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Customer service personnel provide a crucial connection between the vendor and the retailer, and in recent years that job has become more technical and innovative. Service reps are often called upon to network with sales and other operations and handle different kinds of calls, which puts a premium on people skills. Turnover can be high in the position., PERHAPS THE MOST CRITICAL LINK IN THE RETAIL-VENDOR PARTNERSHIP, TODAY'S CUSTOMER-SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES CAN MAKE OR BREAK A FUTURE SALE. You may know their names, but not their faces. They are [...]

Small, independent shoe stores are turning to enhanced customer service to compete with big chain department stores. Independents define customer service as more than customer familiarity and extended hours. Store owners recognize the need to establish an identity to give customers a reason to go to the store. Offering brands not available in department stores would best create store traffic without the need for resorting to revenue-cutting discounts and promotions., NEW YORK -- Take a deep breath. Hold it. Now, read the following sentence carefully because it holds the key to the independent shoe retailers' most powerful tool for survival. [...]

Byline: by Lisa Stasiulewicz zappos.com Deals, discounts, and giveawaysonly for our readers. Offers are valid from August 31, 2010, through November 1, 2010, or while supplies last. Discounts and prices [...]

INSIDER Got tips? E-mail jennifer_beaudry@condenast.com or wayne_niemi@ condenast.com Gossip Gang It's no wonder Eric Damon , the fashion guru behind Serena van der Woodsen's slinky dresses and Vanessa Abrams' hipster [...]

Retailers Get Social for Holiday Storeowners plan to tap into online networking more heavily this season with ramped up Twitter and Facebook efforts. NEW YORK With Black Friday and the [...]

Payless Extends Coupons-for-Shoes Program Payless shoesource is going international with its second annual Payless Gives Shoes 4 Kids program. Through a network of community charities, the Topeka, Kan.-based firm will [...]

Etienne Aigner Does E-commerce Etienne Aigner has launched an online store that will be its flagship retail venue. The site, etienneaigner.com, will showcase a selection of handbags and jewelry that [...]

Byline: Amy Flurry Atlanta A sensational new hair treatment at Vis-A -Vis the Salon, plus special deals for Lucky readers. great picks amazing designs by local talents the lowdown... beauty [...]

IN BRIEF Collective's Name Change Collective Brands Inc. said last week that the brands formerly housed under Stride Rite Corp. which include Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Keds and Stride Rite Children's [...]

MediaBank Got an ad play? E-mail jennie_bell@condenast.com B-Ball Buzz Under Armour is hoping for a slam dunk with a new viral video starring NBA point guard Brandon Jennings. The two-minute [...]

L.A. Story For three Los Angeles-based brands, an understated aesthetic takes sneakers to a sophisticated level. Sung Choi, 41 Collection: Clae Headquarters: Los Angeles (design)/Solana Beach, Calif. (corporate) Launch: Fall [...]

King Size Atlanta's Tagotti Shoes gives hard-to-fit men a shoe mecca of their own. When Atlantans Ali and Shina Hasan were looking to embark on a new career path, the [...]

Lights! Camera! Accessories! The pint-size stylist went on to rave about the shoe's versatility. 'You need that go-to shoe in your wardrobe, where you're not going to say, 'Does this [...]

Talent Search With retailers working harder than ever to excite the customer, many are seeking new brands to create a point of difference. But where can they go to find [...]

Sigerson Morrison Goes Global on Web As brands seek economical ways to build consumer awareness and sales, Sigerson Morrison today is relaunching its Web site and opening e-commerce to international [...]

Funky Town Milwaukee's artsy Third Ward is a fitting complement to Shoo's unique comfort mix. When Kate Blake was laid off from her sales job at Diesel footwear in 2005, [...]

Laugh Tracks She's made a name poking fun at celebrities. Now Kathy Griffin takes a stab at her own shoe collection. Kathy Griffin just wants to be at the top [...]

INSIDER Got tips? Email jennifer_beaudry@condenast.com or wayne_niemi@ condenast.com Style Setter Trendsetter ChloA' Sevigny , star of HBO's 'Big Love,' knows shoes she fA*ted her second collab with boutique Opening Ceremony [...]

Van Assche, Gehry Team with J.M. Weston NEW YORK High-end French men's shoe-maker J.M. Weston is joining the collaborative fray with a collection of one-offs from names such as Dior [...]

Footwear players are saving energy, reusing materials and helping fight climate change. Saving Green Greening up her factory isn't the only way Martha Jane Murray wants to make a change. [...]

Actress Selena Gomez is leaving her tomboy past behind and embracing her girly side. Selena Gomez's star is on the rise. The 'Tell Me Something I Don't Know' singer has [...]

Got tips? Email jennifer_beaudry@condenast.com or wayne_niemi@ condenast.com Check It Out Doug Palladini said the only thing that surprised him when it came to writing a book about Vans was that [...]

