NEWS


Charles Clinkard toasts to retail success and a year of business growth


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eading independent footwear retailer, Charles Clinkard, is celebrating an overall sales increase of seven per cent in 2023 compared to the previous year.


The retailer, which has been a family business since 1924 and celebrates its 100th birthday this Spring, has benchmarked itself against industry figures as reported by the British Retail Consortium/KPMG sales monitor. Charles Clinkard stores saw a six per cent sales increase for the year, while online commerce saw a significant growth of +7 per cent (against overall non-food retailers dipping by -3 per cent according to BRC/KPMG).


This success has allowed the business to invest further into the high street, with a £350,000 full


refurbishment of its Bristol store earlier this year, and an additional £130,000 upgrade of its Warwick store – which re-opened last month.


Not only that, but Charles Clinkard is also investing in the future of its tech capabilities, increasing IT spend by a third


Portugal climbs the ranking of European footwear manufacturers


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n 2024, world footwear consumption is expected to increase by 9.2 per cent compared to the previous year, according to the World Footwear Survey of more than 100 footwear specialists worldwide. “The Portuguese footwear industry exports more than 90 per cent of its output, so the sector’s performance will always depend on the evolution of the


main international markets,” said Paulo Gonçalves from the Portuguese Association of Footwear, Components and Leather Goods (APICCAPS).


“After a very challenging 2023 for companies, prospects are still precarious, but we’ll see Portugal at the forefront of European footwear production in the near future, together with Italy and Spain – these three countries together cover 71


per cent of European production.” According to Eurostat data over the last decade, footwear production in Portugal has increased by 14.4 per cent (from 74 to 85 million pairs). In 2022, the Portuguese footwear industry overtook Spain to become the second largest footwear producer in Europe.


This is why Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags chose Portugal as a stop in its Around the World programme


aimed at strengthening international relations with key stakeholders in the footwear industry. The team visited the two main shoe manufacturing districts in Portugal, defined as “the capitals of the Portuguese shoe”.


The next edition of Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags will take place at Riva del Garda on 15-18 June 2024.


Summer dates announced for Harrogate Fashion Week H


arrogate Fashion Week (HFW) will return on 4-6 August 2024, offering three days of buying and sourcing new labels.


The show has continued to grow, and the August show already has three full halls of classic and contemporary brands, with a fourth hall also opening that joins to the rest of the show and gives a new second entrance. Organisers, Wendy Adams and Sarah Moody, commented that Harrogate is extremely popular and loved by the buyers…


4 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • APRIL 2024


“We are already receiving enquiries from boutiques all over the UK and Ireland asking for the Summer dates so they can book their trip as HFW is the only show they tend to visit.”


The pair confirmed that over 85 per cent of the show’s brands had rebooked their stands after the February event. And new brands already signed up for the Summer include Betty Barclay, Peter Kaiser, Blueberry, Soya Concept and Joe Browns.


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for 2024 to ensure it remains competitive with other retailers. Tim Payne, Managing Director of Retail at Charles Clinkard, commented: “It is fantastic to have such a successful trading year in 2023; it’s brilliant that we have gone above and beyond industry benchmarks, and this puts us in a really strong position as we look ahead to our 100th birthday. “Consumer confidence continues to climb, which is why we are continuing to invest in the shopping experience both in-store and online, and how we can make this as personalised and seamless as possible. It is important that we continue to meet the needs of our customers and adapt and innovate along the way with them. We’re excited to see what the next year holds for the business.”


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