J-W Staff Reports
Payless ShoeSource Inc. said Thursday it plans to open 10 new Parade of Shoes stores by the end of this year and 50 more in 2000.
"We have clearly connected with our customer and are now ready to build on the success of Parade of Shoes," Payless Chairman and Chief Executive Steven Douglass said in a prepared statement of remarks made to securities analysts in New York.
Payless employs about 900 people at its Topeka headquarters; about a third of those make their homes in Lawrence.
Douglass said customer response to a broader merchandise mix, marketing and greater emphasis on customer service has been "excellent."
The company also said it would expand its operations in Canada -- with plans to have 170 stores open by the end of the year -- and expects that it could eventually have a total of 250 to 300 stores there.
Payless also said its online store, Payless.com, which opened in July, had exceeded management's sales expectations.
Payless operates 4,428 Payless ShoeSource stores that offer family footwear, and 214 Parade of Shoes stores, which feature mid-priced women's footwear.
The company's stock closed Thursday at 49 13/16, up 1/16, in trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
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