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specialise in children with addition needs and I am fully trained to write social stories as well as having a level 2 in understanding autism. We offer early and late quiet appointments and additional help so that the shop is accessible to everyone. We aim to provide an environment that is fun, welcoming and stress free for children and parents. We cater from a tiny size 18 and in school shoes we go to a men’s 46 and lady’s 43. We like to think we have something for everyone!
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? We have only been open since April 2021 so thankfully we haven’t had to close like other businesses. We spent the time before making sure we had stock and that the shop was perfect, ready to welcome our customers. We have seen an impact with stock shortages, delivery delays and cancelled orders but our customers have been very understanding.
Do you have an online shop/website and do you use social networking for business? Was this active during the lockdown? Our website,
www.thekidsshoeden.co.uk is currently being made and will launch very soon! We are very active on Facebook and Instagram and have a great following. We recently joined Tik Tok and Twitter too. We think it’s a great way of interacting with our customers as well as gaining valuable feedback.
What’s selling well? Any particular trends? Which are your best selling footwear brands – and why? All the brands we stock are brilliant for different reasons; no two pairs of feet are the same which is why we stock the different brands so we can find something to suit everyone. The canvas trainers sold extremely well last April so I’m excited to see what people think of this year’s designs. This winter it’s been all about the Chelsea boot. Our Ricosta waterproof boots have also sold well.
How important is shoe fitting to your business? Are you or any of your staff members of the Society of Shoe Fitters? It’s extremely important to our business. For us having your children in properly fitted shoes is essential. I am a member of the Society of Shoe Fitters and I pass on my knowledge and training to Emma. We have both had brand training also.
Does your shop sell other items besides footwear, bags, gloves, tights, socks, below the ankle products? We sell hats, sunglasses, umbrellas and a few other little trinkets but our main focus is shoes.
Do you use an EPOS (retail technology) system in your shop(s)? We use Vend – its fantastic and very easy to work with.
What is your favourite children’s brand – and why? We only sell children’s shoes and we love all our brands, each of them brings something different to the table. I am a big Disney fan so I love any of the brands that collaborate with Disney but I also love sparkle and glitter so I am a big fan of Lelli-Kelly. Emma’s favorite is Geox, she loves how stylish and hardwearing they are.
How do you select your products – which criteria do you use / what are your customers looking for? I think being parents help but Emma and I have worked with children and their parents for years so we like to think we have a pretty good idea of what our customers are looking for. We also love things that are a bit different, something you can’t buy everywhere. We want to offer our customers good value for money and quality footwear.
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