Skechers USA’s first-quarter earnings topped Wall Street’s target on robust international gains, driven by China. Domestic wholesale sales were down slightly due to logistics challenges, but Skechers’ officials said demand for its comfort footwear remained strong. They also expect to gain market share as Nike streamlines its wholesale account base.
‘We welcome all of our competitors to pull out of the wholesale market if they so choose, because we stand ready to serve those customers, many of them we work very closely with to support the brand,” said John Vandemore, CFO, on a conference call. An analyst had asked about the opportunity for Skechers presented as a “large competitor” exits several wholesale accounts.