Contact Information: Contact: Sean Toren The Walking Company (805) 963-8727 ext. 1350 seant@bigdogs.com
The Walking Company Boosts Rapid Retail Expansion With World's Largest Online Specialty Comfort Footwear Store
Innovative Shopping Tools and Increased Inventory Amplify Rapid Growth of Online Revenue
| Source: Big Dog Holdings, Inc.
SANTA BARBARA, CA--(Marketwire - September 20, 2007) - In its latest growth move, The Walking
Company announces the launch of its new, state-of-the-art website,
establishing the world's largest online specialty comfort footwear store at
www.TheWalkingCompany.com. A small, but rapidly growing segment of The
Walking Company business, the new website was developed as part of the
strategic marketing initiative to carry every style, color and size of key
comfort footwear brands.
The Walking Company's new online solution provides customers with an
easy-to-navigate shopping experience with access to exclusive designs and
the latest styles from more than 40 premium comfort footwear brands like ECCO,
Dansko, Mephisto, UGG, MBT
and more. Innovative filters enable shoppers to search by comfort
categories including foot conditions, arch type and foot width. These
first-of-their-kind search features create an improved online shopping
experience that differentiates TheWalkingCompany.com from competitive
online shoe stores and drives new and repeat business to the website.
"Our expertise in comfort combined with the world's largest specialty
assortment will continue to build our brand as the ultimate comfort
footwear destination," said David Wolf, senior vice president of marketing
at The Walking Company. "The launch of our new website with enhanced
inventories and improved search features will be a catalyst for expanding
our customer base and increasing our market share in the online space."
The website will be accessible in many of the company's 175 retail stores,
giving in-store customers access to an unmatched selection of comfort
footwear housed in a new, 230,000-square-foot distribution center in
Lincolnton, N.C. This capacity has enabled The Walking Company to increase
inventories of exclusive designs, hard-to-find European brands, as well as
popular bestsellers. This traditional and 'long tail' inventory strategy,
partnered with industry leading fulfillment and operational efficiencies,
enhances the company's competitive advantage over other footwear retailers.
The new online store complements the company's expanding retail chain and
growing catalog operation to reinforce The Walking Company's position as
the largest specialty retailer of comfort footwear.
About The Walking Company
The Walking Company, Inc. is the leading specialty retailer of high quality
comfort shoes and accessories and is dedicated to bringing customers the
best brands from around the world, featuring premium brands such as ECCO, Mephisto,
Dansko, UGG
and Merrell among many others. The Walking Company, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Big Dog Holdings (NASDAQ : BDOG ), sells its products through
more than 175 stores in premium malls across the country as well as The
Walking Company catalog and website. More information is available at
www.thewalkingcompany.com.