p.37 company profile 9:FOOTWEAR NEW TEMPLAT 10 08 04/09/2009 09:03 Page 37
Company Profile
Cheshire
heels, covering 3 width fittings add to this the oppor-
tunity for the retailer to choose colours and materi-
als from 120 swatches and with a matching handbag
range of 20 styles, we believe that this gives our be-
Style
spoke service for occasion footwear a special niche in
many outlets.
How has the market for occasion/formal
footwear grown over the last 20 years?
In the midst of recession our customer base grew by
7% last year. This leads us to believe that if the
Tell us about your company history product is correct, prices competitive and retailers
and your brand/products? given the opportunity to source stylings to suit their
Cheshire Style Footwear was formed in requirements, there is still growth to be attained in
1985 by Steve Hull and Ray Parsons to this sector.
service the women’s footwear sector.
Shortly after the company’s conception they Where are you based/manufacture and how
identified and started to cater for the occasion many people do you employ in the UK?
footwear market leading to the birth of the Based at Waterfoot in the Rossendale
“ORLANDO” brand of occasion footwear. Along Valley in Lancashire, with office, showroom
with well known brands, SPLITZ, and warehouse, most of our
CENTRALINA, SKITTLES. After Ray’s death it manufacturing is in Europe as we rely
became a family business with Steve and his wife on specialist leathers that we only can
Jenny until they sold it at the end of 2007. Today, develop on the Continent. With a sales
the company is still family owned by Ken McGall force of five covering the U.K. & Ireland and an
and his wife Jean. Ken has had an association with office staff of five, we are a small, but well
Cheshire Style for the past 16 years as agent for formed team supplying a quality product
Ireland North & South. to our customer base.
How many brands, styles, ranges etc., do How do you market your ranges?
you have? Our ranges are marketed mostly
Company brands are Orlando - occasion through stockrooms where we can
footwear; Splitz -semi casual with a dressy give time and attention to detail when
look; Skittles & Mischief - two brands cov- customers are building their
ering summer and dress mules; collections, this is particularly
Centralina - espadrilles and mules important for the “ORLANDO” occasion
collection. We also still believe in shop calls and
Which are your best selling cold calling on potential new accounts. This is
brands, products/ranges? backed up by trade press advertising. We are at
Our Flagship brand is “Orlando” oc- present developing a new web site.
casion shoes where we pride
ourselves in offering a selection of And, the next step? Any plans for the future,
colours and materials that are not readily new lines, etc?
available in the trade. Last season we launched our new “ORLANDO
MODA” collection, aimed at the younger
Where does Cheshire-Style sit in the woman this has been highly successful,
market price-wise? again offering the opportunity to have
Our brands sit very comfortably in the mid to upper this collection in a bespoke fashion to
mid price ranges offering a vast array of colours, suit our clients requirements. Further
leathers and possibly the largest collection of developments are in progress, but that will be
occasion footwear in the U.K. revealed at a later date.
How does your bespoke service operate for How can potential new clients get in contact
occasion/formal footwear? Tell us about the with Cheshire Style?
choice of styles, materials, colours etc. By post to Cheshire Style Ltd. Unit 3
With our client base made up mainly of Myrtle Grove Mill, Lench Road,
independent shoe retailers and women’s occasional Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire,
wear retailer, our bespoke service has been devel- BB4 7JJ. Tel. 01706 229909
oped to offer a unique service to our customers. Fax 01706 221144
They have the choice of over 70 styles, on 8 different Email sales@cheshire-style.co.uk
SEPTEMBER 2009
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FOOTWEAR TODAY
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