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 /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.
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