It's further evidence that the prevailing footwear business model is broken. The business model is to:
- cheaply mass manufacture shoes of borrowed designs with poor materials,
- over price them so you can intentionally sell at large discounts, and
- discount massively in the retail store.
These retail stores have aimed to make shoes a commodity. And now they are victims of their own success. Like Shoe Biz, Midas, Mollini, Scooter and countless more, they have left the scene. Leaving a glut of stock to clear out cheaply, no doubt.
Betts, Zu and Aldo have the same model. I'm guessing they are hurting.
It's a real shame.
I'm working hard to bring shoes back from the brink of commoditisation. Why not customise your shoes and have them made bespoke. Your choice of materials. Your choice of colours, stitching, laces, elastic and even sole construction.
I guarantee, when you wear shoes that you participate in designing, the feeling is very different. Polar opposites to the feeling of wearing a commoditised, cheaply-mass-made discounted pair.
Article: http://www.insideretailing.com.au/IR/IRNews/Colorado-Group-closes-stores-1188.aspx
