Footwear Insight

12 • Footwear Insight ~ July/August 2023 footwearinsight.com WHAT'S WORKING RIGHT NOW AT RETAIL? TOP-SCORING GOLD MEDAL RETAILERS SHARE THEIR VIEWS. REYERS SHOE STORE Niles, OH Mark Jubelirer, proprietor Founded: 1886. Purchased by Jubelirer Family in the 1950s Gold Medal: Top-scoring "Store of the Year" in 2021. "ere may be nothing more exciting than putting your most exciting product samples in your window, or up front near the entrance. Which is why I take the opportunity to show that Reyers, too, has white cowboy boots. And sparkly gemstone encrusted cowboy boots. In our neck of the woods, we know that for next season, boots and booties will be hot items. Also, quality is remembered long aer price is forgotten; so, put your best feed forward — Fashion First. Clearly, athletic-inspired footwear is all the rage at all price points, across all vendors. Even brands who were never known for this type of footwear are now offering them. Color is how many of them try to differentiate themselves from the main, but everybody has them. So, watch your inventory levels. And of course, boo- ties are like Fords; everybody has them; they're everywhere. Every vendor copies everybody's best silhouette from last year. So, watch your prices. Black may no longer be the new black, but the black of old. Maybe it's color. (I recall a season long ago when every vendor had equal amounts of product sampled in black and grey and taupe.) … I would be wary of buying absolutely everything in black and shying away from other colors. Color counts. And maybe white, in boots especially." WESLEY'S SHOES Chicago, IL Bruce Wesley, owner Founded: 1970 Gold Medal: One of seven stores to score 100 or above in 2022. "We have always enjoyed partnering with our suppliers and featuring their lines during a trunk show event. Back in the day, we used to call it a trunk show. Now, we call it a shoe party…is spring, we had a great turnout for our Birkenstock Shoe Party. We let customers know through social media — Instagram and Facebook — and we also used email blasts. Lastly, we targeted former Birkenstock clients Brothers Mark and Steven Jubelirer Wesley's Shoes RETAIL HOW PERFECTIONISTS SEE IT By Bob McGee F ootwear Insight, in its quest to get the lowdown on the current state of the retail footwear industry, reached out to some of the best seeking answers. We recently checked in with five 2022 Gold Medal Service Award winning retailers — all of whom had perfect "mystery shopping" scores of '100' or better in our review of the best independent shoe stores in America last year. ese retailers stay in top form by measuring the pulse of the industry, staying on top of emerging trends, and working to keep their customers happy with their footwear shopping experience. In our "summer check-up" with these retailers, we asked them two questions: Q1: What can retailers like yourself do to excite footwear customers today given the current macroeconomic backdrop, short of offering a promotional sale? Q2: What are the specific trends, categories selling well right now, driving the sales environment?

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