SKECHERS USA, Inc. Sues DB Shoe Company for Infringing on Its SKECHERS GO WALK® Footwear Line

by | Sep 17, 2014 | Press Release

Sep 17, 2014 • 9:00 am EDT

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a global leader in the lifestyle and performance footwear industry, today announced that it filed a lawsuit against DB Shoe Company, LLC, a California-based retailer, for selling footwear that infringes on the popular SKECHERS GO WALK® product line.

The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, seeks compensatory and punitive damages as well as injunctive relief for infringing on seven separate design patents of SKECHERS. The suit states that DB Shoe Company is selling the infringing products under the name SUPER DREAM WALK 816.

“SKECHERS has invested tremendous resources into designing, developing, and advertising our SKECHERS GO WALK® product line. We have built SKECHERS GO WALK® into a name and look globally recognized and synonymous with SKECHERS, which benefits not only SKECHERS but all of its retail partners,” stated David Weinberg, Chief Operating Officer of SKECHERS. “We will not allow our competitors and retailers to infringe on one of our most valuable intellectual properties, and we will continue to enforce our intellectual property rights against any company that develops footwear that infringes on the designs of SKECHERS GO WALK® as well as our other proprietary product lines.”

SKECHERS is being represented in the suit by Marshall Lerner of Kleinberg and Lerner in Los Angeles.

ABOUT SKECHERS USA, INC.
SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of footwear for men, women and children under the SKECHERS name. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States via department and specialty stores, company-owned SKECHERS retail stores and its e-commerce website, and over 100 countries and territories through the company’s global network of distributors and subsidiaries in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan and across Europe, as well as through joint ventures in Asia. For more information, please visit www.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook (Facebook.com/SKECHERS) and Twitter (Twitter.com/SKECHERSUSA).

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s future growth, financial results and operations, its development of new products, future demand for its products and growth opportunities, and its planned opening of new stores, advertising and marketing initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will result,” “could,” “may,” “might,” or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include the resignation of the Company’s former independent registered public accounting firm, and its withdrawal of its audit reports with respect to certain of the Company’s historical financial statements; international, national and local general economic, political and market conditions including the ongoing global economic slowdown and market instability; consumer preferences and rapid changes in technology in the highly competitive performance footwear market; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers, decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months endedJune 30, 2014. The risks included here are not exhaustive.The Company operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and the companies cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can the companies assess the impact of all such risk factors on their respective businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.

SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Jennifer Clay, 310-937-1326

SKECHERS Expands European Distribution Centre

by | Jul 29, 2014 | Press Release

Jul 29, 2014 • 3:00 am EDT

70,000m²facility to support increased sales across Europe

LIÈGE, Belgium–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a global lifestyle and performance footwear company based in Manhattan Beach, California, USA, announces plans to expand its European Distribution Centre (EDC) in Belgium by an additional 25,000 m² to make the facility the largest company-operated DC in the Walloon Region at a total size of 70,000 m².

“This expansion is a testament to the incredible growth that we’ve seen in our business throughout Europe and mirrored around the globe,” began David Weinberg, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of SKECHERS. “We feel that the opportunity for continued growth in Europe remains high and we’re excited to expand our EDC to meet the increasing demand for SKECHERS product.”

SKECHERS reported its highest quarterly net sales in the Company’s history during last week’s second quarter 2014 conference call. Demand for the SKECHERS brand is at an all-time high across nearly every region where the Company distributes its product and Europe in particular has seen strong business with high double digit net sales increases in the second quarter and for the first six months of 2014 as compared to the same periods last year.

“Thanks to the success of our business in the region supported by the EDC, additional space is needed for future storage and operational requirements,” began Sophie Houtmeyers, SKECHERS EDC Vice President of Distribution Operations. “This extension will give us more flexibility for the future. Combined with new automation technologies that we expect to completely install by the end of 2014, these investments will allow us to expand operations in the execution of our European logistics.”

The SKECHERS EDC was inaugurated in 2002 over a surface area of 21,000 m². At the time, it employed only three people and a number of temporary workers, depending on the periods of peak and off-peak activity. The continued growth of SKECHERS in the European market resulted in an extension of the building in 2009 with 23,000 m² of additional space. In 2013, the volume of goods was four times higher than in 2002 and employment increased up to 150 full-time equivalents.

