Skechers Singapore has accelerated its expansion plan in the city despite the Covid-19 situation.

Since July, the footwear brand has rolled out five new stores in the territory, taking its store count to 30, employing 40 additional staff to man them.

While many retailers are struggling to remain commercially viable during the Covid-19 crisis, and some closing stores, Skechers’ is bucking the trend. One of the latest victims of Covid-19 in Singapore is fashion retailer Topshop which has announced it will quit all its physical stores in the city and move entirely online.

“It is without a doubt (that) in the retail industry, it is quite challenging,” VP at Skechers Southeast Asia, Zann Lee, told Channel News Asia. “This is a good time for us to actually enter into a market with good locations.”

Besides expanding its physical presence, the brand is also developing its own online store as shoppers are shifting to online shopping. Although opening its own e-commerce store may seem like a late response to Covid-19, Skechers is already selling its products online via third parties such as Shopee or Lazada.