Skechers is expanding its base in Singapore despite the ongoing pandemic.

Since the month of July, the footwear maker has unveiled 5 stores in the city, taking its total store count up to 30. They have also hired 40 additional employees to be stationed at the stores.

The American brand seems to be seeing pockets of opportunity even as the retail industry is going through a rough patch.

Skechers has also expanded two of its existing stores in the territory. This comes after Topshop fell prey to the throes of the pandemic and closed its last standing store in Singapore along with announcing the closure of a Hong Kong store.

Also Read: Topshop and Topman exit Singapore; will retain online presence

Paying heed to the growing consumer preference to shop online, Skechers is also developing its own online store to keep up with demand.

The move to online seems a tad later than other players, but Skechers’ products are already available on various online portals including Shopee and Lazada for consumers to pick up.

“It is without a doubt (that) in the retail industry, it is quite challenging,” Zann Lee, Vice President of Skechers Southeast Asia, told Channel News Asia. “This is a good time for us to actually enter into a market with good locations.”