Macy's, Inc. and The Finish Line, Inc. announced that Finish Line-branded athletic footwear shops will be opened in more than 450 Macy's department stores in the U.S. and online at macys.com.
The rollout process for the 450+ locations, which will be operated by Finish Line as leased departments, will start in Spring 2013 with completion expected by Fall 2014. For the remaining approximately 225 Macy's stores that carry footwear, Finish Line will manage the athletic footwear assortment and inventory beginning in Spring 2013, without the staffing or branding provided in the leased departments. Athletic shoe assortments selected by Finish Line also will be available on macys.com, beginning in Spring 2013, subject to the signing of a final online agreement.
Finish Line will be Macy's exclusive partner for men's, women's and kids athletic footwear and Macy's will be the exclusive host for Finish Line-branded in-store shops.
Finish Line will recognize sales and corresponding profits, less the licensing fee paid to Macy's. Longer term, this agreement is expected to result in additional sales to Finish Line of $250 million to $350 million annually.
“Finish Line is a widely recognized expert in athletic footwear for men, women, and kids including the best brands, newest technology and most current styles. We believe the enhanced footwear assortment they will bring to our customers at every full-line Macy's store nationwide, as well as on macys.com, complements our rapidly developing offering of activewear merchandise,” said Jeff Gennette, Macy's chief merchandising officer. “With Finish Line on our team for athletic shoes, Macy's will be a comprehensive and compelling destination for footwear across all categories – from dress to casual to comfort to athletic – for men, women, and kids.”
'This exciting agreement announced today with Macy's propels Finish Line further as a leading omnichannel retailer,” stated Glenn Lyon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Finish Line. “Macy's large and profitable store portfolio, its customer base that is concentrated in a demographic that Finish Line has not penetrated to date, and most importantly, its customer-centric philosophy and omnichannel focus make them an ideal partner for us to broaden our reach beyond our bricks and mortar stores and our website. The strength of our brand, our strong vendor relationships that allow for an extremely compelling product offering, as well as our industry-leading omnichannel capabilities created this attractive opportunity.”
