Diadora going after fashion-conscious teens with retro-style sneaker

From its distribution hub in Kent, Italian sports-shoe and apparel company Diadora has been spending the summer gearing up for soccer season. By mid-September, about 170,000 uniforms will have gone out to soccer teams in such places as Greenville, S.C.; Pikeville, Ky.; and Springfield, Mo.

Diadora sells more than $25 million worth of shoes, clothes, soccer balls, shin guards, equipment bags and other accessories annually in the U.S.

It began in 1948 in northern Italy as a maker of mountain-climbing boots. It introduced après-ski boots in the 1960s and broke into the running, tennis and soccer markets in the '70s.

In the mid-80s, Diadora chose Kent for its U.S. base partly because of the Seattle area's proximity to Asia, where most of its products are made, says vice president of sales Mark Wachter.

Today, Diadora is best known among soccer players for its sideways-V logo. Its Kent payroll fluctuates between 35 and 50 employees, depending on whether it's soccer season.

But it's not entirely dependent on the soccer market — probably a smart move since soccer participation nationally has leveled off in the past decade.

Diadora sells a line of retro-style sneakers based off the same molds that it used to make shoes worn by tennis star Bjorn Borg in the late '70s and early '80s, and it's about to chase after fashionconscious 20-somethings with a new line of retro sneakers. Set for a spring debut, they'll cost $150 to $300 a pair and have none of the technology enhancements that today's athletes take for granted.

Instead, they'll aim for "sneakerheads," who might not play soccer or tennis but are likely to appreciate the line's funky color combinations, like fuchsia and maroon or grass-green and yellow.

"There are more and more kids out there looking for new styles," Wachter says. "Diadora is more of an obscure brand. That can be good because it's perceived to be more exclusive."

Diadora has its own retail outlets in Europe, South America and Asia, though not in the U.S., where it sells through about 1,000 specialty stores. Rather than advertise on billboards or in glossy magazines, it sponsors youth soccer teams and summer camps.

"We know we can't compete with the Nikes and Adidases of the world from a marketing standpoint," Wachter says. "We're for that one kid who wants to set himself apart."

— Amy Martinez

The Essential Baking Co. has acquired Parisian Star Desserts, founded in 1998 by Pierre Fauvet, who will continue to be executive chef of Parisian Star and become executive chef of Essential's pastry division. Both companies are based in Seattle. — MA

Fast-fashion retailer H&M has set Sept. 12 as the opening date for its University Village store, followed by Sept. 18 for its downtown location at Pike Street and Sixth Avenue. The first 200 shoppers who turn out for the UVillage opening at noon will receive an H&M T-shirt and gift card worth up to $250. The first 300 people to its downtown opening, also at noon, will get H&M T-shirts, plus gift cards worth up to $500. — AM

Inner Chapters Bookstore and Café has opened in the South Lake Union neighborhood, where owner Kristina Barnes lives. After working for other booksellers, including Twice Sold Tales and Third Place Books, Barnes decided it was time to open a bookstore in her neighborhood and added a coffee shop with Caffé Vita beans because "books and coffee go well together." The store at 419 Fairview Ave. N. carries magazines and used books, and has a separate area for children to browse and read. — MA

Paws Café has opened in Redmond selling natural dog and cat food made fresh daily. Paws also provides day care for "nonaggressive, low-intensity dogs," training classes and animal photography. The store is at 16505 Redmond Way. — MA

The Bellevue Collection's third-annual Fashion Week will raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue. Fashion Week, set for Sept. 12-20, includes runway shows and private shopping events. Last year's Fashion Week raised money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Puget Sound. — AM

Crayons, the beverage company in Bellevue, has added a line of sports drinks with no high-fructose corn syrup, dyes, artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Eight-ounce cans of Crayons All Natural Sports Drinks come in punch, lemon-lime and berry flavors and are sold in more than 100 stores in Western Washington, including QFC, Top Food & Drug and Whole Foods. — MA

Big Lots opens a 60-employee store today in Everett at 7725 Evergreen Way. The Columbus, Ohio, retailer now has 19 stores in Washington state. — AM

PCC Natural Markets opens its Edmonds store on Sept. 3. The 25,252-sqare-foot grocery store at the intersection of 100th Avenue West and Edmonds Way is expected to qualify for LEED Platinum certification. PCC reassembled the team that worked on its Redmond store that opened in 2006, including Velocipede Architects, Bruce Hale Design Studios and Woodman Construction. — MA

Joe's Sports & Outdoor opened a new store Thursday at The Landing in Renton. Joe's has about 30 stores in the Northwest. — AM

Software developers in Port Ludlow are selling software to spice up wine-tasting events. It helps invite guests, prints wine-glass rings and allows guests to score wines and record their tasting notes. TastingMaster Wine Tasting Edition is available for $60 at TastingMaster.com. — MA

Amazon.com will hold a hiring event Sept. 4 for more than 250 full-time and part-time seasonal positions at its Kennewick customer-service center. The jobs pay $9.50 an hour to start, plus a potential bonus of $1 for every hour worked in October, November and December. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. — AM

Dry Soda has moved into Canada after completing distribution agreements with three companies there. It launched in eight Choices Markets, nine Planet Organics and Whole Foods in British Columbia. Bento Nouveau will begin carrying Dry in eastern Canada. — MA

Starbucks and Pepsi launched bottled Frappuccino in Mexico this week. It is available at the chain's 231 stores in Mexico, as well as grocery, club and convenience stores in coffee, mocha and vanilla flavors. Starbucks arrived in Mexico in 2002 through a partnership with the Mexican company Alsea, which also operates Domino's Pizza and other U.S. brands there. — MA

Retail Report appears Fridays. Melissa Allison covers the food and beverage industry. She can be reached at 206-464-3312 or mallison@seattletimes.com. Amy Martinez covers goods, services and online retail. She can be reached at 206-464-2923 or amartinez@seattletimes.com