The Nation's #1 Children's Shoe Retailer, Payless ShoeSource®, Launches Hassle-Free Back-to-School Shoe Shopping

TOPEKA, Kan., July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Gearing up for one of the biggest shoe-shopping season of the year as kids head back to school across the U.S., Payless ShoeSource, the nation's number one children's shoe retailer, is initiating an even more comprehensive Happiness Guarantee for the back-to-school timeframe aimed at affordability, convenience and hassle-free shoe shopping.

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"Our goal is to make shoppers happy and keep them coming back and our Happiness Guarantee is very robust for the back-to-school season, which officially starts in our stores July 31," said LuAnn Via, CEO of Payless ShoeSource. 

"Our Payless Happiness Guarantee includes everything from great shoes starting at just $10 covering a range of styles for just about every wearing occasion from uniform shoes and dance shoes to athletics and cleats and more, to our in-stock guarantee on best-selling essentials, no-questions-asked return policy and our programs aimed at ensuring the right fit for children including our leading foot measuring service and hard-to-find sizes including half sizes, wide widths and extended children's sizing."

Payless Measures Up
Kids' can outgrow their shoes about  every three months, according to experts, and, of course, parents want their children's shoes to fit properly.  That's why Payless offers its foot measuring service, where store associates are specially trained to size children's feet using a Brannock^® device for the most accurate, healthy fit.  As well, Payless also offers hard-to-find sizes including wide widths, half sizes and extended children's sizing.

Payless' extended children's sizing program was created in direct response to customers who gave feedback that they buy shoes for children whose feet are adult-sized, but the fashion, styling and pricing of adult shoes makes it challenging to find the right styles for these kids.   This back-to-school season, Payless is offering a strong assortment of nearly 50 boys, girls and athletic styles in sizing beyond the traditional youth size 5 offered by most other retailers, up to youth size 6 (equivalent to women's size 8 and men's size 6). Also featured for the season are a range of styles in wide widths and -- always available -- half sizes, which many value retailers don't carry.

Top Brands, Popular Styles, Affordable Prices
Payless is the shoe headquarters for all seasons, but particularly at the back-to-school timeframe.  Why? Because the company offers shoes for every need -- school uniform, dance, special occasion, casuals, athletics, skate, cleats, even slip-resistant footwear for the teen working the after-school restaurant job.   

Top trends in the back-to-school line up include classic Mary Janes starting at just $10 a pair in the Smartfit^® line for younger kids and runners and athletics for boys and girls for just $20 from the popular Champion^® brand  -- perfect for all-day wearing or physical education class.   

For older students heading back to class, Airwalk^® canvas skate styles are as low as $23 and feature hot plaid upper treatments perfect for the fall season.  The Payless on-trend Brash(TM) collection includes T-strap and cobalt blue wedges, fringe detailed booties and western style boots and the American Eagle by Payless(TM) brand offers a wide range of ballet flats starting as low as $15 featuring animal prints and bow detailing delivering style and comfort for the long school days ahead.  The Dexter^® brand includes the all-important boat shoe styles for girls with plaid, striped and sequined options at $28.

The back-to-school line would not be complete without a strong uniform shoe collection with more than 20 uniform shoe styles in classic black, white and navy featuring lace up and slip-on oxfords for boys, Mary Janes for girls and unisex athletic styles with a range of upper materials to match a variety of climates.  The line is rounded out with dance shoes for $20 and sport cleats for just $15.

In-Stock Guarantee
Payless is deep on inventory for about 12 kids', women's and men's basic essential styles important for back-to-school and promises to be in-stock on these 12 styles in all its stores nationwide.  If the required shoe size is not available in the store, the store associates will find the style in the right size at a nearby store where the shopper can go to buy it, or special order the shoes to be shipped to the store -- both options at a 40% discount off the purchase of the pair.

No-Questions-Asked Return Policy
Payless also has one of the best return policies in the retail industry and will return items for any reason.  For shoppers that have a receipt, Payless will gladly exchange the item for another of equal value or refund the purchase price.  For those without a receipt, a store credit is given. 

Get Shoes, Get School Supplies, Get Back to School
OfficeMax^® and Payless ShoeSource are teaming up to provide additional value to customers for the important gear needed for heading back to school -- shoes and school supplies!   At OfficeMax stores nationwide, customers will receive a register receipt coupon for $10 off a total purchase of $25 or more at Payless stores across the U.S. (excluding Shopko^® locations) and at Payless.com. The register receipt coupons will be generated July 8 through July 31, 2012 and again from Aug. 17 through Sept. 1, 2012, and redeemable at Payless through Aug. 19 and Sept. 3 respectively¹.   From July 22 through Sept. 1, Payless register receipts will include a $10 off a total purchase of $40 or more offer available at OfficeMax stores across the country and be valid through Sept. 15².  ( ¹See register receipt coupons for terms and conditions. The promotion runs in Puerto Rico from July 5 through July 31, 2012.   ²See register receipt coupons for terms and conditions. The promotion runs in Puerto Rico from July 8 through August 11, 2012). This coupon offer is not redeemable in conjunction with other offers.

About Payless & Collective Brands, Inc.
Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a unit of Collective Brands, Inc., (NYSE: PSS) is the largest specialty family footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere and is dedicated to providing incredible value pricing for trend-right styles of footwear and accessories for the entire family to enjoy.   As of the end of first quarter 2012, Payless operated 4,140 stores throughout the Americas and an online store (www.Payless.com) and also has approximately 160 franchised stores located primarily in Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Brannock Device is a registered trademark of Brannock Device Co., Inc.

SOURCE Payless ShoeSource