Footwear

Chicago -- Mid-America Asset Management recently secured new retail leases on behalf of two shopping centers in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. DSW Shoe Warehouse signed a lease for 23,773 sq. ft. at Village Square of Northbrook located at the southeast corner of Lake Cook Road and Skokie Boulevard in Northbrook, Ill. The 334,995-sq.-ft. center is anchored by Nordstrom Rack, Marshall’s, The Container Store, PetSmart, Cost Plus World Market, and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th. DSW, expected to open in spring 2015, is taking the space vacated by Loehmann’s.

Nashville, Tenn. – Deferred expenses related to its 2011 purchase of Scotland-based Schuh Group, as well as a change in accounting for bonus for awards, reduced net income at Genesco Inc. to $4.8 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, down 43% from the same quarter the previous year.

St. Petersburg, Fla. – HSN Inc. is running "The Fashion Edit," the company's annual fall fashion series, now through Sept. 24. The retailer is partnering with a number of celebrity designers, including Kelly Osbourne, June Ambrose and Emma Fox.

Denver - The Running Specialty Group, part of The Finish Line Inc. organization, has appointed Bob Wallace as senior advisor, strategic initiatives. Wallace founded specialty running retail chain RunON, which Running Specialty Group purchased in 2012.

Wallace will serve as a key counselor to strategically plan and integrate growth opportunities surrounding industry trends while focusing on attaining operational excellence and being an ambassador to the running community. He entered the specialty running business in 1995.

Solid comparable sales gains and a strong topline performance in Genesco’s direct businesses were not enough to offset a sales and gross margin shortfall versus plan at the company’s Lids Sports Group, prompting the company to lower its guidance for the full fiscal year.

The company reported earnings from continuing operations for the second quarter ended Aug. 2 of $4.8 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, compared to earnings from continuing operations of $8.5 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, for the second quarter ended August 3, 2013.

Famous Footwear parent company Brown Shoe said it believes stepped up omnichannel efforts will drive sales this back-to-school season sales after reporting better than expected second quarter results.

H&M’s new Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan is the fast-fashion giant’s largest store in the world, a whopping 57,000 sq. ft. Beyond its sheer size, the store breaks new ground for the Swedish retailer in a number of other ways. Here are five big ones:

Columbus, Ohio -- DSW reported that its second quarter profit rose 1.8%, better than expected, with sales up across all its segments. Profit for the quarter ended Aug. 2 was $34.3 million, up from $33.7 million in the year-earlier period.
   
Sales rose 4.5% to $587.1 million. Same-store sales increased 0.8%. Both metrics surpassed Wall Street forecasts.
    

Necessity is the predominant motivation behind shoe purchasing for men, and their brand loyalty is strong and steady, according to Men’s Footwear Brand Focus Study 2014, the latest report from global information provider, The NPD Group.

This attitude, however, shows signs of evolving, given that men are increasingly embracing fashion and newness in their footwear.