CONTENTS
FROM THE EDITOR Bring me sunshine! A
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s I write this comment, I’m offering up a prayer to the Gods for sunshine in this merry month of May. Footwear retailers badly need good weather to bring out their customers – and few
people want to buy sandals in the rain! The weather has a huge influence on footwear sales, and after an unseasonably warm autumn and winter, boots sales have been down, so retailers need a good summer to get back on track! With the help of the Society of Shoe Fitters and members of the
Footwear Today Best Sellers Panel, the team at Footwear Today has come up with a few tips to help hard-pressed retailers to boost their business, from competitions to shoe amnesties and fashion shows (see page 22). I hope it helps! If you have any ideas that you have used to improve your business, do let me know. If you are an independent footwear retailer and you haven’t joined
our Best Sellers Panel yet, I urge you to do so. We have a Best Sellers page and want to know your star-performers. In return for your help each month, we will feature you and your shop in our hugely popular Retailer Of The Month pages (see pages 18-19). We need to know your five best selling brands overall, for Men,
Women and Children. Also, for Men's Comfort/Casuals, Men's Formal, Ladies Comfort/Casuals, Ladies: Fashion/Contemporary Shoes, Ladies Formal. For Children, it’s Pre-Walkers, Walkers and School Shoes. I'm now calling for your April Best Sellers for the June edition, which I’ll need as soon as possible. If you’re interested, please drop me an email at
ctaylor@datateam.co.uk or give me a call on 01622 862962 and I'll answer any queries. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Meanwhile, check out our Editor’s Choice: Ladies Comfort Shoes and Holiday Kit pages in this edition (see pages 26-27 & 28-29), for a stunning array of the latest summer styles, especially selected for you by yours truly. Many of these styles offer great margins. Don’t miss footwear reporter Emma Cooke’s Footwear Focus Road
Test review on the Tara Mary Jane peep-toe heeled shoe by Aetrex (see page 16). After a week of solid wear, Emma’s new heels now feel like a second skin. She’s recently been wearing them to salsa classes, and feeling the results of the brand’s orthopaedic technology – her feet have never felt so good in high heels! Finally, I would like to wish a happy anniversary to David Roberts
Shoes of Llandudno, who are celebrating 90 years of Shoe Fitting this month (May 2012). Best wishes to Andrew Roberts, his wife Hilary and their loyal staff.
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NEWS MISFIT AGENT PROVOCATEUR BEST SELLERS FOOTWEAR FOCUS RETAILER OF THE MONTH HB SHOES TIPS TO BOOST BUSINESS COMPANY PROFILE CARE INTERNATIONAL EDITOR’S CHOICE (LADIES COMFORT SHOES) EDITOR’S CHOICE (HOLIDAY KIT) FASHION TRENDS RIVA DEL GARDA PREVIEW
FRONT COVER: HB SHOES LTD MAY 2012
HB is a stable of fabulous brands - one, if not THE UK’s oldest, premium footwear distributor.
Tel: 0116 260 5043
Email:
info@hbshoes.co.uk www.hbshoes.co.uk
EDITOR Cheryl Taylor:
ctaylor@datateam.co.uk CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Adam Bernstein FEATURE WRITERS: Henry Harington Dawn Smith Vicky Kember Joe Maggio Emma Cooke JOURNAL MANAGER John Andrews: 01622 699135
jandrews@datateam.co.uk ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Sue Wiseman: 01622 699185
swiseman@datateam.co.uk DESIGNER Steve Parks ADMINISTRATION Ellie Inchmore PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Paul Ryder:
pryder@datateam.co.uk
Kind regards, Cheryl
WWW.ZODIACO.IT
Inside this issue: Editor's Choice, Ladies Comfort Footwear • Holiday Kit • Footwear Focus, Aetrex • Company Profile, West Midland Shoe Company • Fashion Trends • Riva Del Garda Review & Tips to Boost Business
www.footweartoday.co.uk
Media Partner of the STAG Buying Group
Published by: Datateam Business Media Ltd, London Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8LY. Tel: 01622 687031 Fax: 01622 757646 email:
footwear@datateam.co.uk website:
www.datateam.co.uk
ISSN 1475 8601
The Publishers cannot accept responsibility for any discrepancies either in copy or between products and/or services listed. Nor can they be responsible for illustrations and/or copy for products which lead to infringement of copyright.
Cheryl Taylor, Editor, Footwear Today
Tel: 01622 862962 Email:
ctaylor@datateam.co.uk
IFRA, BFA and Society of Shoe Fitters all support Footwear Today as a valuable forum for the footwear industry, helping to promote trade and keeping retailers informed about the latest products and developments.
Footwear Friends are the chosen charity of The Footwear Industry Awards 2012
MAY 2012 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
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