Shoe Carnival Buys Shoe Station, Expects to Operate 400+ Stores by End of 2022

Shoe Carnival has made the first acquisition in its 43-year history with the purchase of family-owned shoe retailer Shoe Station for $67 million.

Shoe Station currently has 21 locations in five Southeastern states, which Shoe Carnival will now own and operate under the Shoe Station banner. With the addition of these locations, Shoe Carnival expects to surpass 400 stores by the end of 2022. The company said it is “on a path to double-digit new store growth in the years ahead.”

Shoe Station will remain headquartered in Mobile, Ala., and the company’s current President and CEO G. Brent Barkin will continue to lead Shoe Station while focusing on business growth opportunities for the combined company in his new role as SVP, New Business Development and Integration at Shoe Carnival. Barkin is the son of Shoe Station Founder Terry Barkin and has been with the company for more than 20 years.

This acquisition comes just after Shoe Carnival’s Q3 2021 earnings, which showed net sales hitting an all-time high of $1 billion. “Coming on the heels of our best quarter of our best year in our 43-year history, this deal accelerates our journey toward becoming a multi-billion-dollar retailer in the years ahead,” said Mark Worden, President and CEO at Shoe Carnival in a statement. “Brent and his team share our values and vision for the future of family footwear retail. Together, we are ready to create a company defined and driven by traits that made us industry leaders today.”