How do you select your products – which criteria do you use / what are your customers looking for? Our range of products is extensive with over 20 different brands being represented in our store. 90% of the shoes we carry are not only designed in Europe but are also made there. Generally these brands are well known and respected in their home markets for making children’s shoes. Our customers value comfortable yet stylish footwear, expertly fitted. apple & pie can be best described as a shopping sanctuary for children’s shoes - a place outside of home and work where parents can relax and take their time browsing. The location offers ample parking facilities, space for the whole family to come inside, browse the collections, explore new brands, be served by knowledgeable staff and has an area where children can play. The store offers an environment that the whole family will enjoy, eliminating the usual stress involved in shopping for children’s shoes.
Which are your best selling brands – and why? Having been open for just over two months, with new stock arriving in that time, it is hard to say which of these brands are best selling. Both Bisgaard & Richter have been popular in the limited SS12 selection
that we opened with. This is not surprising as Bisgaard shoes are stylish using premium quality soft leathers that make them easy to wear similar to Romagnoli, which is also being well received. Richter and Ricosta have a long history in shoe making and that is seen in the quality of the shoe fit. Start-rite is well known among the British community and those who have lived in the UK – the variety of widths makes their shoes appealing particularly for school. Falcotto & Naturino are also better known in the region, attracting customers seeking this brand. Clarys & Manuela de Juan have been well received for their classic lines and ‘party’ wear. ArtKids offers “attitude” to our collection. Each brand brings a different dimension to our collection and it is this variety that attracts customers.
Which Footwear Shows do you attend and how do you rate them? We tend to go to MICAM and GDS. We are considering other fares and our trips are dependent upon which of our suppliers are present. The logistics of overseas shipments and stock arrival also have a bearing on which fairs to attend. MICAM can be overwhelming, as there tends to be many suppliers. GDS is more compact and easy to cover.
What are your thoughts on shoe fitting? On a personal level, having grown up in London, I had always had my feet measured on a regular basis and wanted my children to have the same experience, after all, their feet are the only pair they have for the rest of their lives and it is important to look after them so that they do not suffer unnecessarily from other problems as they get older. My business partner and I have each lived in a number of Asian cities over
the last 15 years. We have five children between us. We have always had to rely on bringing back empty suitcases to fill with shoes every time we went back 'home' to our respective countries. Then we would keep our fingers crossed that our children's feet would fit into our shoe purchases (read 'investments'!). Sadly it didn't always work, particularly as the children became older. We realized that we were not the only parents facing this dilemma.
Hence apple & pie was born several years later out of sheer frustration and the strong desire to alleviate this for other parents. For that reason, I am currently enrolled on the Society of Shoe Fitters course.
Where did you hear about the SSF and what made you decide to take the SSF course? It was important for us to find a way of becoming more knowledgeable about shoe fitting, particularly if we were going to sell shoes! There is very little experience/knowledge of shoe fitting services in Asia. Children are rarely 'fitted' for shoes. We wanted to change this, and so the research started. I looked at several websites for other organizations and shoe suppliers but it was only the SSF website that offered a comprehensive course that suited our needs. I sent some emails to Laura West, who was
very supportive and helped me to enrol in the correspondence course. Laura also pointed me in the right direction for other information. The rest is history!
How do you rate the SSF course/workshops? I cannot compare courses, as this is the first one I have started which is offered by an independent body. Others that are offered by some suppliers focus only on shoe-fitting. The SSF course is more extensive and covers a variety of topics in addition to just shoe fitting. This is helpful not only when selling shoes but also when buying for the next season. Understanding the manufacturing process also adds value to making an informed decision. The workshops are helpful in the nature of their content and also act as a forum to discuss ideas and raise queries. They also offer a good opportunity to network/connect with others in the industry, which can act as a support network.
Tell us about your experience of the SSF course and the Society as a whole? How has the experience you have gained from this course benefitted you/your business? Would you recommend the SSF course to others? My experience of SSF to date has been consistently good. The Secretary, Laura West, has been nothing but helpful and supportive with every query/concern offering solutions to any hurdle that stands in the way. The tutors are supportive and responsive which is very helpful when it comes to ‘distance learning’. They tend to have in depth knowledge of shoe structure, foot physiology, selling and buying shoes. The knowledge and experience gained from undertaking the course gives
customers a sense of reassurance that they are dealing with someone who is informed and knowledgeable about their trade, it is not just a commercial venture, but a true passion. We are keen to share our knowledge with our staff and help to train them to provide a better service to our customers. I would recommend every shoe retailer take the course. As it is rare to find shoe measurement and fitting services in Hong Kong, this definitely helps to distinguish us from our competitors.
Do you have an online shop/website and do you use social networking for business? Our website
www.appleandpie.com gives an insight to our philosophy, brands and collections that are available in our store in Hong Kong. We are developing our Facebook page so that we may have greater access to a wider audience through social media.
And, the next step? Any plans for the future - new lines, retail systems, technology, etc.? There are always plans! The future is always evolving in response to how we see things change today. We have expansion plans for other stores in HK and we recognise that there are only a certain number of locations we can see apple & pie being well received. We are prepared to wait for the right retail opportunities on that front. In terms of technology, my business partner and I are both Mac users, so
we are using a POS system that works on Mac called Lightspeed. It seems to service our current needs. As far as new lines are concerned, we are always on the look out to see what else we can bring to our customers in HK that would keep things fresh, yet always comfortable!
apple & pie Tel: + 852 3102 0853
enquiries@appleandpie.com www.appleandpie.com
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
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