Aldo

Aldo is a global footwear and accessories retailer built on fashion-forward, moderately priced shoes, handbags, and related items for men and women. The company operates primarily under the Aldo, Call It Spring, and Globo banners, reaching customers through mall-based stores, street-front locations, and a robust e-commerce platform across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. As of April 2020, the Aldo Group maintained a network of more than 3,000 points of sale spanning over 100 countries, combining corporate stores, franchises, and wholesale distribution.

The story began in 1972 when Aldo Bensadoun opened a footwear concession within Le Château stores in Montreal, then launched the first standalone Aldo store in 1980. From Quebec, the brand expanded across Canada through the 1980s and entered the U.S. market in 1993. International growth followed quickly, with franchised markets opening in the Middle East and Europe during the late 1990s and early 2000s. A defining moment came when Aldo crossed the 1,000-store threshold globally and diversified its portfolio with concepts like Call It Spring and Globo to serve different price points and customer segments.

In 2020, Aldo sought creditor protection in Canada under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act and in the U.S. under Chapter 15 to restructure debt and close underperforming locations. The company emerged from this restructuring with a refined strategy focused on fleet optimization rather than aggressive net new store expansion. Over the past five years, Aldo has closed underperforming units in North America and Europe while investing selectively in markets demonstrating strong mall productivity. Growth now emphasizes asset-light models through franchises, shop-in-shops with partners like Hudson's Bay, and digital channels, while corporate brick-and-mortar additions concentrate on high-traffic regional malls, urban retail corridors, and outlet centers where the brand already performs well.

Aldo's real estate footprint typically features inline footwear units with high-capacity wall displays, prominent window frontage, and back-of-house stockrooms designed to support fast fashion inventory turns. For landlords and developers, Aldo functions as a recognizable soft-goods draw that generates frequent visits and cross-shopping activity, particularly in fashion-oriented and lifestyle-focused projects. The company remains privately held and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, where global brand development, design, merchandising, and real estate strategy are managed. Priority growth markets include Canada, the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and the Middle East, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.