Footaction
enters isle market

The 503-store retailer of
athletic shoes plans at least
two outlets here

By Rick Daysog
Star-Bulletin

Footaction USA will open its first Hawaii store at Pearlridge Center on July 14, bringing new competition to the local athletic footwear business.

The Dallas-based retailer said it plans to open a second Honolulu store next year. Both stores are former Thom McAn shoe store locations.

"Hawaii is a big market and our competition has done really well there," said Chris Anderson, spokesman for Footaction.

Anderson said the Pearlridge store will be about 5,300 square feet. He declined to reveal the size and potential site of the second store. He said the company may open more than just two stores in the isles over the long term.

Founded in 1976, Footaction is a division of Footstar Inc. and operates 503 stores in 44 states and Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Last year the company reported sales of $515 million.

Footaction operated a unit of Melville Corp., Thom McAn's parent, until Melville spun off Footstar in a public offering in October.

The spinoff came after Melville said it would close more than 80 of its 270 Thom McAn stores nationwide and would convert many of them into Footaction stores.

Footaction's entry into Hawaii comes at a time when the local athletic shoe business is already crowded, according to marketing analyst Marty Plotnick. Plotnick noted that the local sports shoe business has been a lucrative market but is dominated aggressive retailers like Foot Locker and Sports Authority. He said that Sports Authority is particularly competitive when it comes to prices for brand-name athletic shoes.