NEW YORK The new Members Only is definitely not a boys' club anymore. The iconic 1980s men's jacket line, which relaunched as womenswear last year, is taking the feminine approach [...]

Zappos.com knows how to treat its vendors. With its headquarters just a stone's throw from Las Vegas, the location couldn't be more perfect for a party. In the past few [...]

A decade of stats, facts and interesting tidbits. Zappos.com has more than 10 million customers. The longest customer service call lasted about 4 hours. CEO Tony Hsieh receives about 2,000 [...]

At Zappos, customer service is the first priority no matter the cost. When explaining Zappos.com's almost-obsessive dedication to customer service, the e-tailers' employees always seem to turn to real-life tales. [...]

Byline: editor: Virginia Smith Those May flowers won't just bloom on their own, you know. In April there will be rainbuckets, perhapsand for that there's the guru of galoshes, Hunter [...]

French designer Guillaume Hinfray and his partner, Marco Censi, reveal the inspiration for their spring '10 collection. As I enter the rustic Gottino wine bar on Greenwich Avenue to meet [...]

Growing Fit Beauty veteran Marcia Kilgore is determined to make FitFlop a global footwear brand with an aggressive distribution strategy, new product launches and unconventional marketing. LONDON Marcia Kilgore transformed [...]

Independent Spotlight : The Wallace family has taken Active Ride Shop from one location to 29 and they're still dreaming big. NEW YORK Twenty years ago, Active Ride Shop opened [...]

American shoe brands weigh in on what they'd like to see the Obama family wear from the first day through the first term. The inauguration of Barack Obama as the [...]

The comfort market is putting the focus on wellness, with footwear and accessories designed to promote health and fitness. Wellness is the new buzzword in comfort. While the category is [...]

Got tips? Email jennifer_beaudry@condenast.com or wayne_niemi@ condenast.com The Parent Trap Michael Jordan has big plans for his namesake brand. Making a surprise appearance at a press conference in New York [...]

Rockport Reopens Rockport is rolling out a fresh retail concept, starting with its Tyson's Corner store in Virginia. Last Friday, the brand reopened the 1,386-sq.-ft. space, which had been closed [...]

NEW YORK -- The economy may be tanking and the athletic sector may be challenging, but Todd Kirssin, footwear merchandise manager for Downtown Locker Room, is still confident about business. [...]

With its friendly service and nostalgic feel, Bradshaw's has won over Washington, D.C.-area parents. On the front wall of Bradshaw's Children's Shoes in Arlington, Va., a sign marks the store [...]

Got tips? Email jennifer_ernst@condenast.com or wayne_niemi@ condenast.com Man of the Hour Insider caught up with Manolo Blahnik recently when the iconic designer made a rare visit to Los Angeles to [...]

Husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Michael and Allyson Ciccia have made comfort a footwear habit. Whenever Allyson Ciccia traveled to Italy to visit family, she returned home with her suitcase packed with an [...]

Name: Douglas Fir Feet Address: 8318 W. Third St., Los Angeles Square footage: 800 Established: March 2007 Owners: Tino Abarca and Jon Noble Footwear brands: Belstaff, Christian Peau, Esquivel, J [...]

NEW YORK - To increase its membership, the World Shoe Travelers Association has changed its name to the Shoe & Accessory Travelers Association and will now cater to handbag and [...]

I've never been known to walk on the wild side when it comes to my shoe wardrobe. But even I couldn't resist a pair of dalmatian-patterned shoes from Hush Puppies. [...]

Go Getty It Bernard Rudofsky wore many hats - architect, artist, author, designer - but shoe lovers would call his greatest accomplishment the creation of the Bernardo sandal. Last week, [...]

At an age when most people are contemplating retirement, 64-year-old designer Donald Pliner is still on the fast track. As he continues to build his Miami-based empire - introducing a [...]

Houston is one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. Three upscale children's stores - Chase's Closet, Little Lords & Ladies and Purple Mango - all in affluent neighborhoods, are attempting [...]

Milan's Mix Call it a season of eye-poppers and sure-things. Designers showed a bit of both during Milan Fashion Week. Sky-high platforms and slim-line stilettos had models walking and even [...]

NEW YORK - A small, new trade show is planning to compete against WSA in Las Vegas this summer. New York-based sales and PR firm BPMW is launching Compass, an [...]

Aiming to cash in on the red-hot performance running category, many outdoor brands are working hard to grab a piece of the business. This fall, Merrell, the highly visible and [...]

Happy Trails Social Climbers is debuting a collection of rock climbing-inspired looks for women. According to Len Sapiro, designer and co-founder of the Hanover, N.H.-based company, the line blends athletic [...]

It's been more than 60 years since the launch of Minnetonka Moccasin, and once again the company is enjoying the fringe benefits of its American Indian-inspired looks. From its iconic [...]

When Whoopi Goldberg walked into Jump's New York flagship store soon after it opened in Soho last fall, the brand suddenly found itself in the footwear spotlight. The talk show [...]