User:Prchovanec

Belle International Holdings Ltd. is China's No. 1 woman's shoe retailer, with a 22% domestic market share. In September 2008, Belle was named No. 8 in the BusinessWeek Asia 50, Businessweek's annual ranking of top Asian companies.

Belle was started in 1991 in Shenzhen by Hong Kong businessman Yiu Tang—who, who is still chairman. Initially it was a shoe wholesale manufacturer, and only expanded into domestic retail in China in 2004. It attracted private equity investors including Morgan Stanley and CDH. In May 2007 Belle raised $1.1 billion in an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company raised an additional $775 million in two secondary listings in November 2007 and April 2008, which it used to buy several competing brands. In 2007, Belle reported profits of $291 million (up 102% over 2006) on sales of $1.7 billion (up 89% over 2006). Non-sports shoes account for 67% of sales, and licensing agreements with companies such as Adidas, Nike, and others make up the remainder. Its three women's brands—-Staccato, Millie's, and Joy&Peace—-account for about a 50% share of the $90-$150 shoe segment in China.