Collective Brands Announces New Distribution Agreements to Expand Its Performance + Lifestyle Group (PLG) Brands in International Markets

LEXINGTON, Mass., Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group (PLG), which owns such globally recognized iconic brands as Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Keds and Stride Rite, among others, today announced that it has signed new distribution agreements with partners to continue the rapid international expansion of several of its brands in markets including Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Spain.  

"Teaming with the right strategic partner in each targeted market is critical to the successful international expansion of our brands," said Gregg Ribatt, CEO of the Collective Brands PLG unit. "We are thrilled today to be announcing distribution agreements with leading partners to expand the brand presence of Saucony, Sperry Top-Sider and Keds across these four key international markets."  

Through an agreement with ABC-Mart, Tokyo, the Saucony and Sperry Top-Sider brands will be reintroduced across the Japan market.  A leading retailer in the Japan, ABC-Mart will position Sperry at leading pinnacle fashion retail outlets and Saucony in leading specialty running stores as well as distribute both brands in its own ABC-Mart retail stores.  In Oct. the latest Saucony products will be available at retail; in early 2012 fresh new Sperry Top-Sider collections will hit stores. 

For the Singapore and Malaysia markets, the company has inked a distribution deal with RSH Limited, Singapore, for the Sperry Top-Sider, Keds and Saucony brands in both countries.  Products will be available at retail in early 2012 through RSH's strong wholesale channel, along with its market-leading retail stores, to powerfully position the brands in these local markets.

Through a new distribution deal with Sefonia Yourself SA, Barcelona, which also currently holds the Sperry Top-Sider distribution agreement and has been managing the introduction of Sperry in Spain for the past year, the Keds brand will be re-introduced in Spain in 2012 through a similar strategic approach targeting pinnacle retail stores well aligned with the brand's cache in the local market.

About These PLG Partners

ABC-MART INC., established in 1985, is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.  ABC-MART is well recognized as biggest shoe retail chain in Japan with 112,502M JPY in revenue and 574 stores as of the end of 2010 fiscal year. ABC-MART also operates retail outlets in Korean and Taiwan.

A purveyor of over 90 international brand-names, RSH Limited is the leading pan-Asian lifestyle company in sports, golf, active lifestyle, fashion and beauty.  RSH, which achieved an annual turnover of  S$846 million in FY 2010 has carved a retail network encompassing 45 different retail concepts and incorporating 440 free-standing stores and 500 shops-in-shop in Asia, the Middle East and South Pacific. For sports, golf and active lifestyle, RSH Limited operates multi-brand retail chains such as Royal Sporting House, Golf House and Pro Shops; multi-brand specialty stores like Stadium by Royal Sporting House, flip-flop specialty store Samba and Studio R; as well as single-brand concept stores such as Reebok, Nike, Adidas, Puma, New Balance, Lacoste and Nautica. For fashion, RSH Limited has acquired the exclusive retail rights to operate stores for top fashion brand-names including Zara, Massimo Dutti, Mango, Morgan, bebe, Pull and Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius and Ted Baker. RSH Limited has extended its product base to include Sephora cosmetics and beauty chain.

Sefonia Yourself SA, founded in 2005,  is dedicated to the distribution of prestigious lifestyle brands within the Spain and Portugal market with more than 300 retail partners.  Key brands it represents include: Sperry Top-Sider, Wolverine 1000 miles boots collection, Kawasaki sneakers, Native from Canada and Dude from Italy.

About Collective Brands, Inc.

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 the Performance + Lifestyle Group, focused on lifestyle and performance branded footwear and high-quality children's footwear sold primarily through wholesaling, with its brands including Stride Rite®, Keds®, Sperry Top-Sider® Robeez® by Stride Rite, and Saucony®, among others; Payless ShoeSource, focused on democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories through its nearly 4,500-store retail chain, with its brands Airwalk®, Dexter®, Champion® and designer collections by fashion designers Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo and Silvia Tcherassi; and  Collective Licensing International, the brand development, management and global licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk®, Above The Rim®, Vision Street Wear®, STRIKEFORCE™, Clinch Gear™, Sims®, Lamar® and LTD®, World Snowboarding Championships™ and Hind®. Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at www.collectivebrands.com.

SOURCE Collective Brands, Inc.