Payless in Joint Venture in Columbia

New York, Payless ShoeSource on Thursday announced that, beginning in summer and fall 2008, it will open 10 stores in Columbia.

Payless will open the stores with its new joint venture partner, led by Colombian retail businessman Samuel Azout. Details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Payless has been expanding its international presence. Currently, it operates nearly 200 stores in nine countries throughout Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. These operations are through existing joint-venture partnerships.