The SKECHERS EDC receives goods arriving from China via the port of Antwerp. The goods are then stored at the EDC until they are redistributed to European markets. The customers of the EDC are third-party accounts, 31 company-owned and 19 franchisee-owned SKECHERS stores throughout Western Europe, e-commerce in Europe, as well as the Company’s international distribution partners in the European region.

SKECHERS also operates a 170,000 m² LEED-Gold certified distribution center in Rancho Belago, California that serves North and South America.

About SKECHERS USA, Inc.

SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States via department and specialty stores, Company-owned SKECHERS retail stores and its e-commerce website, and in over 100 countries and territories through the Company’s international network of subsidiaries in Canada, Brazil, Chile, Japan, and across Europe, as well as through joint ventures in Asia and distributors around the world. For more information, please visit skechers.com, and follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/SKECHERS) and Twitter (twitter.com/SKECHERSUSA).

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s future growth, financial results and operations, its development of new products, future demand for its products and growth opportunities, and its planned opening of new stores, advertising and marketing initiatives, and the expansion and automation plans for the Company’s European Distribution Center. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking language such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will result,” “could,” “may,” “might,” or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include the resignation of the Company’s former independent registered public accounting firm, and its withdrawal of its audit reports with respect to certain of the Company’s historical financial statements; international, national and local general economic, political and market conditions including the ongoing global economic slowdown and market instability; consumer preferences and rapid changes in technology in the highly competitive performance footwear market; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers, decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2014. The risks included here are not exhaustive.The Company operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and the companies cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can the companies assess the impact of all such risk factors on their respective businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.

SKECHERS
Sophie Houtmeyers
+32 422 86 229

SKECHERS Announces Second Quarter 2014 Financial Results

by | Jul 23, 2014 | Press Release

Jul 23, 2014 • 4:04 pm EDT

Record Net Sales of $587.1 Million, an Increase of 37.1 Percent

Earnings from Operations of $53.8 Million

Diluted Earnings per Share of $0.68

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a global leader in footwear, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2014.

Second quarter 2014 net sales were $587.1 million compared to $428.2 million for the second quarter of 2013. Gross profit for the second quarter of 2014 was $269.4 million or 45.9 percent of net sales compared to $194.9 million or 45.5 percent of net sales for the second quarter of last year. Earnings from operations for the second quarter of 2014 were $53.8 million compared to net earnings from operations of $17.2 million for the second quarter of 2013. Due to Easter falling later in Spring, the Company shifted a portion of its advertising expenses to the second quarter of 2014; even with the shift, advertising expenses on a percentage basis were flat versus the second quarter of 2013.

“The strength of our new product combined with the power of our marketing and diverse distribution resulted in a 37.1 percent sales increase over last year’s second quarter and the highest quarterly revenues in the Company’s 22-year history. These results followed a record first quarter, resulting in a 28.8 percent net sales increase for the first six months of 2014,” began David Weinberg, chief operating officer and chief financial officer. “The strong sales are attributable to fresh styles across our lifestyle, performance and kids’ categories, and the demand for our product resulted in a positive shift of our Back-to-School domestic wholesale and international subsidiary shipments originally scheduled for July into June. We achieved double-digit increases in our domestic wholesale business, which includeda four percent increase in average price per pair; double-digit increases in our international wholesale business, with some markets up triple digits; and double-digit growth in our Company-owned retail stores, which achieved a 13.9 percent comparable quarter net sales increase. We are pleased with our financial achievements in our businesses worldwide as is evidenced by our operating margin of 9.2 percent for the second quarter.”

Net earnings in the second quarter of 2014 were $34.8 million compared to net earnings of $7.1 million for the second quarter of 2013. Diluted net earnings per share in the second quarter of 2014 were $0.68 based on 50,914,000 weighted average shares outstanding compared to diluted net earnings per share of $0.14 based on 50,497,000 weighted average shares outstanding for the same period last year.

For the six months ended June 30, 2014, net sales were $1.134 billion compared to net sales of $879.9 million in the first six months of 2013. Gross profit for the first six months of 2014 was $509.8 million or 45.0 percent of net sales, compared to $387.6 million or 44.1 percent of net sales for the first six months of 2013. Earnings from operations for the first six months of 2014 were $101.9 million, compared to net earnings from operations of $32.5 million for the same period last year.

