Skechers announced they are transitioning its business in Central Eastern Europe (CEE) from third-party distributors to a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Skechers CEE, Kft.

The US-based company plans to “double its CEE sales in the next three to five years through an expanded offering of men’s, women’s and kids’ product and a growing distribution base in new and existing markets”, including department, specialty and Skechers retail stores.

Michael Greenberg, Skechers’ President commented: “For nearly two decades, we’ve successfully marketed our product to consumers in Central Eastern Europe through several distributors, but in the last few years we have seen a growing demand and increased potential for Skechers in the region. With the strength of our diverse product worldwide, we believe the time is right to further grow our brand – and that transitioning to a wholly-owned subsidiary will allow us to leverage our capital, product, logistics and business model to achieve this growth.”

The newly appointed territory manager of Skechers CEE, Kft. is footwear industry veteran Petar Dulic, who previously served as the general manager and partner of Skechers distributor Office Shoes, launching the brand in 1997 and overseeing its business in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and other neighboring countries.

 “With the right infrastructure, expertise and unparalleled marketing support, there is great opportunity to grow Skechers across Eastern Europe”, stated Mr. Dulic, adding: “Our distribution partners planted solid roots for Skechers’ growth in this region with the opening of seven retail stores and a strong network of established retailers. I look forward to building this new chapter for Skechers, and continuing to work with these great partners including my former company Office Shoes and the Croatian Skecehrs distributor v.o.o.d.o.o.”

Skechers CEE, Kft. is comprised of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. The Company plans to have its headquarters in Budapest and regional showrooms in each country.