Foot Locker announced Thursday that it made a “strategic investment” of $100 million in sneaker marketplace GOAT Group, which also owns consignment retailer Flight Club after a merger of the two businesses a year ago.
Eddy Lu is a co-founder and the CEO of Los Angeles-based GOAT Group, a website for selling and reselling sneakers and luxury apparel. It had a valuation of $3.7 billion in its most recent round of investor funding.
GOAT was founded by Eddy Lu and Daishin Sugano in July 2015. Lu serves as the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, while Sugano holds the role of Chief Product Officer and co-founder.
We're proud to celebrate sneaker and youth culture around the globe through a variety of brands: Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, WSS, and atmos.
But Foot Locker CEO Richard Johnson says his company has a new objective: “to inspire and empower youth culture.” Foot Locker takes a step toward that goal today with the announcement of a $100 million strategic investment in GOAT Group, which operates secondary sneaker market brands GOAT and Flight Club.
GOAT Group represents the leading platforms for authentic sneakers, apparel and accessories. Operating four distinct brands–GOAT, Flight Club, Grailed and alias–GOAT Group has a global community of over 50M members across 170 countries.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated as of March 2, 2022 to reflect the fact that Nike has not cut out Foot Locker completely. The retailer will continue to sell Nike products, which would represent as much as 55% of its merchandise purchases in the coming year.
Foot Locker acquires WSS and atmos for a combined total of $1.1bn. Credit: Foot Locker. US-based speciality athletic retailer Foot Locker has acquired two footwear chains for a combined value of $1.1bn. The retailer has bought athletic footwear and apparel retailer Eurostar (WSS) for $750m.
“First, it's about simplifying our organization, closing underperforming businesses to reinvest those resources and focus on the banners and geographies that'll drive profitable growth,” explained Foot Locker CEO Mary Dillon during the presentation regarding the store closures.
GOAT is one of the main shoe reselling platforms. It's completely legit and has a rigorous authentication process. You can rest assured that the shoes you purchase from GOAT aren't fakes. The site deals in high-end sneakers, so if you're looking for sporty kicks, this is the spot.
GOAT is a peer-to-peer fashion reseller, meaning that all of the products are considered second-hand, having been owned by another consumer before being listed on GOAT. GOAT accepts returns on some products, but not on any that are marked FINAL SALE.
Does GOAT Sell Used Shoes? Yes. As mentioned above, this is the separator between GOAT and StockX. Among other things, GOAT offers used sneakers, and StockX does not.
Who owns StockX? StockX was founded by Josh Luber, Dan Gilbert, and Greg Schwartz. Along with the founders, several investors also own StockX. In the April 2021 funding round, Dragoneer joined as a new investor.
Back in 2017, Nike signaled that it had plans to be more selective about which wholesale accounts would be carrying its product in the future. Since then, Nike has terminated its relationship with a handful of independent sneaker retailers, but Foot Locker will remain an important partner to the brand moving forward.
The company was formerly known as Venator Group, Inc. and changed its name to Foot Locker, Inc. in November 2001. The company was founded in 1879 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
The breakup announcement was made late last week, according to recent reports, when -- during an earnings call -- Foot Locker CFO Andrew Page said the “change reflects Nike's accelerated strategic shift to direct-to-consumer and Foot Locker's ongoing brand and category diversification efforts.”
Nike has reportedly closed its accounts with DSW, Urban Outfitters, Shoe Show, Dunham's Sports, Olympia Sports and Big 5 Sporting Goods as the retailer pulls out of specialty retailers and department stores, according to Forbes and other media outlets.
GOAT Group, an online sneaker marketplace, said on Thursday it had raised $195 million in a late-stage funding round that more than doubled its valuation to $3.7 billion. GOAT was valued at $1.8 billion in a prior funding round in September last year.
A goat can cost anywhere between $75 and $200 or more. It really depends on what breed you get, how well-bred the goats are, where you're located and if the animals are registered or not. Usually, the wethers are sold for less and the little doelings can be sold for $200 or more.
also known as GOAT is an online retailer that customers can buy, and sell high end, limited edition and rare sneakers. Headquartered in Culver City, California, GOAT acquired Flight Club which is another online retailer where you can shop or sell rare sneakers, will continue to operate independently.