Caleres Inc Company Profile

Caleres, Inc., originally founded as Brown Shoe Company, Inc. in 1878 and incorporated in 1913, is a global footwear retailer and wholesaler. In May 2015, the shareholders of Brown Shoe Company, Inc. approved a rebranding initiative that changed the name of the company to Caleres, Inc. (the "Company"). Current activities include the operation of retail shoe stores and e-commerce websites as well as the design, sourcing and marketing of footwear for women and men. Our business is seasonal in nature due to consumer spending patterns, with higher back-to-school and Christmas season sales. Traditionally, the third fiscal quarter accounts for a substantial portion of our earnings for the year.

Famous Footwear stores feature a wide selection of brand-name athletic, casual and dress shoes for the entire family. Brands carried include, among others, Nike, Skechers, Converse, Vans, adidas, Sperry, New Balance, Asics, Bearpaw and Sof Sole, as well as company-owned and licensed brands including, among others, LifeStride, Dr. Scholl’s, Naturalizer, Fergalicious and Carlos by Carlos Santana. Our company-owned and licensed products are sold to our Famous Footwear segment by our Brand Portfolio segment at a profit and represent approximately 9% of the Famous Footwear segments net sales. We work closely with our vendors to provide our consumers with fresh product and, in some cases, product exclusively designed for and available only in our stores.

Same-store sales changes are calculated by comparing the sales in stores that have been open at least 13 months. Relocated stores are treated as new stores and closed stores are excluded from the calculation. Sales change from new and closed stores, net, reflects the change in net sales due to stores that have been opened or closed during the period and are thereby excluded from the same-store sales calculation. E-commerce sales for those e-commerce websites that function as an extension of a retail chain are included in the same-store sales calculation.

Famous Footwear relies on merchandise allocation systems and processes that use allocation criteria, consumer segmentation and inventory data in an effort to ensure stores are adequately stocked with product and to differentiate the needs of each store based on location, consumer segmentation and other factors. Famous Footwear’s distribution systems allow for merchandise to be delivered to each store weekly, or on a more frequent basis, as needed. Famous Footwear also uses regional third-party pooled distribution sites across the country. Famous Footwear’s in-store point-of-sale systems provide detailed sales transaction data to our corporate office for daily update and analysis in the perpetual inventory and merchandise allocation systems. Certain of these systems also are used for training employees and communication between the stores and the corporate office.

Famous Footwear’s marketing programs include digital marketing and social networking, national television, print, e-commerce advertising, cinema and in-store advertisements, all of which are designed to further develop and reinforce the Famous Footwear concept and strengthen our connection with consumers. We believe the success of our campaigns is attributable to highlighting key categories and tailoring the timing of such messaging to adapt to seasonal shopping patterns.

As part of our omni-channel approach to reach consumers, we also operate Famous.com. Famous.com offers an expanded product assortment beyond what is sold in Famous Footwear stores. Accessible via desktop, tablet and mobile devices, Famous.com helps consumers explore product assortments, including items available in local stores, and make direct-to-consumer purchases. During 2015, we reduced the average delivery time for direct-to-consumer purchases by expanding our in-store fulfillment initiative to approximately 900 stores. Famous.com also allows Rewards members to see their points status and purchase history, manage profile settings and engage further with the brand. Famous Footwear’s mobile app further serves as a hub for Rewards members to shop, find local stores, redeem Rewards certificates, and learn about the newest products, latest trends and hottest deals.