Hilfiger ending licensing deal with Stride Rite

NEW YORK and LEXINGTON, Mass. Tommy Hilfiger Group announced today that it is ending its 10-year exclusive footwear licensing agreement with Collective Brands' Stride Rite unit. Effective Jan. 1, 2009, Tommy Hilfiger will bring its men's and women's footwear business in-house. Stride Rite will continue to remain a licensee for the Tommy Hilfiger Kids footwear line through Dec. 31, 2009.

Collective Brands reported that it expects no material financial impact in fiscal year 2008 as a result of this move.

"We have always had a very successful relationship with Stride Rite and appreciate its valuable contributions to the brand over the past decade. However, since the Tommy Hilfiger Group acquired Tommy Hilfiger Footwear GmbH in 2007, the company that operates the footwear business internationally under a separate license agreement, we have experienced the benefits of having this type of dedicated expertise in-house," said Fred Gehring, ceo of Tommy Hilfiger Group. "Therefore, we firmly believe that bringing the U.S. footwear business in-house as well will allow us to benefit from global economies of scale and further brand alignment."

As part of the transition plan, Stride Rite will deliver the full Tommy Hilfiger Footwear collection for 2008. Several Stride Rite associates that have been directly involved with the Tommy Hilfiger business will join Tommy Hilfiger U.S.A.'s newly created Tommy Hilfiger Footwear division, and report to Anne Marino, president of Tommy Hilfiger licensing.