Volley more than doubles online sales following rebrand

Dean Blake

4th Dec 2018

Iconic Australian sneaker brand Volley is staging a comeback.

The shoes, which traditionally were sold through more discount-focused retailers, such as Lowes, Target and Big W, can now be found in Platypus’s newly opened Melbourne Central flagship.

Volley brand manager John Szwede called it an incredible milestone.

“The Volley team has worked tirelessly to build brand heat around our iconic shoe. Our inclusion on the shelves of such a premium sneaker retailer is testament to that dedication,” Szwede said in a statement.

The past year has seen Volley invest heavily into its digital capabilities, including increased marketing spend, headcount and technology, and the brand is now reaping the benefits.

Domestic online sales have increased by 164 per cent and profitability has doubled in less than a year, according to the brand.

Volley has also had unexpected success overseas. After Asian pop star Faye Wong was photographed in a pair of Volleys, demand for the Aussies shoes soared. Volley reports that its daigou business has tripled and nearly three-quarters of customers are women aged 18-29.

After opening a successful pop-up in Beijing and 100sqm flagship store in Shanghai, the brand now plans to open 50 stores in the region by 2020.

Volley last year launched a new marketing campaign featuring models wearing nothing but shoes and socks. The campaign aimed to encourage consumers not to “take themselves or life too seriously”, and promoted safe-sex and acceptance.

The campaign drew the ire of the Australian Christian Lobby’s Wendy Francis, who tweeted her outrage against the ad campaign and unintentionally drew further attention to it.