Footwear Insight

RETAIL can create some confusion among Dayton shoe consumers. ey will refer customers to each other in an out-of-stock situation, but that's about all they share. We spoke with Mike Roderer about the past and present of his family's footwear business. "Grandpa used to tell us that t he sho e business is re cession proof," remembers Mike Roderer, a fourth-generation Roderer who became sole owner of the Roderer Shoes Inc. store six years ago fol- lowing the passing of his dad, Tom Roderer, who he fondly remembers as a "humble, nice guy," and not a "cutthroat businessman" who instilled a caring, strong work ethic and an old school approach upon his family. Mike recalls the store "loading up" with inventory during World War II since Americans were issued cou- pons to buy shoes back then, and his dad and grandfather oen sending out pairs of shoes to families with a simple message attached, "Pay when you can." In the early 1950s, when many of his contemporaries thought he was crazy, Tom Roderer, capitalizing on a then-tight relationship with Buster Brown executives, opened a kids-only store in Dayton. Secrets of Success The secret to Roderer's success and longevity in the independent shoe retail business in metropol- itan Dayton, whose population is just over 814,000, boils down to a 'very old school' approach focused on one-on-one selling, a sit and fit experience, a loyal customer base and a low overhead given the family owns the store's building. To this day, the North Main Street store still keeps all customer purchases on a file card. "We don't chase trends and we don't have cutting-edge technology. We have old school values and old school ideas about measuring and fitting customers," reminds Mike, who employs five full-timers and 5-6 part-timers, but says he is always "challenged" in finding people with the proper skills willing to take an open store position. ere is always nagging worry given the advice he was given by a friend a few years back: "You spend more time working in your business than on your business." But the old school approach never wavers. "Last year (2021), we had our best year in a decade, despite product being hard to get. is year, we are on a pace to meet or even beat last year," confirms Mike, 55. Roderer Shoes Inc. does not sell online and is not planning on doing so anytime soon. "If it comes to that, I'm out," says Mike. With a merchandise assortment ratio estimated at 55 percent women's, 25 percent men's and 15 percent kids, Roderer Shoes doesn't face much push back on price from its steady customers, says Mike Roderer. With an average retail price range of $120- $150, the mix includes everything from innComfort German sandals at $250-300 a pair and Sam Hubbard styles at $300 down to $69.95 for a pair of casual Clarks. Younger store customers have flocked to the store for Birkenstocks and Hoka. Other significant brands in the mix include New Balance, SAS, Oboz, Alegria, Taos, Stride Rite and Xelero. As far as marketing goes, a store manager regularly posts items on Instagram and Facebook, though the store does not have a "certified digital marketing approach." Instead, the marketing effort is more old school led by bulk mailers that offer things such as a "customer appreciation coupon" during the holiday season. Roderer Shoes' old school approach to business over the past 116 years isn't likely to be changed by current ownership any time soon. "Treat people the way that they wanted to be treated," suggests Mike, later adding, "We live by a set of values, and it shows in what we do." n 24 • Footwear Insight ~ September/October 2022 footwearinsight.com Top left: The late Tom Roderer, on the fitting stool. Above right: Tom's son Mike at the current Roderer Shoes Inc. location.

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