PacSun, the youth culture retailer known for surf-inspired clothing and accessories, has launched 3 concepts stores in Riverside and Los Cerritos in California, and Bloomington, Minnesota (at the Mall of America), offering up only footwear and accessories such as belts, watches, and bags. This is an important move towards going after the current leader in shoe stores, which according to our North American Youth Culture Study Fall of ’05 is Journeys among 13-24-year-olds. Already in our data PacSun has topped Footlocker in America, due to their selection and credibility within the marketplace, but close on the heels of all of the footwear retailers are the changing dynamics from growing preferences for buying shoes from an “online retailer.”

As our research analysis continues to be posted from our fresh North American Youth Culture Study—Spring Report ’06, we’re seeing a shake-up in the marketplace among shoe shopping patterns, preferences, and motivations among young buyers. It will be interesting to see the changing trends once PacSun shoe stores move into full effect.

Currently PacSun shoe stores are offering brands that are appealing to 18-24-year-olds such as Puma, Diesel, Tsubo, Charles David, Steve Madden, and Kenneth Cole Reaction. Accessories include Nixon watches (see “Nixon Watches Sold to Billabong for $54.6 Million”) and Diesel; messenger bags by Puma and bags by Lucky and Betseyville by Betsey Johnson.