Q&A
Footwear Retailer of the Month Cheryl Taylor, Editor, talks to footwear retailers Kim Jackson and Mark Necus of
Klodhoppers, Haywards Heath, West Sussex. Q&A
Name: Kim Jackson & Mark Necus Shop(s): Klodhoppers established in 2005
Brands: Ricosta, Bobux, Hummel, Birkenstock, Hush Puppies, Geox, Froddo, Start Rite, Petasil, Crocs, Havaianas, Ipanema, Hatley, Chipmunks, Richter, Shoo Pom, Ecco, Timberland, Hatley, Lurchi, Slip free, Garvalin
How did you get into footwear? Tell us about your background and your current business?
We had thought about starting a business together for quite some time. The reason we chose children’s footwear was mainly down to the fact that as a toddler our son had very wide feet and it was very difficult to find good quality brands which would accommodate his wide, deep feet. The usual
Kim Jackson, Klodhoppers
high street shops at the time didn’t really cater for very wide or very narrow feet and we thought that there must be other parents like us who wanted a good quality shoe with a choice of more than one pair! We usually waited until we visited my parents and shopped at a small family-owned independent near them. This shop specialised in lots of different brands which meant we had a good selection. The owner was always so honest with the fitting and wouldn’t sell anything to you if he didn’t think it fitted your child properly. It gave you trust and confidence that you were buying what was best for your child’s feet and that was what we have always tried to base Klodhoppers on. Our backgrounds: we both have a hotel management and hospitality background. Mark has worked in a hotel in Switzerland, The Dorchester, Park Lane, The Hotel Metropole in Brighton and he was the General Manager at English’s Oyster Bar & Seafood Restaurant in The Lanes, Brighton for 20 years.
Kim specialised in the travel and tourism side of her hospitality training. She worked in San Francisco for a year and a half, then for an airline for 7 years. She then re-trained with a teaching certificate and went to work for Brighton & Hove City Council as their Environmental Education Officer for the local schools – a job she did for 19 years. Her happy place is litter picking on the beach!
Then we decided it was time to work for ourselves! We set up Klodhoppers in 2005, with a shop in Hove, followed by our Haywards
18 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021
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