BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:

National retailer Marshalls, known primarily for its mid-priced clothing, unveiled its newest store format Thursday, which carries only shoes and handbags.

Hundreds of shoppers, heralded by a multimedia advertising blitz, milled about the Marshalls Shoe MegaShop during the grand opening amid the voluminous collection of reduced-price footwear.

Glendale resident Luis Briceno, examining a pair of men’s athletic shoes, said he was attracted by the relatively cheap prices he has come to expect from Marshalls, especially in a tight economy.

“It’s the prices and the quality,” he said. “It’s nice, especially now.”

The Glendale Marketplace shop, at 142 S. Brand Blvd., represents a departure for the Framingham, Mass.-based Marshalls from its usual clothing store format, officials said.

When store officials opened the store at 8 a.m., it was just the second time Marshalls, run by TJX Companies, Inc., debuted a shoe-and-handbag-only shop.

The first Shoe MegaShop opened recently in New York City after Marshalls officials began devoting a portion of their store space to shoes and handbags.

The spike in sales from shoes and handbags precipitated the move to devote an entire store to footwear and accessories, said Sherry Lang, senior spokeswoman for TJX Companies, which also runs clothing store TJ Maxx.

“Basically, this is an offshoot of one of our core strengths, which is one of the best ways we know how to grow,” said Lang, adding that shoe and accessory sales make up about 20% of sales for TJX.

Store officials in Glendale called the opening day a success, and said future sales at the Brand Boulevard location could have major implications on Marshalls nationwide.

If the shoe shop format is successful in Glendale, TJX officials may open up similar store layouts in other locations around the country, Lang said.

“We typically do pick an approach of test and retest,” she said. “We could even retest again. When we find the right formula we roll it out in a prudent fashion. We hope that it’s successful.”

Local residents said they hope the store will not meet the same fate that greeted the location’s previous tenants.

In late 2006, Tower Records, which shared space at 142 S. Brand Blvd. with Good Guys and Wow! Multimedia Superstore, shut its doors.

Briceno, a longtime Glendale resident, believes that Marshalls has more staying power than other retailers.

“People are looking for cheaper prices,” he said. “I expect them to stay.”

Others wondered why Marshalls devoted 11,000 square feet to just shoes and purses.

“I wish they had clothes too,” said Karen Sarkisyan. “This is good, but it could be better.”

Shoppers throughout the store Thursday were handed reusable blue bags emblazoned with Marshalls’ shoe store logo.

Store officials handed out the bags for environmental and economical reasons, Lang said.

Marshalls, like other businesses, has responded with reusable bags as the outcry against plastic becomes louder.

The Glendale City Council voted this year to support Los Angeles County’s voluntary reduction of plastic bags, and the city of Burbank is now researching a plan that would cut down on the environmental irritants.

Some Subway restaurants have started selling reusable plastic bags, while home furnishings giant IKEA, which used to charge a small fee for customers wishing to use plastic bags, now uses only reusable bags.

“We just think it’s a good business strategy,” Lang said. “It’s good for the environment and a good thing to do.”

Marshalls Shoe MegaShop is located in the Glendale Marketplace at 142 S. Brand Blvd. For more information, call (800) 681-4855.