US shoemaker plans 5 stores in Klang Valley by year-end

Stride Rite, a US brand specialising in children's footwear, has made its way into Malaysia and plans to open five stores in various locations in the Klang Valley by the year-end.

Stride Rite country manager Carol Chua said two stores have already been in operation since this month and are located at Bangsar and Subang Jaya, respectively.

"We have just opened our flagship store at the Empire shopping complex in Subang Jaya and we hope to open another three more in KLCC in April, One Utama in September and in Paradigm, Kelana Jaya in December," said Chua after the grand opening of the Stride Rite flagship store in Subang Jaya yesterday.

Stride Rite is managed by its master franchisor Li & Fung Group, a privately held business entity headquartered in Hong Kong, China.

Last October, Collective Brands Stride Rite Children's Group and Li & Fung Retailing announced that they had signed a licensing and development agreement aimed at introducing Stride Rite, the premium footwear brand for children to Greater China and Southeast Asia

Besides Malaysia, the brand is also available in Hong Kong, China and in Singapore.

Its wholly owned subsidiary LiFung Children (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd is undertaking the task of expanding the brand in Malaysia.

However, Chua did not want to reveal much details about the investment side of the business adding that they were now working on increasing the brand knowledge among parents through its existing business which is Toys R Us.

The company also does not have any "real" competitors because its business specialises solely on footwear for children from as young as six months to 10 years old.

"Not many people know the importance of having the right pair of shoes when one is young. With our store in place we hope to change that concept among Asian parents and educate our parents on the importance of having a good pair of shoes for their children," she said.