WSS Brochure

I AMWSS

I AMWSS

I AM WSS Foot. Notes.• Founded in 1984, Los Angeles, California.• The premier footwear retailer in the U.S. doing business in neighborhood-based stores.• Trusted to provide the best brands, the greatest values and the largest selection of athletic, dress and casual footwear for the entire family.• Each store typically employs 15 to 20 people, all hired from the neighborhood.

They say the journeyof 1000 miles startswith the first step.It was a choice when our founder,Eric Alon, opened that first storethirty years ago not in a mall tuckedoff somewhere, but in the heart of abustling, city neighborhood.It was a choice to then stay urban andto focus primarily in working-class,underserved communities, opening oversixty-five stores reaching throughoutSouthern California and recently,Nevada.The decision to hire locally, toconsistently promote from within, torespect people as neighbors and treatthem the same way we ourselves wishto be treated—all of these were conscious anddeliberate choices.But then, business, like life, is all aboutchoices. Those choices define WSS. WSS founder, Eric Alon

Today, WSS enjoys adiverse and loyalcustomer base.This is because we focused onrelationships and not just transactions. Byoffering customers the brands they wantmost, at everyday values, with the kind ofrespectful service they want, choosing thatbusiness model over everything else hascontributed to one end: customers keepcoming back.Wanting to make a difference is achoice, too. Yes, we sell shoes, but moreimportantly, we believe in the future andpotential of the people who stand in them.In fact, you could say that it was this verydeliberate choice—to make a difference,one community at a time—that started ourwhole company’s journey in the first place.The WSS commitment to the communityis made by each neighborhood store. Itmeans more than donating, it meansmentorship, hiring, being part of localevents through participation andsponsorship.WSS is expanding store countfrom 58 in 2012 to 114 by 2018!

I AM WSS Foot. Notes.• WSS has a long history of giving back to the communities we serve, sponsoring or participating in over 350 local events each year.• WSS supports the Boys and Girls Clubs by “adopting“ a club in each of our neighborhoods where we have stores. In addition to a substantial annual cash gift, the company commits volunteerism, engagement, rewards and incentives to the members of each club.

I AMWSS Foot. Notes.• Thousands of styles from top name brands and high quality private labels.• All footwear is accessible to customers with a focus on the widest selection.• Proper balance of self- service that makes our customers comfortable asking for help when they want it.• Hire from within and from the communities we serve.• Store managers median tenure of 12 years means they know our customers because they are the customers.

All walks.And it’s this same deliberate choice thatwill guide us steadily forward.The WSS customer is young, old, she’sfemale, he’s male; they’re single, they’remarried, they are families big and small.They’re professionals, blue collar, hardworking, all of them know the value of adollar, and many have earned their waywithout a lot of advantages.They look to pay days, they save, they plan.Most buy shoes for their children first,themselves second.Their pride shows.And so we show them unmatchedselection. We show them exceptional value.But above all, we show our customers therespect they deserve and they, in turn,repay us with their loyalty time and timeagain. For our customers buy more shoes,more often, than anyone else.For many, thanks to a new pair of shoes,they succeed at things they neverimagined possible—whether steppingonto a playing court, a work site, marchingdown the aisle, or walking into that firstjob interview.So while it’s true we sell shoes, we neverforget where those shoes can takesomeone.The hispanic community accountsfor over 80% of the WSS customerbase. No retailer on the west coastunderstands this customer betterthan WSS.

Always moving. A WSS store is a retail environment unlike any other. Not only do we stock top name brands like Nike, Jordan, Vans, Converse, Adidas, Under Armor, Puma, Skechers, and others, but every model and every size is on display. That’s right, every single shoe. This allows our customers to browse on their own terms, in a hassle-free environment. It also allows us to be constantly rotating inventory quickly. But a WSS store isn’t just about moving shoes. It’s about creating career paths, as well. We look to provide not just positions but livelihoods. And livelihoods is what our team members have taken advantage of over the years: 90% of our store managers have been with us longer than 5 years, and 40% have been with us longer than 10 years. In the retail world, this is considered astonishing. In the real world, it’s considered opportunity.WSS elevates the premium brandexperience with shop-in-shop layouts.

I AMWSS

I AMWSS

The nextbig step forward.With sixty-six stores already in fulloperation, Eric Alon and a closely alignedmanagement team has embarked on anunprecedented growth streak, ready totake an already successful retail model tothe next level—one sure step at a time.We will do this with newer, bigger, morecontemporary stores.We will do this with strong, selective vendorrelationships and an increased, laser-likefocus on our own unique brand.Exterior architectural stylingrespects local architecture andmakes our stores part of theneighborhood.

Our Flagship StoreOver one year and several million dollars later, restoration ofthe historic 7th/Union street store, downtown Los Angeles.



The flagship store demonstrates ourcommitment to improve visualmerchandising, design, relevant brandedapparel and accessories and create amore premium shopping experience. Thiswill attract the next wave of WSS loyalists,both within California, as well as outsideits borders.We will hold fast to our core customerbase, while thoughtfully reaching out toothers in the communities we serve. Why?Because life is a long walk, and we allneed good, sturdy shoes.

An Insight to The WSSCustomerMany companies have an idealizedversion of their customer. It’s easy to takecustomers and imagine them a bit betteror different. We don’t want to idealize ourcustomer because we alwayswant themto feel comfortable and welcome at WSSfor whom they are. If we design a store foran idealized version of the customer,ourreal customer may not feel welcome orthat they belong.We’re their neighborhood store, a part oftheir community, we owe it to them. Wemustn’t lose sight of respecting ourcustomer and holding them close. We putrespect into action when our design andcommunication decisions are aligned withtheir experiences and values.Being mind-ful of our customer’s likes and dislikesmotivates them to spend more time withus and come more often. Why? Becauseit’s human nature to be comfortable andto feel you belong. Our success dependson it.

WSS Core Values CUSTOMER FOCUSED - OUR CUSTOMER IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY. TEAMWORK - WE WORK TOGETHER AS ONE. STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE - WE ARE ON A PATH OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT; WE DON’T SETTLE. ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT - WE HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY; WE AREN’T AFRAID TO TAKE RISKS. RESPECT - WE RESPECT OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR PAST AND EACH OTHER. INTEGRITY - WE ALWAYS DO WHAT’S RIGHT. OPEN COMMUNICATION - WE LISTEN AND SPEAK OPENLY, HONESTLY AND SUPPORTIVELY. HAVE FUN! - WE LOVE WHAT WE DO. MISSION STATEMENT: Elevating our neighborhoods one step at a time.Are you in?The one thing we will not do, however, not now, not ever, is forgo the respect we have for all our customersand for each and every member of our company. That cornerstone, that choice, was set long ago, the firststep in a journey to make a difference —A journey that can only be taken together.

I AMWSS

13425 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90061