Aldo Group

Aldo Group
Private
Industry Retail
Genre Retail
Founded 1972 (1972)
Founder Aldo Bensadoun
Headquarters Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
  • David Bensadoun, CEO;
  • Norman Jaskolka, Deputy Chairman/President, AGI
Products Shoes & Accessories
Divisions ALDO/ALDO Accessories, Call It Spring/Spring, GLOBO
Website Official website
An ALDO store in Promenade
An Aldo store in the mall SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

The Aldo Group is a Canadian Moroccan retailer that owns and operates a worldwide chain of shoe and accessories stores. The company was founded by Aldo Bensadoun in Montreal, Quebec, in 1972, where its corporate headquarters remain today. It has grown to become a worldwide corporation, with nearly 3,000 stores under three retail banners: ALDO, Call It Spring/Spring and GLOBO. Stores in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Ireland are owned by the Group, while international stores are franchised. The company once operated the now closed or rebranded banners. Little Burgundy (which it sold to Genesco), Simard & Voyer, Christian Shoes, Access, Pegabo, Transit, Stoneridge, Locale, Feetfirst and FIRST (which was the American version of Feetfirst).

History

ALDO shoes were founded in Canada in 1972 as a footwear concession within Le Chateau. The original group included stores in Montréal, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Winnipeg. Aldo Bensadoun known today as a global shoe giant built his empire starting in Montréal. After four generations, the Bensadoun family continues into the shoe industry. "Mr. Bensadoun never intended to follow in the footsteps of his father, a shoe retailer in Morocco and France, or his grandfather, a cobbler in Algeria" (Strauss, 2010).[1] Aldo Bensadoun learned Italian to better communicate with his suppliers in Italy, and eventually he cut out the middleman who serviced him between Canada and European manufacturers (Strauss, 2010).[1] The first freestanding ALDO store was opened in Montréal, in 1987. The brand expanded in the 1980s and 1990s, with stores operating under the name ALDO across Canada. Entering in the US market was going to be a challenge, this was a market where many Canadian companies failed to prosper. "It opened one store in 1990 in the decidedly unfashionable border town of Plattsburgh, N.Y., a mere hour's drive from the ALDO Group headquarters. The store served as a lab where ALDO tested its logistics, marketing and hiring in preparation for a broader American assault" according to Kuncharsky (2002).[2] The first store outside of North America opened in Israel in 1995. The brand expanded in the 2000s into Saudi Arabia in 2001, England in 2002, and Singapore in 2003. Since then, the ALDO Group, with the ALDO and Call It Spring/Spring banners, has further expanded on the international market.[3]

In 1991, the company launched the "Transit" banner in Canada, which later became "Spring" upon launching in the US. Five years later, they started the "Feetfirst" banner which caters to an older clientele. Additionally the company operates "Globo Shoes" geared towards the family market.[4] In 2010, the company once again began to evolve when it introduced, in Canada, a new store concept called "Lōcale", which will replace the current "Feetfirst" stores. "Lōcale" is a footwear and accessories boutique-style concept store aimed at young professionals; it offers a number of brand names.[1] The company has also revived the Pegabo brand which used to be its own chain of stores and is selling the brand in Feetfirst and Lōcale stores. In spring 2011, the Pegabo brand also launched at Hudson's Bay stores in Canada.[1]

In 2010, the company made major announcements, which led to major expansion in the American market. The ALDO Group and JCPenney announced the launch of the Call It Spring brand which would sell as a shop-in-shop concept in JCPenney stores across the United States.[5] The Call It Spring concept was expected to be in 600 JCPenney stores by the fall of 2011 and JCPenney would be the only department store retailer of the brand.[6] The ALDO Group also announced that it was partnering with Kohl's department stores to design and produce exclusive footwear products which would be sold under private and exclusive brand names. The new ALDO-designed products were to launch in Kohl's stores for the Spring 2011 season.[7][8]

YouthAIDS partnership

The ALDO Group partners annually with YouthAIDS, an education and prevention program of Population Services International using media, pop culture, music, theater, and sports to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.[9] According to the ALDO Group's website, the company introduces fundraising products annually for the program, and has generated $3.5 million in donations to date.[10] The program was launched in 2005 with a celebrity advertising campaign, created by the New York ad agency Kraftworks NYC.[11]

ALDO Product Services

ALDO Product Services (APS) is a division of the ALDO Group launched in 2010[12] providing branded wholesale and private label fashion footwear and accessories. [13]

Criticism

In December 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor found that a factory producing goods of Aldo were paying employees under minimum wage.[14]

On an episode of CBC Marketplace, test results were shown that jewelry being sold in Aldo stores across Canada had significantly higher levels of cadmium than permitted by Health Canada.[15]

Brands

  • Aldo – Men's and women's footwear and accessories
  • Banff Trail – Men's, women's and children's footwear
  • BBX – Men's, Women's and children's footwear
  • Call It Spring – Men's and women's footwear and accessories
  • First – Men's and women's footwear
  • K Studio – Men's and women's footwear and accessories
  • KS2 - Men's and Women's footwear
  • Luca Ferri – Men's and Women's footwear
  • Max Comfort – Men's footwear
  • Melia[16] – Footwear and accessories
  • Mr. B's - Men's footwear and accessories
  • No Angel – Girls' footwear
  • Pegabo[17][18] – Men's and women's footwear
  • Solemate – Women's footwear
  • Transit – Men's and women's footwear
  • Weekenders – Men's footwear

Locations

According to its official website, the ALDO Group has locations in over 100 countries around the world.[19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Strauss, Marina (2010-09-03). "Aldo's global footprint". The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  2. ↑ Kuncharsky, D. (2002). ALDO Steps Out. Marketing Magazine, 107(3), 7
  3. ↑ "ALDO History". Alsoshoes.com. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  4. ↑ "Shop GLOBO Shoes, Boots, Sandals, & Accessories for Women & Men". Globoshoes.com. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  5. ↑
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ "Kohl’s Expands Private Brand Strategy with ALDO Shoes". Mypbrand.com. 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  8. ↑ "Kohl's, Aldo Ink Footwear Deal - Business - Footwear News". WWD.com. 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  9. ↑ "YouthAIDS Official Website; PSI.org". PSI. Archived from the original on 2012-01-23. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  10. ↑ "ALDO + YouthAIDS". Aldoshoes.com. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  11. ↑ "KraftWorks NYC". KraftWorks NYC. Archived from the original on 2013-07-20. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  12. ↑ "Fashions Jobs in Canada". Style Nine to Five. 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  13. ↑ "As Aldo turns 40, footwear empire seeks to expand its international reach | Financial Post". Business.financialpost.com. 2012-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  14. ↑ Miles, Kathleen (14 December 2012). "‘Sweatshop’ Conditions Found In LA Fashion District At Contractors For Urban Outfitters, Aldo, Forever 21". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  15. ↑ Bridge, Sarah (15 January 2016). "Cadmium in low-cost jewelry may create toxic bling". CBC News. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  16. ↑ "MELIA - Reviews & Brand Information - The Aldo Group Inc./Le Groupe Aldo Inc. Saint-Laurent, Québec, - Serial Number: 85536149". Trademarkia.com. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  17. ↑ "Aldo's global footprint - The Globe and Mail". M.theglobeandmail.com. 2012-08-23. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  18. ↑ Jennings, Danielle. "Pegabo Shoes". Shoes.lovetoknow.com. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  19. ↑ "ALDO Group International - A Global Product -". aldogroup.com. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
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