Net earnings in the first six months of 2014 were $65.8 million compared to net earnings of $13.8 million in the same period last year. Diluted net earnings per share were $1.29 based on 50,879,000 weighted average common shares outstanding compared to diluted net earnings per share of $0.27 based on 50,494,000 weighted average common shares outstanding for the first six months of 2013.

Robert Greenberg, SKECHERS chief executive officer, commented: “For the months of both April and June, the Princeton Retail Analysis called Skechers the ‘hottest major footwear brand,’ noting our overall sales growth in several categories including casual and walking shoes. Many of our key accounts visiting our corporate offices this month and our international distribution partners who spent four days reviewing our collections last month are echoing the same sentiment due to our multiple new product initiatives for men, women and kids. The innovations with our Spring 2014 product resulted in successes from every division, including triple digit growth in some categories. As always, we supported our extensive product offering with targeted animated, lifestyle and celebrity focused television campaigns, including a new commercial starring Joe Montana, and the continuation of our Meb spot supporting the Olympian’s incredible win at the Boston Marathon. We have expanded our team of Skechers ambassadors with the addition of sports legends Pete Rose and Joe Namath for our Relaxed Fit from Skechers line, professional golfer Matt Kuchar and Olympic runner Kara Goucher for our Skechers Performance Division, and we recently signed superstar singer and actress Demi Lovato and one of Britain’s top models Kelly Brook for our women’s lines—all of whom will appear in marketing campaigns this year and next. Looking for unique marketing opportunities, we capitalized on the fame of California Chrome by sponsoring the horse racing triple-crown hopeful, resulting in a windfall of press. We believe our marketing and footwear is resonating with consumers globally. We ended 2013 with our second highest annual sales ever, started the year with record first quarter sales, and have just achieved a new record sales quarter with growth across all our distribution channels. In addition, in the second quarter we received Best Lifestyle Brand of the Year from the Sports Trade Awards in the UK, and two product awards from Competitor magazine. Given the broad product acceptance we achieved through the first half of 2014, we believe the momentum will continue through the second half of 2014. We are looking forward to delivering the remainder of our Back-to-School footwear, and continuing to introduce new innovative product.”

Mr. Weinberg continued: “From a product, marketing and distribution standpoint, the Company has never been better positioned. The record first half of 2014 along with continued increased backlogs at the end of June, incoming order rate and revenues in July leads us to believe that our record quarterly sales trend will continue for the balance of the year. Further evidence is our position in the market as reported by SportScanInfo: for the week of July 12, Skechers held the number two position in Women’s Sport footwear sold in the United States. We believe the demand for our product is universal based on our sales growth across a number of continents. With $414.8 million in cash, 40 to 50 Company-owned Skechers stores planned to open later this year, in addition to the 16 that opened in the second quarter and the two that have already opened this month, and another 60 to 65 Skechers stores planned to open through our distributors and franchise partners, as well as the expansion and automation plans for our European Distribution Center, we believe we are in a great position for continued growth. We remain comfortable with the analysts’ current consensus estimates for the third quarter even though we are up against a tougher comparison and there was a pull forward of domestic and international wholesale volume from the third quarter to the second quarter of 2014.”

About SKECHERS USA, Inc.

SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States via department and specialty stores, Company-owned SKECHERS retail stores and its e-commerce website, and in over 100 countries and territories through the Company’s international network of subsidiaries in Canada, Brazil, Chile, Japan, and across Europe, as well as through joint ventures in Asia and distributors around the world. For more information, please visit www.skechers.com, and follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SKECHERS) and Twitter (twitter.com/SKECHERSUSA).

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s future growth, financial results and operations, its development of new products, future demand for its products and growth opportunities, its planned opening of new stores, advertising and marketing initiatives, and the expansion and automation plans for the Company’s European Distribution Center. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking language such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will result,” “could,” “may,” “might,” or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include the resignation of the Company’s former independent registered public accounting firm, and its withdrawal of its audit reports with respect to certain of the Company’s historical financial statements; international, national and local general economic, political and market conditions including the ongoing global economic slowdown and market instability; entry into the highly competitive performance footwear market; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers, decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2014. The risks included here are not exhaustive.The Company operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and the companies cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can the companies assess the impact of all such risk factors on their respective businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.

Company Contact:
SKECHERS USA, Inc.
David Weinberg
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Financial Officer
(310) 318-3100
or
Investor Relations:
Andrew Greenebaum
(310) 829-5400