Skechers U.S.A. Benelux B.V., a subsidiary of Skechers U.S.A., Inc., is set to relocate its European Distribution Center (EDC) operations to a larger, single-structure building in Liège, Belgium. This move will allow the company to expand near- and long-term growth in the region.
“Over nearly three decades of business in Europe, Skechers has established strong brand awareness and enthusiastic support for our innovative comfort technologies. The demand in EMEA for our product across channels and regions led to a 30 percent sales increase in the third quarter of 2024,” said David Weinberg, chief operating officer of Skechers. “We expect our momentum will continue as we develop more styles and make them available where consumers want to shop in Europe—be it at our more than 500 Skechers stores, e-commerce sites or our network of third-party retailers. We believe increased infrastructure and personnel will be required at our European Distribution Center as the territories serviced by the facility are expected to play a key role in our anticipated near- and long-term growth.”
According to comments from Paul Galliher, Skechers’ SVP of global distribution, the company expects the planned 200,000-square-meter logistics center in Belgium will allow it to increase the volume of goods shipped to meet expected demand in the coming decade while substantially improving efficiencies—a win for consumers, customers and the Skechers workforce. “We look forward to scaling up our operations as we launch a new era for Skechers, the third largest footwear brand in the world.”
To ensure uninterrupted operations, Skechers EDC will gradually move to the new site in 2028. The facility is close to the Liège Airport, adjacent to major highways, and 12km from the company’s current distribution center. The building will be rated BREEAM: Excellent and include renewable energy features when completed. Skechers said it expects the new facility will require additional employees to accommodate the planned expansion of its business and logistic capabilities.
“Skechers has been a valuable partner in Wallonia since 2002, and its announcement to relocate its European distribution center to Liège confirms Wallonia’s status as a major logistics hub in Europe. This is also good news for the economic development of our region and is expected to create direct and indirect jobs,” said Belgium’s Minister of Economics HE Pierre-Yves Jeholet.
The EDC distributes products to Skechers-managed businesses throughout Europe, including direct-to-consumer through e-commerce and Skechers retail stores, third-party retailers and its regional distribution partners.
This latest expansion in Skechers’ global distribution network includes a regional UK facility and centers in North and South America, China, Japan, and India.
Image courtesy Skechers