In my line of work I always make a point of going into any footwear retailer on a regular basis particularly in my local area of Tunbridge Wells in Kent. It is with some sense of trepidation that I venture into retailers new to the town. All too often I am greeted by a disappointing offering that you just know will be displaying closing down sale signs a year later.
However, recently I visited a retailer called Sole Solutions, specialists in comfort footwear – I was actually with my mother who has always had incredible difficulty finding comfortable shoes due to wide feet and bunions! She was looking for a pair of comfortable, robust sandals to replace the ones that had broken on the walk into town. We had been all over town with no success and finally were recommended this retailer by one of the department stores.
We were greeted by an incredibly friendly shop assistant who took the time to find out exactly what we were looking for, she then measured my mother’s feet which I felt was a lost art in adult shoe shops, she then recommended six different styles that she felt would fit and suit our purpose. For someone who has a constant battle finding shoes it was something of a novelty to be presented with six styles and brands to choose from. The brands varied from well known ones like Rockport and Joseph Seibel to the lesser known like Wolky and MBT which my mother had never come across before. Non of these brands are particularly cheap in fact the styles on offer varied between £50 to £135, however the knowledge of the assistant about each brand with regard to quality and technical specifications and the choice of product available made the price irrelevant as you were obviously getting value for money. This retailer also provides the services of a podiatrist on the premises which seems an excellent idea for those with problem feet.
I left this retailer feeling thoroughly encouraged that this shop epitomized the ideal of a good independent retailer that Footwear Today magazine has supported for years, that is, excellent, knowledgeable customer service combined with a good quality product range that is slightly different to that of other retailers in a town.
I really hope that this equates to a successful business for the owner – I shall be reporting back in a years time and hopefully there won’t be a closing down sale in sight!
I hope you enjoy this month’s issue and make sure you write in and let me know of any similar retailers around the country!
Regards
Sophie Furr
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