Q&A
Independent Footwear Retailer of the Month
Cheryl Taylor, Associate Editor, talks to independent footwear retailer John Lee of Sussex Shoes in Chichester.
Q&A
Name: John Lee Shop: Sussex Shoes, Chichester Brands: Rieker, Remonte, Josef Seibel and Van Dal
Q: How did you get into footwear? Tell us about your background and your current business? A: Sussex Shoes has been trading in Chichester since 1984; I personally purchased the business in 2001. At one stage I was trading with three shops – one children’s footwear and another specialising for the consumer with problem feet. However, due to my health at the time I decided to close two of these shops. I have been in the footwear trade now for over 60 years! I started at
Barretts in 1965 as a Sales Assistant, then became a Manager; I moved onto Toppers in Carnaby Street, then on to Ravel in Oxford Street, then I then joined Sacha and worked my way up and became the Sales Director. I left Sacha in 1978 to join H & M Rayne as the Sales Director within both of those companies for well over 20 years.
During my time there I was engaged by M&S as a Consultant to revamp
their footwear department layouts to fall in line within their new high street stores. As I had previously worked with the Directories of Top Shop at my time with Sacha, the Burton group decided to introduce men’s footwear and offered me a position to set up a Men’s Footwear Division within all their 300+ plus high street stores, the brief being department design, shoe layout and staff training within all their branches.
Q: Tell us about your shop, the local area, and your customers? A: I now have one shop and I employ three members of staff. Chichester is a fabulous city with the theatre and the cathedral close by. Unfortunately, we lost House of Fraser, which of course held a great deal of clothing concessions, but there are so many more independent clothing retailers – plus of course two independent M&S stores. Also, eight shoe shops – therefore service is and always will be paramount.
Q: Do you have any famous customers? A: As the Sales Director at H & M Rayne we had many “famous” customers at Harrods & Harvey Nichols where we had shoe concessions. I’ve had the privilege of serving many notable individuals, including senior members of the Royal Family at the Bond Street store, plus John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and Michael Jackson! My favourite actors to serve were Faye Dunaway and her late husband Terry O’Neill at Harvey Nichols.
34 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • MARCH 2025
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