Footwear Insight

70 • Footwear Insight ~ July/August 2019 footwearinsight.com RETAIL R obert S. Schwartz, the president and CEO of Eneslow Pedorthic Enterprises, is setting Eneslow up for its second 110 years of success. Here's what he told us. A decade ago, when Eneslow celebrated its centennial, you opened a second store in Manhattan. Now, you're opening a third. Is this going to be a tradition? Ten years ago, there were many more retail shoe stores in Manhattan. We were trying to get a foothold on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Today, there are numer- ous underserved neighborhoods where New Yorkers are looking for real benefits from their footwear such as feel- ing and looking better. It will be interesting to see what happens between online and brick and mortar; between vendors who have become our primary competitors; and what strengths carry the day in retail in the next 10 years. We don't look at numbers, we look at opportunities and timing. We went from three stores to eight in three years in the 1980s and ended up at one store during the 1990s and early 2000s. It's hard to predict. In some ways, the New York City landlords decide if they want legitimate long-term tenants or otherwise. Eneslow is selling in-store service at a time when many people are buying shoes online. And you're opening more stores when a lot of brick-and-mortar establish- ments are closing. We believe in what we're doing, even though there has been no growth. When there are available high-quality personnel to help us grow as there are now, we can spread our wings. We will give it our best try the same way we do for each of our stores and their neighborhoods. Everyone in the industry is talking 3-D printing and cus- tomization. How does Eneslow fit into that scenario? We are working with a number of 3-D printed tech- nologies, including custom, bespoke foot orthotics and sandals. We are participating in education and training programs to prepare for our future. We primarily focus on high-touch over high-tech in our current everyday business. We do include iStep technology from Aetrex in our assessment protocol. Succession in family business is sometimes tricky. Do you have family members waiting in the wings? My children, Michael and Rachel, work in the business with me. We are focusing on improving our bottom line to assure the longterm survival for our family and our employees. Everyone is productive rather than waiting in the wings. Thinking back, are there things that you would have done differently? I've made so many mistakes that I wish I could have back. Until you've had a personal experience of a particular decision, your rate of success and failure may well be out of your control. Timing is one of the most important factors. What was good yesterday may already be over, and if you are not in the rhythm of a trend, you can enter when it is time to leave, and vice versa. There is no place to let fear dictate important business decisions. Knowledge based on experience and team buy-in and active participation are just two things that matter before taking action that changes people's lives. While change remains constant, many good people fear change even while it is happening to them. l Robert S. Schwartz, president and CEO of Eneslow Pedorthic Enterprises. Robert Schwartz on Eneslow's Next 110 Years When there are available high-quality personnel to help us grow as there are now, we can spread our wings. We will give it our best try the same way we do for each of our stores and their neighborhoods.

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