Footwear Insight

36 • Footwear Insight ~ September/October 2024 footwearinsight.com knowledge that larger chains oen struggle to replicate. Independent stores help us maintain strong, direct connections with consumers, allowing for real-time feedback and the ability to quickly pivot in response to trends and needs. For us, fostering these relationships is essential to driving brand loyalty and delivering the best customer experience. When you think of some of your best retail partners, what words come to mind? Words like "trustworthy, adaptable, and community-driven" come to mind. They are committed to delivering value to their customers, just as we are, and they always go the extra mile to ensure our products are presented in a way that highlights both comfort and quality. Our most successful partners embrace collaboration and maintain open communication. In 2024, what are some of the biggest challenges (or strategies) to maintaining a good brand/retail relationship? One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that we have the right shoes for each retail channel while balancing our responsibility as a brand with the need for timely feedback and timely orders from our retail partners. Our focus is on strong collaboration, aligning with our retailers on product selection and stock needs to ensure the best turns and maintain solid inventory availability. By working closely with our partners to forecast demand and keep open communication, we can provide the support they need to stay competitive. To enhance our partnerships, we've rolled out a dedicated *Customerreporting@ propetfootwear.com* email distribution, which allows us to gain better insights into sell-through performance. is gives us a clearer picture of how our products are performing and helps us understand how we can best support those partners who are willing to share that information. By fostering a proactive approach to inventory management and customer collaboration, we aim to maximize the success of our retailers and ensure they can consistently count on product availability. Key Product: The Propet Ultra Series has become a cornerstone of the brand's evolution, especially in the athletic and walking shoe categories. e series embraces a maximalist design philosophy, focusing on providing the most comfort and support possible, while still offering versatility for both casual and high- performance use. — Jon Brookings, VP Sales, Propet Footwear RIEKER What role does the independent retail channel play in the brand's overall strategy? e independent retail channel is vital to our strategy, development, and direction. The independent retailer is in our DNA at Rieker & Remonte. When you think of some of your best retail partners, what words come to mind? Passionate, Resilient, Partners, & Friends In 2024, what are some of the biggest challenges (or strategies) to maintaining a good brand/retail relationship? Strategies - B eing transparent, listening to our partners, and having the flexibility to pivot. COMMUNICATION the common thread. — Rich Rask, President, Rieker Shoe Corporation SALUBER What role does the independent retail channel play in the brand's overall strategy? Independent retailers are our primary connection to the footwear marketplace. e typical consumer for Saluber products is someone willing to pay for better quality products that alleviate their foot pain, and who appreciates good service to help them find suitable products. We value great independent retailers that communicate the benefits of our products to their customers. When you think of some of your best retail partners, what words come to mind? 1) "Sit and Fit" stores that focus on excellent service and that suggest products to help their clients resolve foot issues, which ultimately can improve their client's lives. 2) A deep knowledge of the products that they sell, including which products are best for which foot types. 3) A recognition of the value of long- term business relationships, as well as openness towards new vendor partnerships. 4) Efficient communication. If there's an issue, I want to hear about it, so I at least have some opportunity to address it. 5) Predictable business operations. In 2024, what are some of the biggest challenges (or strategies) to maintaining a good brand/retail relationship? Our biggest challenge has been growing the number of retailers that sell Saluber. e orthotic insole category is crowded with competitors and even the biggest orthotics brands don't generally bring significant foot traffic into stores, so we find many retailers hesitant to try new brands. To overcome these barriers, we've tried a number of different offers to entice retailers to give Saluber products a try in their stores, including risk free offers. Another area that we are trying to improve is product training. Handling hot button issues for retailers such as DTC, shipping costs, product availability & pricing: We keep online prices high and never offer online discounts. Brick-and-mortar Saluber retailers can set pricing however they want within their physical stores — many sell Saluber for less than the online prices and make excellent profit margins, reducing the tendency of their clients to buy online. POWER IN PARTNERSHIP

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