Skechers creates a subsidiary in Latin America

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
Aug 25, 2015

Skechers has chosen to increase its direct presence worldwide. After Eastern Europe earlier in the year, the US footwear giant created a new subsidiary to supervise its operations in Latin America. 

Based in Panama City, Panama, the structure will feature showrooms in Panama, Peru, Colombia and Costa Rica. It will also supervise the brand's operations in around thirty countries.

Skechers thus takes up the torch of Dabsan International, its long-standing partner in the region.
"Over the years our distributor in the region, Dabsan International, established a teeming retail and wholesale network in Latin America and at one time it was our most important distributor - explained David Weinberg, Skechers' Chief Operating Officer. Latin America and its leading markets remain a significant part of our international activities, particularly in the light of our current growth in America."

The group in fact underlined that its international sales leaped 60% during the second quarter. And that by handling international markets directly it can deploy a more effective marketing strategy.

On the strength of the current performance, the group also decided to propose a stock split (also known as a division of nominal value) to its shareholders. The price of Class A and Class B shares will be divided by three, but each shareholder will receive three shares for each share held. At time T this operation has no effect on the company's valuation, but its objective is to make buying company stock easier... and to show the management's confidence for the future.