In recent weeks we saw so many swift changes in customer behaviors – it’s hard to call them trends. If anything, the only constant “trend” is “change.”
On a couple of occasions, we talked about shoes because it has to be shoes! Right?
We even had an internal debate on whether “shoes” is a big enough segment to talk about separately. And we decided that it is. Then our Optimove Researchers showed how online shoe sales were soaring in the COVID-19 era, even when other retail segments were not.
And now, Skechers has announced that online sales were up 250 percent month-to-date for the period ending on April 23, compared with the year-earlier.
“Overall, for the first quarter, online sales were up 70 percent,” said David Weinberg, Chief Operating Officer at Skechers USA.
“We believe that our quarterly performance prior to the disruption is a testament to the strength of our product and brand, all of which leads us to believe that when markets reopen, people return to work, and customers get back to shopping, Skechers will continue in its position as a leading footwear brand.”
Sales and profit per share for the first quarter were down from last year, however – unsurprisingly as COVID–19’s effects started early in the year in China, where Skechers made almost 1 billion dollars in revenue in 2019.
We do want to take this chance to show you how the footwear company has been dealing with the crisis from the user-experience standpoint. Just check out their homepage.
At the top of their site, you can find two important, very relevant messages for these corona days – one about stores re-opening, the other about their free shipping offerings. Note that free shipping – usually available only to Elite members – is currently open for everyone. And, it also includes returns.
If you scroll down a bit, you will see a banner ad with “Stay happy at home” copy. And just below it – a workout from home banner, with the only and only Brooke Burke. One more little scroll, and there’s a big discount for work footwear, to support essential workers.
Off the platform, on social media, we loved their video on how to make a mask from stuff you already have at home:
Also their awesome initiative where they donate to help tackle the abandoned pets issue these days:
And, what we found especially cute was this post where the pair of Skechers is evidently keeping a safe distance of 6-feet between them – a nice way to send out a social distancing message.
Overall, if we go by the checklist that says brands must be sensitive, helpful, transparent, direct, and relevant – Skechers checks all the boxes.