Footwear Insight

footwearinsight.com September/October 2024 ~ Footwear Insight • 41 information and marketing now available from brands online can be a benefit as consumers more oen arrive in stores informed and ready to buy. "It's up to us to give them the opportunity to try on the product and feel the difference," added Murray. "We are also able to offer multiple brands for comparison, something the consumer can't do easily online. It is also beneficial when the consumer sees brands online all the time, then when they come into the store, they recognize the brands and are excited to be able to try them on." John Luck, president of Lucky Shoes, Fairlawn, OH, appreciates his role as a "builder of brands" as an independent retailer. "We play our part in helping a vendor build and grow, knowing that one day the brand might outgrow us and no longer have need of our services," said Luck. "A couple of the signs that this might be occurring would be the opening of questionable channels of distribution or taking in-season DTC discounts on premium product. At that point, the brand no longer serves our purposes, and we start looking for the 'new and fresh' product that doesn't need a DTC discount for it to sell." However, he also believes a "strong, regular-priced" DTC business for a brand supports sales elsewhere. Luck said, "It keeps them financially healthy, so they don't have to seek out those brand killing channels of distribution. A healthy DTC business also helps keep MAP price integrity and eliminates the need for whacky discounting like we see from some brands that have started circling the drain." As far as solutions to DTC conflicts, he cites Locally, a tool that lets consumers visit brand's websites to see what inventory is available at nearby stores. Luck cited Brooks, Hoka and Oofos as vendors particularly adept at maximizing Locally's technology. He said, "Brands that utilize this to highlight retailers of their products raise both the awareness of their brand and awareness of the retailer." Karavel's Menendez likewise called out Locally as an effective tool to help local stores benefit from traffic heading to vendor websites. She said, "ese websites can serve as a powerful marketing tool, raising brand awareness and driving interest in products that consumers might then seek out in our stores. at is why we feel so strongly about brands driving business to our stores with Locally." She cited Brooks, Hoka, Clarks, Taos and Ecco among brands having Locally embedded on their websites. Menendez further pointed out that brands have a wide range of other methods to support local stores that may offset DTC pressures, including hosting in-store events, collaborating with local influencers, offering exclusive products or promotions only available at local retailers, co- branded advertising and social media shoutouts. She said, "All of these efforts not only boost foot traffic to local stores but also strengthen the brand's presence and reputation within the community." Ahh Comfort's Seidman suggested that for e-commerce sales, brands could include cards inside boxes directing customers to their local stores for future service. He also feels the industry should be doing more to support brands such as Halsa that don't push DTC sales. He said, "If they're willing to give us that commitment, we need to give them that commitment." Brenda Felger, owner at Felger's Footwear, Houma, LA, agreed brands' websites can be beneficial to independents by providing consumers information before making a purchase and promoting store locator tools. However, she lamented that too many brand websites feature discounts ranging from 30% to 40% off the suggested retail price that her store can't match. "Vendors should be more concerned about preserving the integrity of their brand," said Felger. "I get that they need to discount older, discontinued merchandise and I don't have an issue there, however, they should never go off 'MAP' on current and continuing styles — ever! When brands go 'off MAP' on continuing product, then there really isn't any such thing as 'MAP pricing' and that behavior conditions the consumer to just wait and purchase when it's less expensive and skip brick-and-mortar altogether." She cited Birkenstock, Dansko, Naot, Revere, SAS, Taos, Hoka, Brooks and New Balance among brands doing an "excellent job" committing to MAP pricing online. For those that don't, face-to-face conversations with reps or other vendor personal can help. Said Felger, "Retailers should not be afraid to voice their concerns directly. Some will listen and offer alternatives; others just don't care what we "When a good brand presents a great message — even on a DTC level — that's still a positive for us." JEFFREY SEIDMAN, AHH COMFORT SHOES "As a small business we are limited in our stock room and sales floor. This can make it tricky when consumers can go directly to the [vendor] website and see hundreds of styles, colors and sizes." ALICIA MURRAY, MURRAY'S SHOES

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