Call It Spring

Call It Spring is a Canadian footwear and accessories brand belonging to the Aldo Group. The brand was introduced in 2010 as part of a broader expansion of Aldo's portfolio and North American retail presence. Its launch was closely associated with a shop-in-shop agreement with JCPenney in the United States, where Call It Spring products were planned for placement in hundreds of department stores. This arrangement gave the brand a large retail distribution platform beyond Aldo's own stores and positioned it as a more accessible, youth-oriented alternative within the group's footwear portfolio. The brand developed from the Aldo Group's long experience in vertically coordinated footwear retail. Aldo Group had operated several banners and concepts, including Aldo, Spring, Transit, Feetfirst, Globo Shoes and Lōcale, with different banners addressing different customer groups. Call It Spring was created during a period when the company was expanding its American business and experimenting with new formats, partnerships and exclusive merchandise. Its initial U.S. rollout was designed around shop-in-shop locations rather than an entirely independent department-store chain, making the brand visible in an established national retail network while preserving the Aldo Group's control over product design and merchandising. Call It Spring's assortment is centered on women's and men's shoes, with related accessories. The brand's products are generally presented as fashion-led, commercially accessible footwear rather than technical or performance equipment. The range has included seasonal styles such as casual shoes, boots, sandals, flats, heels, sneakers and other fashion footwear, alongside accessories selected to complement the footwear offer. Specific product lines, launch dates and current assortment details are not consistently documented in the available reference material. The brand's corporate context is the Aldo Group, a Montreal-based Canadian footwear retailer founded by Aldo Bensadoun in 1972. Aldo Group operates or has operated both company-owned and franchised retail businesses, and its portfolio has changed over time as banners were launched, renamed, sold or discontinued. Call It Spring was one of the newer concepts introduced during the group's international and multichannel development. The supplied reference material does not identify a separate corporate headquarters, founder or independently listed status for Call It Spring; these functions belong to, or are controlled by, the Aldo Group. The brand's later corporate history has been affected by developments at its parent. In 2020, Aldo Group sought protection under Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act during the COVID-19 pandemic, furloughing a large number of store and headquarters employees while restructuring its business. The group announced completion of that restructuring in 2022. These events are relevant to Call It Spring because the brand operated within the group's retail and organizational structure, although the available material does not provide brand-specific revenue, store-count or restructuring figures. Based on the supplied references, Call It Spring remains an Aldo Group footwear and accessories banner, with Canada and the United States as its clearest documented markets.

Call It Spring was created by the Canadian Aldo Group in 2010 as a new footwear and accessories banner. Its introduction formed part of the group's effort to broaden its portfolio and strengthen its presence in the United States. Rather than beginning solely as a conventional stand-alone chain, the brand was launched through a shop-in-shop arrangement with JCPenney. The partnership was intended to place Call It Spring departments in JCPenney stores throughout the United States, with a target of reaching approximately 600 locations by fall 2011. JCPenney was described in the launch plan as the brand's exclusive department-store retailer. The launch drew on the Aldo Group's established experience in developing distinct footwear concepts for different customer segments. The group had originated with Aldo stores in Canada and later expanded through banners and retail concepts including Spring, Feetfirst, Globo Shoes and Lōcale. Some of those banners were oriented toward particular age groups, family shopping or boutique-style merchandising. Call It Spring represented a newer, more contemporary concept intended to attract consumers seeking fashion footwear and accessories at an accessible price level. The available source material does not identify an individual founder for Call It Spring, and the brand was developed within the corporate structure of the Aldo Group rather than documented as an independent company. The brand's creation coincided with other Aldo Group initiatives in the North American department-store channel. In the same period, the group announced a partnership with Kohl's to design and produce exclusive footwear under private and exclusive brand names. These initiatives illustrate the parent company's strategy of combining its product-development capabilities with large retail partners. Call It Spring therefore entered the market with distribution and visibility supplied by an established department-store network, while remaining part of the Aldo Group's wider brand architecture. The reference material identifies footwear and accessories as the core categories but does not provide a complete historical catalog or a detailed chronology of individual product generations. The brand's documented commercial identity is consequently best understood through its channel and positioning: a fashion-led footwear label designed for broad North American retail distribution. Products associated with this type of assortment include seasonal shoes, boots, sandals, sneakers and related accessories, but the available material does not support attributing specific named collections or launches to particular years. Call It Spring's subsequent history is tied to the condition of the Aldo Group. The parent company remained a Canadian multinational retailer with corporate headquarters in Saint-Laurent, Montreal, while its international operations included both company-owned and franchised stores depending on the market and banner. In 2020, the Aldo Group sought protection under Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The restructuring involved furloughs among store associates and headquarters personnel and a move from the group's long-standing headquarters to a nearby Saint-Laurent location. In July 2022, the group announced that it had completed the restructuring process. The references do not isolate Call It Spring's store network, sales, staffing or financial performance during these events. Call It Spring is therefore documented as an Aldo Group sub-brand rather than an independently listed corporation. Its principal historical turning point was the 2010 launch and JCPenney distribution agreement, which established its North American retail model. Its later trajectory should be evaluated in the context of the parent group's banner strategy, retail restructuring and changing distribution arrangements. Detailed information about current ownership beyond Aldo Group, current executives, product-level milestones and operations outside Canada and the United States is not established by the supplied sources.

