Steven Madden, Ltd. SHOO has been witnessing immense strength in the e-commerce business amid the ongoing pandemic to date. Solid gains from increased investment in digital marketing and robust online capabilities, such as “try before you buy” are contributing to its performance. Backed by these upsides, the presently Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) player’s shares have rallied 20.4% year to date, outperforming the industry’s 15.1% growth.Good news for investors is that this renowned fashion-footwear dealer added high-level talent to the organization, ramped up digital marketing spend, improved data science capabilities, rolled out buy online, pick-up in store offer across its outlets plus introduced advanced delivery and return options. Such strong initiatives are really working well for this Long Island City, NY-based company.The company’s e-commerce momentum continued in the first quarter of 2021 with revenues surging 89% including a 112%-increase in Steven Madden e-commerce business. This, in turn, represented about 54% of the company’s total Retail segment sales in the March quarter. Going forward, strength in the e-commerce realm is likely to stay and keep boosting the company’s overall results.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchOther StrengthsSteven Madden concluded the acquisition of the remaining 49.9% interest in its European joint venture (JV) in the early second quarter of 2021. This collaboration distributes the company’s branded footwear and accessories across majority countries in Europe. It formed the European JV roughly five years ago, which registered solid double-digit percentage revenue growth each year with a 21% revenue increase observed in 2020.For the current year, management projected revenues from the European joint venture to be nearly $55 million, more than three-fourth of which will be generated from the company’s digital channels. This joint venture is also expected to generate a mid-teen operating profit margin before the allocation of corporate overhead.Another acquisition that appears commendable is the buyout of BB Dakota, a California-based women's apparel company, through which the company is consistently expanding its apparel category.Overall, Steven Madden is focused on creating trendy products, deepening relations with customers via marketing, enhancing digital commerce solutions and expanding in international markets. Strength in the company’s brands and a robust business model position it well to cash in on the market-growth opportunities and boost its stakeholders’ value.Aforesaid factors apart, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for both 2021 sales and earnings indicates significant growth from the respective year-ago quarter’s reported figures. The consensus estimate of $1.64 billion for revenues and $1.68 for earnings per share implies about 36% and 163% growth, respectively, from the corresponding 2020 actuals. A glance at the company’s trailing four quarters shows that it delivered an earnings surprise of 47.9%, on average. An expected long-term earnings growth rate of 15% further highlights strength.Eye These Solid Picks TooNIKE NKE has a long-term earnings growth rate of 15.2% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), currently. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.G-III Apparel Group GIII has a long-term earnings growth rate of 11.6% and a Zacks Rank of 1, currently.Crocs CROX has a long-term earnings growth rate of 15% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), presently. Bitcoin, Like the Internet Itself, Could Change Everything Blockchain and cryptocurrency has sparked one of the most exciting discussion topics of a generation. Some call it the “Internet of Money” and predict it could change the way money works forever. If true, it could do to banks what Netflix did to Blockbuster and Amazon did to Sears. Experts agree we’re still in the early stages of this technology, and as it grows, it will create several investing opportunities. Zacks’ has just revealed 3 companies that can help investors capitalize on the explosive profit potential of Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies with significantly less volatility than buying them directly. See 3 crypto-related stocks now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NIKE, Inc. (NKE): Free Stock Analysis Report Crocs, Inc. (CROX): Free Stock Analysis Report GIII Apparel Group, LTD. (GIII): Free Stock Analysis Report Steven Madden, Ltd. (SHOO): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research