Slide into Stride

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Candies Inc. markets a wide variety of accessories, appereal, and footwere targeted to young women. Candies Appereal is sold through multiple deptment stores, but is best known to Kohls. The Candies products are sold throughtout the Untied States, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, and parts of Asia and Europe. In the womens lines the products may also be avaible under the brand Bongo. Candies even produces a casual mens shoes and sturdy boots under a private label footwear.
Candies took its name from a high-heeled shoe marketed from Charles Cole, founder of El Greco called thr "Candies Slide." The "Candies Slide" was a new shoe that linked a mesh material to produce a zipper front go-go boot in the early 1960's that became a favorite. The Candies Brand was first registered in 1978 by Charles Cole, and placed his first order of 600 pairs or shoes. The sucess of Cole's shoe was displayed in the final scene of the movie Grease, in which Olivia Newton-John wore tight pants and highed shoes similiar to the classic Candies Slide. Grease made the shoe widely popular, and Cole used his trade connections to bring Candies Slide into the developing market.
Speciality clothing stores, independent chain stores, and department stores, were more willing to buy the slide as a result of low-cost manufacuring in Italy. Once Macy's started to carrying the shoe other stores followed and sales took off. El Greco sold more than 14 million pair of slides from 1978 to 1981. Chrissy sneakers, Jellies and plastic sandals also became popular under the Candies brand during that time period.
The future of footwear under Candies changed with the new ownership. The sales dramically declines after Cole sold the majority interest in El Greco to U.K. based Pentland...

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...age with the advertisements.
With a target market of young women, Cole founded The Candie's Foundation that worked to educate the consequences of teenage pregnancy. Cole took a unique approach by using ads with celebrities that young women can relate to. Neil's goal was to help make women successful like he had done with his widely know Candies line and go beyond raising awareness.
However in 2005, Cole had made a life-changing decision to transform Candies Inc. to Iconix Brand Group, Inc. The company had transitioned from a smaller operating body to a brand management company. As of today, Iconix Brand Group has acquired over 30 brands in eight years creating diverse lines of women's, men's, home and entertainment brands and Candies has signed strictly with Kohl's Deptment Stores.

Works Cited

"Management" www.iconixbrand.com
"Mission" www.candiesfoundation.org

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