Current Newsletters, Analysis, Training, and
Special Reports on Footwear Provided by FDRA

Below you will find a full list of newsletters and reports FDRA produces on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly basis.  You can also see alist and update of FDRA’s training programs.  To review samples/past newsletters and reports, please click on the green hyperlink.

Weekly Newsletters and Reports

National Sales Survey: More than 12,000 footwear stores report sales data to FDRA who does an analysis and produces a report on national sales per week, compared to the previous year.  The report also breaks sales down by region.  The report allows companies to measure themselves against the industry sales average to see if they are doing better, or need to improve.

Executive Updates: As vital data and news happens, FDRA puts out immediate alerts to help its members know what is happening, understand the change, and provide advice on how to respond.  These cover issues related to customs, product safety, IP, retail, sourcing and other important issues.

Week in Review: Provides industry trends and news to FDRA’s full distribution list.  (Also in Chinese for your factories)

Shoe-in Podcast:  FDRA recently started a weekly 20-30 min. podcast on hot topics from retail to production to fashion trends, etc.  It features industry leaders and experts talking about issues, giving their insights and forecasts and telling their personal stories.  Its a great way to stay connected and up-to-date on our industry.

Chinese Week in Review: Provides industry trends and news in Chinese to FDRA’s Chinese distribution list.

Monthly Newsletters and Reports

Customs Report: A monthly report about new government rules and regs, classification rulings, product recalls, court cases related to customs issues, and other important intelligence vital to helping footwear customs professionals.

Politics and Footwear Newsletter: a bi-monthly newsletter highlighting politics, legislation and regulations being debated in Congress and across Washington, DC.  Key advocacy updates and initiatives are also included.

Sourcing and Compliance Bulletin: A monthly report that provides updates and insights on global footwear production and supply chain challenges, exclusive interviews with executives on sourcing and compliance issues, and information and analysis on social compliance trends.

Commodities Report: A snapshot on footwear related commodities (cotton, leather, textiles, rubber, oil) on a month-to-month basis in order for companies to better understand and forecast supply chain costs.

Footwear Import Report: A real-time report tracking global footwear imports by quantity, value, duties paid and average unit price.

Intellectual Property Digest: A monthly report on new footwear patents and trademarks, trends and court cases.

European Footwear Update: A look at footwear imports and sales in Europe, including an economic analysis to help companies prepare for trends in future sales and demand planning.

Monthly Sales Analysis: A breakdown of United States sales month over month as well as compared to previous years months to show if footwear sales are increasing or decreasing to help companies better prepare for increase demand or slow downs.

Canadian Monthly Sales Analysis: A breakdown of Canadian sales month over month as well as compared to previous years months to show if footwear sales are increasing or decreasing to help companies better prepare for increase demand or slow downs.

Retail Recap: A monthly newsletter that highlights current retail consumer and technology trends, as well as highlights important industry retail news and sales data.  This also includes FDRA’s footwear employment report – how many workers are working in footwear retail and their hourly wages on average each month.

Retail Update Webinar: Each month, FDRA holds a members-only webinar to provide a 30 min update on sales data, inventory analysis and economic trends impacting consumer confidence and purchase power.

Footwear Price Monitor: Each month, FDRA analyzes data and produces a retail report focused on trends in pricing. This has helped companies see if discounting is impacting the marketplace and by what segments.

Shoe Store Employment Update:

Working Group Meetings & Calls: FDRA holds separate group conference calls & meetings for footwear professionals on product safety, social compliance, customs, and government relations to hear updates, discuss best practices and provide input on how they want FDRA to respond to government rules, regulations, as well as programs they want developed to help the industry.  These conference calls have created a hub for the industry to work together and respond with critical mass to issues and challenges.

Examples: trade call: http://conta.cc/28Ya2u7  customs meeting: http://conta.cc/1toqjCM

Quarterly Newsletters and Reports

Quarterly Sales Analysis: A report that measures and analyzes footwear sales for each quarter of the year and looks at key market drivers to help companies see important trends.  This is provided by the NPD Group

Product Safety Update: A newsletter with important information on new chemical regulations, insights on the movement of new regulations and reports on recall notices, fail rate reports and the like.

Yearly Reports

Factory Survey Analysis Report: Provides key insights into factory issues in China from social compliance to health and safety issues and worker retention.

Factory Survey Analysis Infographic

Sourcing Forecast: Uses data to inform companies about current sourcing issues and then forecasts where global shoe production will be headed over the coming five years.

Geopolitical Footwear Snapshot Report: A unique and critical look at hot spots around the world and how they may impact footwear production, distribution and sales.
(Brexit Article)

Programs

FDRA’s Code of Conduct & RFM Program

FDRA’s RSL for Footwear – soon to be digital

FDRA’s Classification Program (Free for members)

Training and Workshops

Webinars on hot topics: at least once a month we hold a webinar on some trend in retail, production, supply chain or compliance. Free for members, we also store all webinars in the Intel Center for future use by members.

The industry leading Responsible Footwear Forum (RFF): a workshop held throughout China and in the US, which helps to enhance social compliance at factories worldwide while delivering key information to footwear companies, factory managers and representatives on social and brand compliance issues. (Over 100 attendees in 2015 in Dongguan, China) Sample Agenda

The highly praised Product Safety and Environment (PSE) workshop: a workshop held in several Chinese cities and in the US that educates the industry on new product safety standards and regulations as well as how to advance and increase environmentally sustainable manufacturing and distribution of footwear. (last held in 2014, 100 attendees) Sample Agenda

Footwear Materials 360 Workshops: FDRA partners with SGS to provide the industry with full knowledge of material inputs into footwear including leather, textile, polymers, rubber, and synthetic.  This is a great course for designers as well as sourcing, supply chain and product development teams. Sample Agenda

The largest footwear event of its kind in the US, FDRA’s Footwear Traffic Distribution and Customs (FTDC) Conference attracts almost 200 footwear executives, experts and service providers from around the world to discuss new customs regulations and issues impacting global footwear distribution.  Live custom classification, port and distribution facility tours along with in-depth speeches and panels make this a must attend for footwear supply chain professionals. (200 attendees in 2015) Sample Agenda

Executive Footwear Summit: A yearly event where FDRA has the industry’s leaders present and discuss trends and best practices. (Over 150 executives attended in 2016)

The Footwear Sourcing and Compliance Intelligence Summit: a two-day conference in New York focused on helping sourcing executives and managers understand production shifts, compliance, capacity and supply chain challenges on a range of important footwear manufacturing countries around the globe.

Footwear Forum: A one-day workshop covering a multiple of important footwear topics.  Takes places across the US.  (Over 200 attendees in 2015 across 4 cities) Sample Agenda

Working Group Meetings: A half-day forum for updates and free discussion among footwear professionals on key topics. (planned for 2016) Sample Agenda

Factory Innovation Summit: A full day workshop helping factories focus on how they can improve quality and production while also boosting social compliance.  Two summits happened in China in 2015, summits scheduled for China, Vietnam and Mexico in 2016. (Over 175 attendees in 2015 for Dongguan and Xiamen, China) Sample Agenda