Payless Shoesources launches ‘Fashion Lab’.

Payless ShoeSource announced that it is launching a new store format, called “fashion lab,” with six stores of its kind now located in premier shopping locations like New York City’s Fifth Avenue, the Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minn., and other high-fashion malls throughout the U.S. Four more Payless stores with the fashion lab format are expected by year end. The new Payless fashion lab stores redefine self-select shoe shopping by delivering a fun, inspiring shopping experience featuring an upscale specialty retail environment with the latest on-trend footwear and accessory fashions at traditional Payless value prices.

Payless has teamed up with the Fresh Air Fund to raise funds for the not-for-profit organization and to celebrate the launch of the new Payless fashion lab stores with the Fresh Air and Fashion on Fifth event held last week at the new Payless store on Fifth Ave. Co-chairs Payless CEO, Matt Rubel, and Estee Lauder CEO, William Lauder, are hosts of the family-oriented, invitation-only event where guests — including Fresh Air families, fashion editors, stylists like Patricia Field who styled Sex in the City and The Devil Wears Prada, and Laura Poretzky, Payless’ new designer partner — will enjoy art and fashion-inspired activities, nosh on summertime snacks, tour the new Fashion Lab store and check out the new & improved Payless, complete with it’s first-ever designer footwear collection, Abaeté for Payless.

“Today’s shoppers believe that in order to get fashion and value they have to give up the experience and shop at the traditional ‘big box’ retailers, but with our new fashion lab store format, shoppers can truly get it all – great fashion, amazing value and a fun shopping experience,” said Matt Rubel, Chief Executive Officer and President of Payless. “Payless is focused on democratizing design and fashion in footwear and accessories to inspire fun fashion possibilities for the family. With our new focus, shoppers can experiment and have fun with the latest on-trend fashion affordably — without a significant financial commitment. We’ve been working hard on many fronts to achieve our new business direction and our store redesign effort is a critical step in rounding out the new Payless brand promise for shoppers.”

Payless said a second new store design dubbed “hot zone” is also part of the store renovation program. While the Payless fashion lab store format is a complete redesigned, “hot zone” stores feature a new front-of-store layout leveraged from the fashion lab design that is married with the core store format. By the end of 2006, Payless will revamp five percent of its store chain with a total of 10 fashion lab stores and about 240 hot zone stores.

Like a Lab — a Place to Experiment with Fashion

The fashion lab store format is focused on getting product out of the box and in full view to allow shoppers to explore, experiment and more instantly find the footwear and accessory fashion they desire. The front store area is dedicated to the women’s collection with space to showcase key product trend stories in a self-select environment. Large “lab tables,” “gondolas” and other display fixtures – all custom to Payless – offer ample table top space to feature seasonal trends and product stories with efficient easy-to-access shoe box storage below.

Payless has six fashion lab stores now opened in Oak Park Mall, Overland Park, Kan.; Fifth Ave., New York City; Mall of America, Minneapolis; Garden State Mall, Paramus, New Jersey; Miami International Mall, Miami; and Oak Ridge Mall, San Jose, Calif. Four additional stores featuring the fashion lab design are expected to open by year end, including in San Francisco Centre in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square.

Exterior signage for all fashion lab and hot zone stores features the new Payless ShoeSource logo launched in June of this year.