The forthcoming line will include on-trend, fashionable footwear and
accessory products that are also green through the use of sustainable and
eco-friendly materials such as organic cottons and linen, natural hemp and
recycled outsoles, as well as the use of eco-smart packaging. The line will
be seasonally refreshed offering the latest trends; the new brand will launch
initially for women, expanding to include kids' and men's styles in the
future. The "green" shoes will be available at prices, on average, of under
$30 a pair early next year in about 500 stores with select styles appearing in
1,000 stores, as well as generally available on Payless.com(R).
"The sustainability movement is pervasive today and is touching so many
elements of consumers' daily lives and they are interested in more and more
green product options being available to them," said Matt Rubel, CEO of
Collective Brands, Inc., the parent company of Payless ShoeSource. "But green
items are often expensive and inaccessible to so many. With our mission to
democratize the latest ideas in footwear and accessories, we are in the best
position and proud to bring forward a green footwear line that is affordable
and accessible to all.
Our alliance with Summer Rayne Oakes is important to this new brand
initiative. Summer Rayne is a trend-setting expert in Eco Fashion, and she
will help us launch our new green brand, as well as assist us in driving
innovation with fresh, new eco-smart ideas for this brand going forward."
The new line is unique not only as the first-ever affordable green
footwear, but also because it will stress fashion first, while being
eco-smart.
"When Payless approached me to partner with them on what would be their
first-ever affordable green line of footwear, it was an offer I couldn't
refuse," said Oakes. "It's high time a stylish line of shoes can be both
environmentally friendly and reasonably priced. Payless is at the forefront
of a significant movement bridging fashion, environmental awareness and
accessibility -- an undertaking I am proud to be a part of."
The contract between Payless and Oakes is a multi-year arrangement.
Oakes will be involved in seasonal line reviews focusing on materials use and
aesthetics for the product, packaging, and in-store materials, as well as
participate in other marketing activities for the brand. Additional terms of
the deal were not disclosed. Payless said it expects to launch the new brand
name closer to when the shoes are available in stores next year.
About Payless & Collective Brands
Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a unit of Collective Brands, Inc., is the
largest specialty family footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere and is
dedicated to democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories and
inspiring fun, fashion possibilities for the family at a great value. As of
the end of second quarter 2008, the company operated more than 4,500 stores.
In addition, customers can buy shoes over the Internet through Payless.com(R)
at http://www.payless.com.
Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS) is a leader in bringing compelling
lifestyle, fashion and performance brands for footwear and related accessories
to consumers worldwide. The company operates three strategic units covering a
powerful brand portfolio, as well as multiple price points and selling
channels including retail, wholesale, ecommerce and licensing. Collective
Brands, Inc. includes Payless ShoeSource, focused on democratizing fashion and
design in footwear and accessories through its more than 4,500-store retail
chain, with its brands American Eagle(TM), Airwalk(R), Dexter(R), Champion(R)
and designer collections Abaete for Payless, Lela Rose for Payless and alice +
olivia for Payless, among others; Stride Rite, focused on lifestyle and
athletic branded footwear and high-quality children's footwear sold primarily
through wholesaling, with its brands including Stride Rite(R), Keds(R), Sperry
Top-Sider(R), Robeez(R), and Saucony(R), among others; and Collective
Licensing International, the brand development, management and global
licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk(R), Vision Street
Wear(R), Sims(R), Lamar(R) and LTD(R), World Snowboarding Championships(TM),
Sugarboards(R), Carve(R), genetic(R), Dukes(TM), Rage(R), Ultra-Wheels(R), and
Skate Attack(R) brands. Information about, and links for shopping on, each of
the Collective Brand's units can be found at http://www.collectivebrands.com.
About Summer Rayne Oakes
Summer Rayne Oakes is a model-activist and spokesperson, resident expert,
and youngest board of advisors for Planet Green, Discovery Network's new eco-
lifestyle channel. The Cornell University graduate and environmental scholar
has received media accolades including Vanity Fair naming her a Global
Citizen, Outside naming her one of the Top Environmental Activists,
Cosmopolitan naming her Fun, Fearless Female of 2007, and CNN's Nicole Lapin
nominating her as a "Young Person Who Rocks." Through her work as a consultant
Summer Rayne advises companies and organizations, and works on sustainable
development and environmental programs in the U.S. and abroad. In February
2009, she'll release her first book, Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping
Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty published by Chronicle Books.
SOURCE Payless ShoeSource, Inc.
