By Arthur E. Foulkes
TERRE HAUTE — A new national shoe store is set to open soon at Honey Creek Mall in Terre Haute.
Work is under way at the mall to prepare for the arrival of a new Encore shoe store, a North Carolina-based chain with more than 1,100 locations across the country.
The store will occupy space at the mall formerly used by Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear, which closed about one year ago after a little more than 12 months in business.
“We’re definitely excited to have a national retailer like them,” said Monica Schiller, marketing director for Honey Creek Mall. “They will definitely enhance our tenant mix.”
Encore is part of the Shoe Dept. Encore division of Shoe Show Inc., a private corporation founded in 1960. The company currently operates another store in Terre Haute – The Shoe Dept. – which is on Indiana 46 near the east side Walmart store.
Shoe Dept. Encore stores are typically two or three times larger than standard Shoe Dept. stores, according to a media release provided by the company Tuesday. Shoe Dept. Encore stores also cater to “a broader range of customers by offering a wider variety of shoes and price points,” the media release states.
A Shoe Show official reached at the corporate headquarters in North Carolina on Tuesday confirmed the new store is opening in Terre Haute. However, no specific information about the store was immediately available. A sign at the new store location indicates the company is hiring.
Shoe Dept. stores offer men’s, women’s, boys and girls athletic, dress and casual shoes, and boots and sandals, according to the company’s Web site.
Shoe Show Inc. was founded in 1960 by Robert B. Tucker. At that time the store employed Tucker, one other full-time employee and a part-time employee. The business now employs more than 8,500 people in 36 states, according to the media release.
The company was originally known as Shoe Show of Rocky Mount Inc. but changed its name to Shoe Show Inc. in 2007, according to the Web site.
Shoe Show Inc. opens an average of one new store every seven days, according to the company media release. Honey Creek Mall is home to more than 80 stores, including major retailers Elder Beerman, J.C. Penney, Macy’s and Sears.
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
