Cover photo of the article
Gabrielle.Phillips


Skechers U.S.A. aims for $10 billion in annual sales by 2026

2023-07-30

Skechers U.S.A. recently held a call meeting to discuss their impressive first-quarter 2023 earnings, which were driven by strong sales and earnings. The meeting emphasized the company's focus on comfort technology products, effective marketing strategies, design principles, innovation, quality, and distribution improvements.

The most important topic discussed in the meeting was the strong performance of the company in the first quarter, particularly in the direct-to-consumer segment.

Cover photo of the article

The CFO acknowledged that the market in China is beginning to change and turn in the right direction, which is encouraging. However, the numbers in China didn't meet their growth expectations. Despite this, the CFO believed there was an opportunity to outperform expectations if the market continued to recover. The company took a conservative posture and continued to learn about the market's recovery. Their interim goal was to get close to the revenue level generated in 2021, but they acknowledged that it would be a challenge. They remained optimistic about pushing towards that level but needed more time to observe the market recovery before fully committing to it.

The key drivers of the business included building and developing products in high demand, offering great service, constantly expanding product offerings, maintaining a clean inventory position, competing against liquidation sales, maintaining a strong brand position, creating demand among consumers, and adapting to the promotional environment.

The company's plans for their product/service included delivering innovative, stylish, high-quality, and comfortable products at a reasonable price. They aimed to reach $10 billion in annual sales by 2026 and expand their footwear collections, with a focus on comfort technology products. They also planned to engage in marketing efforts and collaboration campaigns, such as the one with Doja Cat. Additionally, they were seeking new opportunities, including acquisitions and building efficiencies to meet consumer needs.

The company's outlook for the quarter was positive but with some challenges. They were confident about their position in the market and had plans to reach $10 billion in annual sales by 2026. Despite challenges in their domestic wholesale business, they achieved significant quarterly sales growth of 10% compared to the previous year. The company acknowledged that they were facing headwinds in the domestic wholesale and macroeconomic environment, which may impact their second-quarter results. They anticipated the challenges to continue in the short term but remained optimistic about the long-term success of their direct-to-consumer business.

The participants of the call mentioned in the meeting outcome were Ashley Keith, David Weinberg, John Vandemore, Jay Sole, Gaby Carbone, Laurent Vasilescu, John Kernan, Jim Duff, Rick Patel, Tom Nikic, and Alex Straton. These individuals participated in the call to discuss the company's financial performance and strategies. The presence of analysts from various financial institutions suggested that the call was an earnings conference call, where the company's financial results were discussed and analyzed. The participation of senior executives and analysts highlighted the importance of the call in providing insights into the company's financial health and future prospects.

The recent developments and initiatives undertaken by Skechers included the launch of their Skechers Plus loyalty program in multiple countries, the update of their e-commerce platform in Chile, and plans to launch additional e-commerce sites internationally. They also introduced limited edition collaborations with popular figures to attract a more upscale audience and create media buzz. The company also emphasized their diverse team, which included celebrities and athletes.