1. 2022Aldo Group completes restructuring

   The parent company announces completion of the restructuring process begun in 2020.

   Source
2. 2020Parent company enters pandemic-era restructuring

   Aldo Group seeks protection under Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, affecting the wider group and its retail banners.

   Source
3. 2010Call It Spring is launched

   Aldo Group introduces Call It Spring as a footwear and accessories brand during a period of North American expansion.

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4. 2010JCPenney shop-in-shop partnership announced

   The brand is planned for shop-in-shop placement in JCPenney stores across the United States, with an announced goal of reaching about 600 stores by fall 2011.

   Source

Accessible, fashion-oriented footwear and accessories for younger and style-conscious consumers, distributed through Aldo Group channels and department-store partnerships.

• Women's footwearFootwear2010

  The brand's women's assortment is centered on fashion-oriented seasonal footwear. The available reference material identifies footwear as a core category but does not provide a complete named product catalog. Typical commercial groupings include dress and casual shoes, flats, heels, sandals, boots and sneakers.

• Men's footwearFootwear2010

  Call It Spring also serves men's footwear needs within its broader accessible fashion positioning. The documented sources do not specify individual collections or product names; the category is understood as part of the brand's general footwear offer distributed through Aldo Group and retail-partner channels.

• AccessoriesAccessories2010

  Accessories complement the footwear assortment and support the brand's complete-look merchandising approach. The available references confirm accessories as a brand category but do not identify a definitive list of accessory types, named collections or product-level launch dates.

• 2010JCPenney Call It Spring shop-in-shop launch

  United States

  The launch campaign was built around a retail partnership rather than a separately documented mass-media advertising campaign. Call It Spring was introduced as a shop-in-shop concept in JCPenney stores, giving the new Aldo Group brand national department-store exposure.

  Outcome. The rollout was planned to expand to approximately 600 JCPenney stores by fall 2011. The available reference does not confirm the final number of locations or later campaign performance.

  Source

• 2020Aldo Group enters creditor-protection restructuringStrategy

  The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant pressure on the Aldo Group's Canadian retail operations.

  What changed. The parent company sought protection under Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act and furloughed many store and headquarters employees.

  Aftermath. The group completed the restructuring in 2022. Brand-specific effects on Call It Spring are not separately reported in the supplied material.

  Source
• 2010Create Call It Spring as a new Aldo Group bannerProduct launch

  Aldo Group was expanding its North American business and had experience operating multiple footwear banners aimed at different customer segments.

  What changed. The group introduced Call It Spring as a fashion-oriented footwear and accessories brand and arranged a shop-in-shop rollout with JCPenney in the United States.

  Aftermath. The decision gave the brand access to a large department-store distribution network. The available sources do not establish the final store count, sales or long-term performance of the arrangement.

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• 2022Aldo Group completes restructuring process

  Aldo Group announced that it had completed the restructuring process initiated under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. The available reference does not provide separate financial or operational results for Call It Spring.

  Bankruptcy
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• 2020Aldo Group begins restructuring under Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act

  Aldo Group announced a restructuring process during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing the effect of the crisis on its Canadian business. The process included furloughs affecting store associates and headquarters employees and therefore had implications for the group's retail banners, including Call It Spring.

  Bankruptcy
  Source
• 2010Aldo Group and JCPenney announce Call It Spring shop-in-shop launch

  The Aldo Group announced the launch of Call It Spring through shop-in-shop locations in JCPenney stores across the United States. The rollout was planned as a major expansion of the new brand's American distribution.

  Product launch
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1. Aldo (brand)