Shoe and footcare retailer Shuropody has laid out ambitious plans to turn over more than £50 million within five years.
Shuropody, which launched in January this year as an 11-store chain, bought 44 Scholl stores from Alliance Boots in July.
Merchandising director Steve Bakewell, who set up Shuropody with business partner Frank Duffy, said he wants to build the business to at least 100 stores within the five-year time frame.
He said: “The comfort side of footwear has been largely ignored in department stores and on the high street.”
The Scholl stores will be rebranded to Shuropody by the end of the year. The acquisition also included House of Fraser concessions and Bakewell said there is further opportunity to add concessions in other department stores. It has been trialling concessions in Debenhams, which he said have been performing well.
Shuropody will implement a new storefit over 18 months from January. Bakewell said he hoped the new design, featuring a double-window shopfit, would help attract younger customers and highlight the retailer’s dual footwear and footcare offer.
He added that the business wants to bring in new US brands such as Naturalizer and Earth shoes. It will also introduce men’s footwear in its stores.
Bakewell said footwear and footcare has the same opportunity to relaunch itself as opticians, which have benefited from more aspirational storefits with strong brands. “The [footwear] industry has a lot of catching up to do and we can modernise the offering in a way that will appeal to a large cross-section of the population,” he said.
Merchandising director Steve Bakewell, who set up Shuropody with business partner Frank Duffy, said he wants to build the business to at least 100 stores within the five-year time frame.
He said: “The comfort side of footwear has been largely ignored in department stores and on the high street.”
The Scholl stores will be rebranded to Shuropody by the end of the year. The acquisition also included House of Fraser concessions and Bakewell said there is further opportunity to add concessions in other department stores. It has been trialling concessions in Debenhams, which he said have been performing well.
Shuropody will implement a new storefit over 18 months from January. Bakewell said he hoped the new design, featuring a double-window shopfit, would help attract younger customers and highlight the retailer’s dual footwear and footcare offer.
He added that the business wants to bring in new US brands such as Naturalizer and Earth shoes. It will also introduce men’s footwear in its stores.
Bakewell said footwear and footcare has the same opportunity to relaunch itself as opticians, which have benefited from more aspirational storefits with strong brands. “The [footwear] industry has a lot of catching up to do and we can modernise the offering in a way that will appeal to a large cross-section of the population,” he said.
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