What’s selling well? Any particular trends? Which are your best selling footwear brands – and why? We are happy with most of the brands we stock at the moment; in particular we have seen a very positive response to Skechers, GEOX, Bobux and Petasil. Many of our customers are looking for robust, comfortable and durable
school shoes, with our bestsellers being GEOX and Ricosta for boys and Start-rite and Petasil for girls.
Does your shop sell other items besides footwear? Yes, we sell a really fun and funky range of backpacks, lunch bags and gifts. The backpacks and lunch bags have been selling very well especially during back to school and then the gifts provide the perfect present for those last minute parties and at Christmas. Our aim is to offer something a little bit different that you don’t see in other shops, but which is still relevant to the families that come in to buy shoes.
Do you use an EPOS (retail technology) system in your shop? We do use a WorldPay machine for card transactions, however we have not yet invested in a stock management system and so we manage our stock using a spread sheet system.
Any difficulties/problems? The weather! We are learning very quickly that sales in the retail sector are heavily dependant on the weather and as it is so unpredictable, this makes for an interesting challenge! The recent warm winter has meant that sales of winter boots were definitely less than anticipated.
Any tips on stock offers, novel ideas for clearing lines or advice for independent shoe retailers who might be feeling the pinch? We have just launched our loyalty card system, to incentivise our customers to make more of their shoe purchases with us. Unfortunately we have no magic solution for clearing lines, however we find some of our most successful days have been when we link-up with local events and activities in the town.
What is your favourite children’s brand – and why? We are really pleased with the sales of most of the brands we stock, however we do find Bobux and Start-rite are favourites for toddlers and pre-schoolers, GEOX for boys and finally Skechers for everyone including the mums and dads!
How do you select your products – which criteria do you use / what are your customers looking for? Listening to customer feedback is definitely very important to us and we have learnt a huge amount since we opened by doing just that. However when we were in set-up mode, we did have a short-list of brands which was created following a visit to MODA and my experience as a parent buying shoes for my own children. I think ultimately it is important to buy shoes that you like, that way you will find it much easier to sell them.
Many of our customers like a simple, classic look, without having to pay
the earth for it. We have also noticed an increase in the amount of customers asking what ‘barefoot’ brands we stock; hence we stock Plae, Bobux and Pediped, which have all been selling very well for us.
Which footwear shows do you attend, how do you rate them? We normally attend the February MODA, as it allows us to visit lots of brands under one roof, to have buying meetings with suppliers and also find some new brands that we have not yet discovered. It provides the perfect opportunity to get a lot done in a short space of time away from the shop.
Do you have a favourite footwear agent you can tell us about? That is a very unfair question! We have very good relationships with all the footwear agents we deal with and they have taught us a huge amount about the industry since we have opened.
Have you always had a passion for footwear? No, my mum finds it hilarious that I have a children’s shoe shop as I never wanted to go shoe-shopping as a child and I hated having my feet measured! Therefore my passion for footwear is better described as a passion for shoe fitting and wanting to make shopping for children’s shoes a more relaxing and enjoyable experience for both the parent and the child. The importance of measuring children’s feet every time they buy a new
pair of shoes is definitely something that I as a parent have been fanatical about as my own children have grown-up. It was therefore very important to me that I studied for the Society of Shoe Fitters qualification and that all of our staff are Start-rite trained fitters.
Any famous customers? We are lucky enough to have a couple of famous customers; politicians, actors, actresses, newsreaders…..but I couldn’t possibly name names!
And, the next step? Any plans for the future, new lines, retail systems/new technology, etc.? We are looking forward to completing our first year of trading, so we better understand the seasonality of the business. We have also recently introduced a range of ladies shoes for the mum’s who come in with their children, so they too can pick-up a pair of Skechers, Converse or SaltWater sandals!
Billy Goat
11 East Street Alresford Hampshire SO24 9EQ
info@billygoatshoes.co.uk www.billygoatshoes.co.uk
MAY 2016 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • 29
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