VALUE footwear retailer Shoe Zone opens its first 'Big Box' concept store in Northern Ireland this Saturday in Belfast, creating 16 jobs.
It will be the 39th such store, which are general larger out-of-town outlets.
Hannah Tomlinson, head of store marketing at Shoe Zone, said: “We are very excited to be opening in Belfast.
“This is our 21st Big Box store opening this financial year, which is a great achievement for Shoe Zone, taking our total number of stores in the UK to 501.
"We hope that our customers in Northern Ireland like what’s on offer and we look forward to welcoming them into our new store.”
Shoe Zone has undergone a transformation in this new concept store, which not only has a new look and feel but also stocks a range of top brands including Rieker, Skechers, Heavenly Feet and many more. Alongside the brands, the store also stocks Shoe Zone’s own brand range.
In common with many other retailers, however, Shoe Zone has struggled lately, and just last month it issued a profit warning on the back of poor trading and property writedowns.
That prompted Nick Davis, the group’s chief executive, who has led the company for three years and was finance director for nine years, to step down to “pursue other business interests”.
Shoe Zone, which has 500 stores and 3,500 staff, dates back to 1917 when it traded as Benson Shoe.
Michael Smith and his brother Christopher bought the business in 1980 and opened the first Shoe Zone store in 1996.
A year later they handed the retailer to Michael’s sons, Anthony and Charles.
The company listed on London’s junior market in 2014.
