Payless ShoeSource Partners With Maesa Group to Launch New Line of Beauty Products Next Fall

TOPEKA, Kan., March 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Payless ShoeSource, the retailer well-known for democratizing the latest fashion, design and ideas in footwear and accessories for all to enjoy, today announced an alliance with Maesa Group, recognized as the most comprehensive "Beauty-on-Demand" product resource, to create a collection of new beauty and body care products to be available exclusively in about 1,500 Payless ShoeSource stores this fall.

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The Maesa/Payless alliance is a multi-year arrangement; additional terms were not disclosed.

This move extends Payless' position beyond shoes, handbags and other accessories and into a new product category for the retailer.  Payless expects to expand the new product offering beyond the initial 1,500 stores to additional stores in the future and said the new lines will be sold under two brand names: Zoe & Zac and Unforgettable Moments.

The forthcoming new products will include a range of body care and beauty items such as lotions, creams, butters and shower gels for body, hands and feet; fragrances and mists; color for eyes and lips; as well as nail polishes, among others.  Like all Payless products, the new beauty merchandise will be available at a great price -- as low as $2.99 an item.  

The new product lines follow on the 2009 success by Payless in extending its on-trend accessory offering in its stores, which now feature a complementary accessory collection each season including jewelry, belts, sunglasses, hats, scarves, gloves and more handbags, among additional seasonal items.

"Our shoppers have responded very positively to our initiatives to go beyond footwear and democratize fashion and design in accessories as well, and this is one step further to bring consumers beauty products," said LuAnn Via, CEO of Payless.  "Our new beauty line will feature the latest ideas, colors, shimmers, scents and formulas in the beauty and body care category and give our customers additional items to complete their personal sense of style, as well as offer great gifting options -- all a great price."  

The new beauty and body care collections are due in stores in early Sept.  Payless said it expects to launch additional news surrounding the new line closer to in-store availability.

About Payless & Collective Brands, Inc.

Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a unit of Collective Brands, Inc., is the largest specialty family footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere and is dedicated to democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories and inspiring fun, fashion possibilities for the family at a great value. As of the end of third quarter 2009, the company operated nearly 4,500 stores. In addition, customers can buy shoes over the Internet through Payless.com® at www.payless.com.

Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS) is a leader in bringing compelling lifestyle, fashion and performance brands for footwear and related accessories to consumers worldwide. The company operates three strategic units covering a powerful brand portfolio, as well as multiple price points and selling channels including retail, wholesale, ecommerce and licensing. Collective Brands, Inc. includes Payless ShoeSource, focused on democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories through its nearly 4,500-store retail chain, with its brands Airwalk®, Dexter®, Champion®, Zoe & Zac(TM), the first-ever affordable green footwear brand, and designer collections Lela Rose for Payless, Unforgettable Moments by Lela Rose, alice + olivia for Payless, Christian Siriano for Payless and STLP x Airwalk, among others; Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group, focused on lifestyle and performance branded footwear and high-quality children's footwear sold primarily through wholesaling, with its brands including Stride Rite®, Keds®, Sperry Top-Sider®, Robeez®, and Saucony®, among others; and Collective Licensing International, the brand development, management and global licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk®, Vision Street Wear®, Sims®, Lamar® and LTD®. Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at www.collectivebrands.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements. The statements in this news release regarding expectations regarding beauty products, as well as other statements that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The words "expected," "believes," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are estimates and projections reflecting management's judgment based on currently available information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. With respect to forward-looking statements, management has made assumptions regarding, among other things, customer spending patterns and customer acceptance of new product offerings. A variety of factors could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in forward-looking statements.  Collective Brands believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable; however, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations and speak only as of the date of this release. Collective Brands is not obligated to publicly release any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.

SOURCE Payless ShoeSource