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The
Athlete's Foot® is the world's first franchisor of
athletic footwear and is recognized today as the world
leader in athletic footwear franchising. Robert
and David Lando opened the first The Athlete's Foot®
store in 1971 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the
first athletic footwear specialty store of its kind in
the United States. Soon thereafter, The Athlete's
Foot® began franchising domestically, with the first
franchise store opening in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1972.
The first international franchise store opened in 1978
in Adelaide, Australia, the beginning of The Athlete's
Foot® expansion into over 40 countries.
The
franchise opportunity of The Athlete's Foot® has been
highlighted in Success Magazine, Franchise Times,
Entrepreneur Magazine, Franchise Canada Magazine and
numerous other publications globally. The Athlete's Foot®
was also named Sports Trend's "Trendsetter of the
Year" in both the athletic footwear and virtual
retail categories.
The
Athlete's Foot® is a member of numerous organizations
including the International Franchise Association,
Canadian Franchise Association, International Council of
Shopping Centers and the Sporting Goods Manufacturer's
Association.
The
Athlete's Foot® brand has proven to be a very flexible
concept as demonstrated by the company's presence in
large cities and small towns, and in enclosed malls,
strip shopping centers and street front locations across
six continents. The Athlete's Foot® real estate
consultants may assist franchisees in evaluating their
local market to determine which type of venue is best
for their market and identifying the target customer
base and an accompanying plan of attack tailored to the
local customer demographics.
In 1999, The
Athlete's Foot® unveiled an award-winning prototype
store featuring several technological and design
innovations geared toward providing customers with the
products and information necessary to choose the ideal
shoe for their feet and the athletic activities in which
they participate. At the heart of the new store design
is a state-of-the-art FitPrint System that identifies
pressure points through different phases of a customer's
gait. This unique FitPrint System has proven to be a
substantial competitive advantage for The Athlete's Foot®.
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