Rack Room Shoes

Rack Room Shoes is an American footwear retailer headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, which operates more than 500 stores in 36 states under the Rack Room Shoes and Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse brands.

Rack Room Shoes
TypeDivision of Deichmann Group
IndustryRetail
FoundedSalisbury, North Carolina, 1922
FounderPhil Levinson
Headquarters
Charlotte, North Carolina
,
U.S.
Number of locations
450+
ProductsFootwear
DivisionsOff Broadway Shoe Warehouse
Websiterackroomshoes.com
Rack Room Shoes store in Valdosta, Georgia

Both brands offer a variety of styles for women, men and children in athletic, comfort and dress categories, as well as accessories, backpacks, shoe care items, and socks.

The company owns private label footwear brands including: Bjorndal, Bluefin, Cupcake Couture, Xappeal, Limelight, Restoration, Lauren Blakwell, Pesaro, West Harris, and Michael by Michael Shannon.

History

The company was founded in 1922 in Salisbury, North Carolina by Phil Levinson, who sold his Phil's Shoe stores to his son-in-law, Mort Lerner, who was the owner of Lerner's Shoes. Mort Lerner changed the name of the stores to Rack Room Shoes. In 1984, Rack Room Shoes was purchased  by the privately held Deichmann Group of Germany.,[1][2] Europe's largest and most well-known shoe retailer. Rack Room Shoes will celebrate its 100-year anniversary in 2022.

Rack Room Shoes purchased Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse[3] in 2002 and completed bringing operating functions of Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, together with its own in 2021.[4] The move allows the retailer's customers to earn loyalty points through one program, shop one ecommerce site, and pick-up, return and exchange merchandise at either of the brands’ locations.

Company focus

In 2016, Rack Room Shoes launched the Athletic Shop, with an increased emphasis on its widespread athletic offering. The Athletic Shop is a shop-within-a-shop concept in brick and mortar stores and e-commerce spaces.

Beginning in 2006 Rack Room Shoes featured real customers as models in all its seasonal advertisements. Over the years the brand has featured Real Families, Real Friends, Real Kids, and in 2020 debuted Real Heroes to shine a spotlight on essential workers in celebration of their dedication to helping others.

Through Rack Room Shoes Gives, an ongoing philanthropic program, the company provides a variety of ways in which customers and associates can seek support for charitable organizations, instilling trust and inspiration in the communities they serve.[5] Since 2007, Rack Room Shoes has partnered with the non-profit organization Shoes That Fit. During the 13-year partnership, Rack Room Shoes has raised more than $9.4 million and donated more than 350,000 pairs of shoes to children in need.

In 2021, Rack Room Shoes announced steps to take a stand against systemic racism and injustices that continue to affect the BIPOC community. The footwear retailer committed to a $1 million diversity plan, that includes implicit bias training, scholarships, internship opportunities, and other donations for education and economic development.[6]

References
  1. "About Rack Room Shoes". www.rackroomshoes.com. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  2. "Rack Room Shoes to expand Charlotte headquarters | CharlotteObserver.…". Archived from the original on 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  3. "Rack Room is taking giant steps with expansion - Charlotte Business Journal". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  4. "Rack Room To Merge Customer Touchpoints With Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse | SGB Media Online". sgbonline.com. 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  5. "Rack Room Shoes Gives". rackroomgives.com. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  6. Schneider-Levy, Barbara (2020-06-22). "Rack Room Shoes Donates $1 Million to Black Education and Community Programs". Footwear News. Retrieved 2021-05-19.


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