The Cinderella factor?
It’s fit that offers the independent specialist retailer the edge over mail order whether that be in apparel, rucksacks or footwear. It’s the latter that offers the killer edge. Allied with experience and shared interest, a skilled boot fitter can forge a life-long relationship between consumer and retailer. Building trust through comfort, confidence and experience marks out the specialist from the generalist.
In my wardrobe, I have three pairs of footwear marked as UK size 11. One label equates this to EUR47, another as EUR46 and the last as EUR45.5. It doesn’t really matter if a customer can try them on but must be a nightmare for online purchases. It was Berghaus co-founder Gordon Davison who taught me that a UK size 8 was a European 42 and that a full European size upwards equated to a UK ? size increase. That would make my UK size 11 equivalent to a 46 and it usually works for me.
But I never buy footwear online.
Retired Director at Equip Outdoor Technologies Ltd
7 年Wise words, but once you have a pair of shoes from one brand would you be tempted to buy another pair online? Especially as the Web seems to be a continual race to the bottom in terms of price, but don't get me started on that one!