Brantano Footwear

Infobox Company
company_name = Brantano N.V.
company_
company_type = Public
foundation = 1962
location = flagicon|Belgium Lede, Belgium
locations = 286 stores
area_served = Europe, Middle East
key_people = André Brantegem, Founder
industry =
products = Footwear
operating_income = profit €35.9 million (FY 2006)
revenue = loss €295.2 million (FY 2006)
net_income = loss €29.5 million (FY 2006)
num_employees = 2,945
parent = Brantano N.V.
slogan = Mad about shoes, sane about shopping.
homepage = [http://www.brantano.com www.brantano.com]
footnotes = Brantano Footwear is a European chain of retail stores specialising in footwear for men, women and children.

Origin

The company originated from a small factory run by André Brantegem and his brother in Lede, East Flanders. The Brantagem brothers were sons of a cobbler. They specialised in ladies' shoes which they sold to wholesalers and retailers in Belgium. Eventually the brothers separated and in 1962 André intitiated a retail outlet at the factory. This evolved into the Brantano chain of shoe shops.

Business

Brantano NV is the parent company that is in control of the rest of the Brantano group.
The group is divided into different parts, including:
* Brantano (UK) Ltd, its British subsidiary, which operates 146 stores [http://www.brantano.co.uk/uk/en/help/faq/about_brantano.html] in the United Kingdom and in the Middle East;
* Brantano Luxembourg SA, which controls stores in Luxembourg;
* Brimmo NV, which controls stores in Belgium;
* Muys NV (taken over by Brantano in 1996), which has stores in Flanders.

Brantano closed its Dutch and Danish stores in 2005, and subsequently liquidated its French stores.In early 2008, the Macintosch retail group purchased Brantano NV. The group has been pleased so far with Brantano however its share price has been falling for the previous 6 months.

Brantano (UK) Ltd

Brantano (UK) Ltd have recently launched a nationwide advertising campaign in a bid to change the public's perception of Brantano from a discount warehouse, to a high fashion, affordable shoe megastore. However a recent statement from the MD have commented on Brantano's failure of this rebranding and of the high fashion approach. Instead it has decided to increase 'in-house brands' and drop the high fashion megastore approach. It has recently been stocking more fashionable brands but the styles are not high fashion as this is more in keeping with its custumers needs and tastes.

Television advertisement

This campaign included the introduction of a television advert which features a fictional psychologist called Anne-Marie Brantano, portrayed as one of the giants of twentieth century psychology along with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. She is supposed to have discovered the 'sling-back synapse'; an imaginary part of the female brain which reveals what women want from their shoe shopping experience. It also describes the condition "shoe rage".

Re-development

As well as an advertising campaign, Brantano re-fitted many of its stores to make them look fresh and up-to-date.

Changes included:
* New carpets
* Fewer shelves on display units
* Less old stock on display
* New posters on display around the shop detailing new lines or shoes on special offer.

External links

* [http://www.brantano.com Brantano's European website]
* [http://www.brantano.co.uk Brantano's UK website]