Photo courtesy of SHOE DEPT.
Pictured is the Shoe Dept. store at the Leonard Avenue Shopping Center in Albermarle, N.C.

BURNHAM — Shoe retailers bank on back-to-school shopping to boost their businesses each year.

For a new retailer in Mifflin County, the new school year will arrive just in time to open its doors. The Shoe Dept. is scheduled to open for business in August or September, according to Brian Gumberg of LG Realty Advisors Inc. in Pittsburgh. The firm has owned and managed the Mifflin County Commons in Burnham since it opened in 1991.

“It’s very rewarding,” Gumberg explained. “We’ve worked hard to re-tenant the shopping center with today’s best retailers.

“Getting the tenant mix is important to maintaining a vibrant shopping experience for nearby residents, and we’ve got a few more tricks up our sleeves coming soon.”

The Shoe Dept., which carries branded family footwear for men, women and children, will take over the 4,500-square-foot space that formerly housed the Friendship Bookstore. The long-time book shop closed on March 30 and is slated to open in Reedsville on Tuesday.

“We’re going to miss (Friendship Bookstore owner and manager) Theil (Kauffman),” Gumberg said. “He was here for a lot of years, and we wish him well.”

Shoe Dept. is one of the shoe stores operated by Shoe Show Inc., an American footwear retailer based in Concord, N.C. The other brands include Shoe Show, Shoe Dept. Encore, Burlington Shoes, Shoe Show Mega and Shoebilee!

The company was founded in 1960 by Robert B. Tucker and has more than 1,150 locations nationwide. It acquired Burlington Shoes in 1986, Altier Shoes in 1993 and Shoebilee! In 2002.

In the early 2000s, the company began opening Shoe Dept. Encore stores, which are larger than the regular Shoe Dept. stores.

Brands sold by Shoe Show include Adidas, Brooks, Champion, Crocs, Fila, Nautica, New Balance, Puma, Reebok, Skechers, Timberland and Vans.