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Cheryl Taylor talks to Tanya Marriott of SoleLution


How did you get into footwear? Tell us about your background and your current business? Following a trip round the world in 2004 my husband and I moved back to


Bristol. I was looking for a new job as a finance analyst but without enthusiasm. I had always wanted my own business and my Mum suggested a shoe shop as Portishead hadn’t had one for about 20 years. I put a business plan together to sell ladies, mens, and childrens shoes and trained as a Shoe Fitter with the SSF. A unit became available in 2005 in Portishead High Street. Nearly eight years later we are going strong and have expanded to a second outlet.


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? We have 2 shops, one in Portishead and one in Clifton employing 10 people


in total. My shop managers and our team of staff are brilliant and I couldn’t run the business without them. Despite the 2 shops only being about 10 miles apart, the customers are


quite different. We often find what sells in one, doesn’t in the other and vice-versa. Portishead is a commuter town on the outskirts of Bristol with many of the residents either being young families or retired. Clifton is a suburb of Bristol with a village feel. BS8 is often referred to as The Island! We have a real eclectic mix of customers in Clifton including students, young professionals, families and tourists.


Do you have an online shop/website and do you use social networking for business? We do have an online shop but it is in its infancy. I’m in the process of


learning how we can use facebook and twitter to our best advantage. I want to ensure that the personality of our shops comes across.


How are you finding the footwear market currently? There’s no denying that its tough out there at the moment and last year’s


weather didn’t help any of us. But we’ve had a strong summer so far and our customers seem to be happy with the ranges we have in store. I just wish that there wasn’t such a “sale culture” developing with the bigger stores as this puts even more pressure on independents.


What’s selling well? Any particular trends? Which are your best selling footwear brands – and why? Rieker and Josef Seibel for adults and Start-rite and Geox for kids are our


staple brands, but we have brought a few new brands in store over the past year which are working really well in particular Legero and Pediped. Also Skechers Go Walk has been phenomenal this season. Our customers want value for money and are making much more


considered purchases with a focus on quality, comfort and price. The brands we have offer this, and I think that is why we continue to do well.


Does your shop sell other items besides footwear, bags, gloves, tights, socks, below the ankle products? We sell kids socks and tights including those for school, but are looking to


introduce a small selection of hosiery for ladies as there seems to be a gap in the market in both Portishead and Clifton. We also have a few bags in store from Fiorelli, Nica and Rieker, together with shoe care essentials.


Any difficulties/problems? I try not to focus on the negative but see the difficulties and problems that


we all face in business as a challenge. It is important to stay proactive. If we are doing everything we can to continually understand our customer’s requirements,make our shops look welcoming and attractive and provide great customer service, we will succeed.


32 • FOOTWEAR TODAY


• AUGUST 2013


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