In Aldo Bensadoun's shoes

MANILA, Philippines - When talk turns to Aldo, the omnipresent purveyor of runway-inspired footwear (with a store count of more than 1,000 stores worldwide), the instant response is to bring up its on-trend and accessible shoes. But what people might not know is that behind Aldo the brand is Aldo, the man: CEO Aldo Bensadoun, a celebrated Canadian business leader and philanthropist, who founded the Montreal-based company in 1972.

It was the famous wooden clog that started it all, and this season, it makes a comeback following the blooming of the Seventies fashion trend.

Born to a shoe merchant  who was himself the son of a cobbler  Aldo Bensadoun completed his primary and secondary education in France, moved to New York at the age of twenty to study at Cornell University in Ithaca, and transferred to McGill University to complete a degree in Economics, following prior ambitions to become a teacher. This eventually led to a fortuitous stint in market research for a regional shoe chain.

“I never planned to enter into the shoe business to follow in the footsteps of my father, it was completely accidental!” explains Bensadoun. “However, I felt comfortable going into the shoe business because my father had experience in that industry.”

Today, the Aldo Group has a retail presence in 56 countries (with plans to expand in Italy and France), with a slew of brands that include Aldo, Aldo Accessories, Feetfirst, Locale, Little Burgundy, Stoneridge, Globo Shoes, and Call It Spring  the last of which will be available soon in the country.

Call It Spring offers more relaxed footwear, which Bensadoun is also a big fan of, given his down-to-earth vibe and constant involvement in nonprofit organizations for education, social welfare, the arts, as well as participating in fundraising events for breast cancer foundation, and even gardening and planting trees, in his spare time.

Apart from the merchandise on display, what sets Aldo apart is the keen attention to operations, instituted by Bensadoun. In this, the formidable CEO’s main directive is to put people first, whether it’s the customers, or the company’s own employees.

According to him, the key to building his $1.5 billion global empire is to “Build a team and listen to your customers…Successful companies build on their founding culture and traditions while looking ahead to the future.” To be successful, one must pay attention to the needs of the customer, as well as maintain constant involvement in the day-to-day operations of the company by focusing on human resource development. These include managerial systems of incentive and recognition that continues to establish the Aldo Group as a leader in the industry.

Aldo has a wide selection of fashionable footwear for shoe fanatics.

Of course, such success is not without its challenges. According to Bensadoun, the greatest difficulty lies in the supply chain. Since Aldo aims to constantly bring new and relevant styles into the market, the brand works closely with local brand managers to ascertain local demands. “When putting together each season’s collection, we evaluate each style and determine whether it’s going to be a winner or a ‘dog.’ I am very involved with the buying team to ensure that we eliminate the so-called dogs.”

To ensure Aldo offers on-trend and market-relevant products, the local franchisee, Suyen Corporation, handpicks the collection to be made available in the Philippine market. Aldo guaranteed that the key trends for fall 2011, namely, American Heritage, Galactic Minimalism, Military Academy and Victorian Wonderland, are brought to the local scene. Important details such as shearling, studs, chains, suede, lace and geometric shapes were seen in footwear, handbags and accessories across all the stores in the Philippines.

For spring 2011, Aldo will once again be in the forefront of fashion, covering the key trends of the season particularly Summer Romance, which focuses on pastels, wooden details and floral prints perfect for a trip to the park or the marina. Global Bazaar is for the eclectic lover who adores tribal prints, music festivals and traveling to exotic summer destinations. And last but not least, Futur Perfect concentrates on basic colors grey, khaki, taupe and off white mixed with simple shapes and forms.

In the Philippines, Aldo has 12 stores, as well as four additional Aldo Accessories stores. Aldo is located at Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5, Marquee Mall (sale shop), Power Plant Mall, Robinsons Ermita, Robinsons Galleria, Shangri-la Plaza, SM City Cebu, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, The Block, SM North EDSA, and TriNoma. Aldo Accessories is located at Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5, Robinsons Ermita, and TriNoma.