Good news on the Crocs
Magic pixie dust has fallen on the pummeled footwear maker. It announced a deal with Disney
Beyond the shoes themselves, these themed rollouts will also feature character-specific Jibbitz, the small accessories kids attach to the holes in the colorful shoes.
Disney had been one of the earliest Crocs partners. Walk into a Disney retail store or through one of its theme parks, and you'll find kiosks featuring Crocs shoes with Mickey Mouse-shaped holes.
Crocs has plenty of licensing deals with companies like Marvel
The three new lines are compelling because Hannah Montana and High School Musical are huge Disney Channel hits. Wall-E is a lock to be box-office gold as this year's Pixar theatrical release.
The news also comes as Crocs is starving for positive developments. Its shares were hammered after the company talked down its guidance last week.
Crocs is still growing, aiming to earn between $1.70 and $1.80 a share (before a one-time charge) on 15% to 20% revenue growth this year. Unfortunately, that's well below what the company was projecting just two months ago.
Disney alone can't help a brand shake the "fad" tag. Disney has sponsored Heelys
However, hog-tying some of Disney's hottest summer properties to new product lines will help Crocs buy some time as it tries to win back the market's confidence. For battered shareholders like me, it's a refreshingly sunny break in the storm clouds.
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