SM goes back to its roots as it brings its footwear heritage to local communities through its Simply Shoes outlets.
Along with the opening of CityMall Tagum where it is located, Simply Shoes is the first in Mindanao and the 24th nationwide.
Speaking during the store launch on Tuesday, Shoemart Inc. Assistant Vice President (AVP) Elizabeth Natalia M. Tinio said the Simply Shoes is a one-stop shop shoe store offering a wide assortment of shoe selections for women, men and children.
“It’s a shoe store and everyone needs shoes regardless of socioeconomic status,” said the AVP.
The AVP added Simply Shoes carries an assortment of brands, both for everyday and special occasions including SM’s iconic Parisian brand, which offers trendy yet affordable footwear and bags for the ladies. For the men, Simply Shoes offers Milano’s and other brands for the active and casual lifestyle such as Easy Soft, Duralite, Islander, Toeberries, Beachwalk, Sprint and Kicks.
According to Tinio, prices in all Simply Shoes store start at PhP199.75 for kids’ shoes, and PhP499.75 for the men and women.
Meanwhile, the AVP said the ship is sailing for the country’s shoe industry because millennials, especially women, want to keep pace with the trend.
“At first we thought only few of their designs will sell but later on, we found out our consumers actually like almost all displayed,” said Tinio as she assured the durability of their products.
The 260-square meter area of the store caters to more than a thousand pair of shoes coming from China and Marikina.
Meanwhile, on the choosing Tagum City, Tinio explained the company sees the developing business community in Mindanao which they want to become part of.
The 1.9 hectare CityMall in Tagum City is a venture of DoubleDragon and SM Investments Corp. which owns the Simply Shoes store chain.
The AVP said, aside from CityMall, Simply Shoes is also located at other shopping centers such as Walter Mart, Ayala Mall.
Established in September 2014 at Tanauan City, Batangas, Simply Shoes plans to expand to 43 stores at the end of 2017, four of which will be set in Mindanao particularly in Bulua, Cagayan de Oro at the third quarter of the year, and in Dipolog, Lam-an, Ozamis City, Zamboanga, and Surigao at the fourth quarter.
Tinio expressed her optimism that Simply Shoes will further expand to 100 stores at the end of 2018.
