Cheryl Taylor, Editor, talks to John Meeks of Meeks Shoes, Ashton-under-Lyne, Oldham, Stockport, Sales and Alderley Edge.
Q&A: Name: John Meeks
Shop(s): Meeks Shoes, Ashton-under-Lyne, Oldham, Stockport, Sale, and Alderley Edge.
Brands: Clarks, Skechers, Kickers, Ecco, Gabor, Lunar. Hometown: Manchester
How did you get into footwear? Tell us about your background and your current business? I’ve had a quite varied footwear career! After studying at Sheffield University, I went to work at Servas Shoes in Somerton, where I ran their footwear concessions. From there I went to work at Shoon, where I was the merchandiser for their Ecco shops. I took over from my father at Edward Meeks in 1997, where I still work with my sister Sally-Jane. We’ve built up the business and now have five shops around the Manchester area selling brands such as Clarks, Skechers, Ecco, and Gabor.
24 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • SEPTEMBER 2020
Where are your premises located and how many people do you employ? We work with just under 40 people across our five shops, located in Ashton-under-Lyne, Oldham, Stockport, Sale, and Alderley Edge.
Do you have a high turnover of staff? We pride ourselves on having a low turnover on staff – in fact, Jean, our oldest employee, recently retired at the grand age of 87! Many of our employees have been with us for over 20 years and we see each other as family.
Tell us about your shops, the local area, your customers and their requirements? We are a very family orientated business and have been serving our community for almost 120 years, so we have customers over several generations. Many of our customers have shopped with us for years and now bring in their children and grandchildren, which is so nice to see.
How has Covid-19 impacted your business? Tell us about your experiences, the difficulties you have encountered and how you have managed/are managing/trying to overcome these? Even before the pandemic the retail industry had been grappling with rising rents and increased online competition. We used the lockdown period as an opportunity to update our website, and as a result, our online takings have trebled during this time. This was invaluable while our physical stores were closed.
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