Despite murmurs that it will be a challenging Christmas for retailers this year, parent company of The Athlete’s Foot and Shoe Superstore, RCG Corporation, said trading is going strong in the lead up to the festive season.
The Athlete’s Foot is currently trading strongly with like-for-like sales for the five months to the end of November at 6.6 per cent. Meanwhile, growth for the first two weeks of December is in excess of 5 per cent on a like-for-like basis.
According to RCG chairman Ivan Hammerschlag, The Athlete's Foot continues to outperform the market because of its point of difference.
“We believe that while competitive pressures and indifferent consumer sentiment are real challenges for all retailers, The Athlete's Foot has a unique and defendable market position based on selling fit and function, rather than price and fashion. It is now an instantly recognisable brand in the Australian market place and one that is synonymous with quality products and outstanding service,” he said.
He also noted that in order to keep its competitiveness, the company will be executive a number of strategic initiatives.