Andrew Leckie has joined Famous Footwear as senior vice president and general merchandise manager, Caleres announced late Monday.
According to the St. Louis-based footwear company, Leckie will oversee buying and merchandising for the adult athletic, kids and Canadian businesses.
Mike Edwards, president of Famous Footwear, praised Leckie for his accomplishments in a statement that announced his appointment. “His global footwear knowledge and deep understanding of the marketplace will be essential as we continue to expand our appeal to and grow share with the millennial family,” Edwards said. “Andrew’s passion for the consumer and keen sense for trend identification coupled with his ability to build cross functional relationships will enable us to execute on our long-term strategic plan.”
Leckie began his career in athletics and footwear nearly 30 years ago and has merchandise management experience in Asia Pacific, Canada, and the U.S. He’s held various leadership roles in North America with Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker. Leckie’s most recent role was vice president and general merchandise manager of Champs Sports.
“I’ve always admired Caleres, and the great work being done at Famous Footwear,” Leckie added. “I look forward to bringing my footwear industry experience, strong relationships and elevated product vision to an already well-respected and successful team. Together, I am confident we can continue to grow market share in the family channel, enhance connections with current brand partners, build relationships with new in-demand brands and expand our consumer file.”
Leckie’s appointment is the latest move by Caleres to curate a team of proven industry leaders. In November, Caleres tapped footwear veteran and Cole Haan alum Erica Mackoul as its new senior vice president of international.
The St. Louis-based company reported net sales in the third quarter were $761.9 million, down 4.6 percent from $798.3 million in the same period last year. Net earnings in Q3 were $46.9 million, or $1.32 a share, compared with $39.2 million, or $1.08 in the third quarter of 2022.
Last month, Caleres reiterated its financial outlook for consolidated sales, earnings per share and adjusted earnings per share for full year 2023 ahead of the ICR Conference.
Jay Schmidt, president and CEO of Caleres, said in a statement at the time that the company continues to expect full year 2023 adjusted earnings of $4.10 to $4.20 per share, which would mark the third consecutive year with earnings per share in excess of its $4.00 baseline.
Caleres still expects consolidated net sales for fiscal 2023 to be down 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent compared to fiscal 2022.
Separately, the company has reached $1 million milestone in donations to Soles4Souls, the organization committed to turning shoes and clothing into opportunity. This was made possible by customers rounding up at the register in store and online at Famous Footwear, and online at Caleres brand websites including Allen Edmonds, Naturalizer and Sam Edelman.
The program was launched in the fall of 2023 and the funds will benefit Soles4Souls’ 4EveryKid initiative, which is committed to providing a pair of brand-new athletic shoes to students experiencing homelessness across the United States.
In addition to the monetary donations, Famous Footwear customers have donated more than 15,000 of their gently used shoes in-store to the Soles4Souls 4Opportunity program.
In 2022, Caleres made an initial two-year, $1 million commitment from the Caleres Cares Charitable Trust, providing both funds and new shoes to support the 4EveryKid program. The Trust commitment combined with the round-up initiative in stores and online brings the total donated to more than $2 million.
