STRAP
Footwear Retailer of the month Cheryl Taylor, Editor, talks to Jim Luck, of Luck of Louth.
Q&A: Name: Jim Luck
Shop(s): Luck of Louth (standalone Shoe Shop plus Countrywear Shop)
Brands: Ecco, Ara, Josef Seibel, Hunter Boot, Loake, Dubarry, Anatomic, Rieker, Waldlaufer, Le Chameau, Aigle, Barkers, Crocs, Dr. Martens etc. etc.
Home town: Louth, Lincolnshire Family: Wife Julie and 4 cats!
1. How did you get into footwear? Tell us about your background and your current business? I started in retail in 1972 in the menswear industry and set up my own
business in 1985 selling leathergoods and luggage. In 2005 I bought the next door shop and expanded into menswear and men’s footwear. 2007 saw the purchase of the adjacent property to grow the business still further and finally in 2010 the shoe shop premises was added. We currently have one of the largest high street countrywear businesses in Lincolnshire and an ever growing shoe business.
2. Where are your premises located and how many people do you employ? Do you have a high turnover of staff? Tell us about your shop(s), the local area, your customers and their requirements. All our shops are located on Eastgate in Louth, the main shopping street in
the town. We currently employ 14 staff across the business and expect to add 2 more in the near future. Our staff turnover is minimal, I like to think that all my staff enjoy their jobs and working for Luck of Louth. Louth was voted The Best Market Town In Britain by the readers of Countryfile magazine last year and by general consensus is a fantastic place to live in or visit. Our shoe shop customers represent a complete cross-section of the buying public from the fashionistas wanting Hunter or Dr. Martens to the more mature purchaser requiring expert fitting advice with Waldlaufer, Ara or DB.
3. Do you have an online shop/website and do you use social networking for business? For some years we had a static website but took the decision in 2012 to
trade online with a transactional site which went live in December. The business uses social media channels to engage with our customers and the public.
4. How are you finding the footwear market currently? As our shoe shop is relatively new we are still seeing organic growth
year-on-year but we have noticed that our customers tend to be making more considered purchasing decisions.
5. What’s selling well? Any particular trends? Which are your best selling footwear brands – and why? How could it be anything other than boots, waterproof footwear and
wellies that are best sellers at the moment? As our core beliefs are quality and value we are in the ideal position to capitalize on the trend of
32 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
• MARCH 2013
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