Footwear Insight - Business Report Quarterly

30 Footwear Insight Business Report Quarterly ~ Q2 July 8 2024 footwearinsight.com worked, what didn't, and how we can improve our strategy for the next show. Continuous improvement is the name of the game. CONCLUSION The Art of the Shoe Show Working a shoe show is an art that balances preparation, active engagement, and strategic follow-up. For us, it's not just about seeing the latest products; it's about fostering relationships, staying ahead of trends, and driving business growth. With the right approach, a shoe show is more than an event – it's a transformative experience that propels both personal and professional success. Shows are expensive, for the vendors but also for you, the retailer. You need to make the most of your time; your job is to use the time to positively impact your bottom line. One way to do that is uncover marketing contribution opportunities from your vendors. Lastly, attending a shoe show is the most impactful thing you can do to work ON YOUR BUSINESS as opposed to IN YOUR BUSINESS. If you don't believe in attending shoe shows, it might be time to retire. n Alan Miklofsky and Maurice Breton are seasoned footwear industry professionals with extensive retail buying experience. ey are equally passionate about managing a business to make a profit and fostering meaningful industry connections. ey served for almost three decades together as board members of the National Shoe Retailers Association. 1. Prep Work: Do your homework on the retailers' businesses so you can tailor your pitch to what they really need. 2. Booth Appeal: Make sure your booth looks amazing — organized, eye- catching, with clear signs and cool interactive stuff. 3. Know Your Stuff: Be the go-to expert on your products so you can answer any questions confidently. 4. Personal Touch: Give personalized product recommendations that hit the mark for each retailer. 5. Hands-On Fun: Show off your products with live demos and let retailers get hands-on with sample shoes to try on. It is always good to see the shoe on a foot. 6. Show Specials: Offer exclusive deals and promotions to encourage retailers to place their orders on the spot. 7. Easy Ordering: Make the order process smooth and quick. Use technology to streamline everything. 8. Follow-Up: Plan post-show follow-ups to handle any lingering questions and close those deals. 9. Listen Up: Pay attention to retailer feedback — it's a goldmine of insights. 10. Network Like a Pro: Help retailers connect with each other and build a solid network. Let's make this trade show season your best one yet! SHOE SHOW TIPS FOR REPS To our sales representative friends in the industry: Let's crush it at the trade show with these tidbits of advice we offer you. Our goal is to help you serve our shoe retailers friends how we would want to be served:

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