Stride Rite Children's Group Launches New Store Concept: Collections by Stride Rite(TM)

The 1,800-square-foot store is located inNew York City's premier Upper East Side at 1542 3rd Ave at 87th Street and opens its doors today. Stride Rite said it has plans to roll out similar stores later this year in select high-fashion shopping locations.

The new Collections by Stride Rite store redefines children's shoe shopping with special environments well-suited for parents shopping with and for babies, toddlers and younger kids, coupled with a newly designed area for youth offering a fun, inspiring and convenient one-stop shopping for children's footwear. The Collections by Stride Rite store features the same high-quality customer service, including sizing and fitting assistance that has become synonymous with the Stride Rite(R) brand, with an expanded collection of children's branded footwear.

The dedicated shopping environment for youth is at the front of the store and features fun colors, hip lighting, and displays of "grown-up" must-have styles from the stride rite portfolio including Stride Rite(R), Saucony(R) Kids, Sperry Top-Sider(R) Kids, Tommy Hilfiger(R) Kids, Born(R) Kids and Keds(R) Kids, special Airwalk(R) signature lines by Andy Mac and Anastasia Ashley, as well as several fashion brands.

Meanwhile, as parents move to the back of the store, the environment transitions to a softer atmosphere just right for babies and toddlers. This section also features brands in the Stride Rite portfolio including Robeez(R). Dividing the two sections is the cash wrap and the Stride Rite custom 3D Fit Machine, a system that captures the full 3D shape of the feet by taking pictures with six cameras to obtain a 360 degree measurement of the child's foot.

"Collections by Stride Rite recognizes the significant range of branded products we now carry in our stores for children zero to 10 years old," said Pam Salkovitz, president of the Stride Rite Children's Group. "The new store format is tailored to the different shopping needs of parents with babies and toddlers from that of youth up to 10 years old. We have created a front of store area dedicated to youth and a shopping area tailored to baby shoe- shopping in the back of the store. We believe this offers a fabulous and convenient shopping experience tailored to the needs of growing families."

Designed by the renowned architectural firm, Bergmeyer Associates Inc. of Boston, along with branding agency MDG Inc. ofHolliston, this store's cool factor keeps pace with the newest footwear trends that stock its shelves. The new Collections by Stride Rite store feature materials and colors chosen to combine and create a clean and modern environment. The space is enhanced by large-scale lifestyle graphics, polished concrete, colorful carpeting and curved white displays combined with dual tone silver accents with touches of chartreuse to ground the space.

The Collections by Stride Rite store, located at 1542 3rd Ave at 87th Street, is just steps away from the subway (4, 5, 6 train to 86th) inNew York's always-fashionable Upper East Side. Hours are Monday- Saturday 10-8; Sunday 11-7. The store opens its doors today.

About The Stride Rite Children's Group, Inc. and Collective Brands, Inc.

The Stride Rite Children's Group, part of the Stride Rite unit of Collective Brands, Inc., markets the leading brand of premium children's footwear inthe United States under such brands as Stride Rite, Saucony Kids, Born Kids and Sperry Top-Sider Kids, among others. For over 85 years, the company has designed and engineered footwear specifically to meet the needs of growing children. Stride Rite's mission is to encourage kids and support parents by developing and marketing products that help children embrace life's possibilities and adventures with confidence. The brand motto is "Life's Waiting. Let's Go."

Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS) is a leader in bringing compelling lifestyle, fashion and performance brands for footwear and related accessories to consumers worldwide. The company operates three strategic units covering a powerful brand portfolio, as well as multiple price points and selling channels including retail, wholesale, ecommerce and licensing. Collective Brands, Inc. includes Payless ShoeSource, focused on democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories through its more than 4,500-store retail chain, with its brands American Eagle(TM), Airwalk(R), Dexter(R), Champion(R) and designer collections Abaete for Payless(TM), Lela Rose for Payless(TM) and alice + olivia for Payless(TM), among others; Stride Rite, focused on lifestyle and athletic branded footwear and high-quality children's footwear sold primarily through wholesaling, with its brands including Stride Rite(R), Keds(R), Sperry Top-Sider(R), Robeez(R), and Saucony(R), among others; and Collective Licensing International, the brand development, management and global licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk(R), Vision Street Wear(R), Lamar(R), Sims(R), LTD(R), genetic(R), Dukes(TM), Rage(R), Ultra-Wheels(R), and Skate Attack(R). Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at http://www.collectivebrands.com.

SOURCE Stride Rite Children's Group

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