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Tuesday, December 6, 2011
It's begging to look a lot like Christmas
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK!!!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
FALL UPDATE 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
VOLATILE: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN
Hey Ladies!
The Volatile owners are coming to town! On Monday, May 2nd they will be visiting the Houma store! This day will be a huge day for us, and wine & cheese will be served just for you. Please swing by and say hello to the people that design your favorite brand!!! Not to mention we will have a contest, the woman that brings in the MOST Volatile shoes will win a year supply of Volatiles, where you will get a free pair of Volatile's per month for 12 months straight!!!! Read below for the article that came straight from the Volatile press:
Volatile Gets Jazzed About the 2011
Volatile Footwear’s owners and designers, Brian and Michael Lovely, are coming to
Furthermore, Volatile is a continued supporter of rebuilding the local communities destroyed by the Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. This is the third year Volatile will make a donation to the Habitat for Humanity. Brian and Mike look forward to celebrating the
3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Thursday, March 24, 2011
GET THE LATEST, HOTTEST SANDALS FOR SUMMER 2011
Oh it's that time of the year again, the time we've all been waiting for... tans, highlighted hair, vacations, beaches, festivals, margarita's on the poolside, and anything else that involves the sun, fun, feeling hot, and LOOKIN' HOT!!!
I don't know about you, but when it comes to summer attire, or any attire for that matter I always dress from the feet on up. My motto is that the first essential for looking HOT for summer is making sure that your feet are NOT HOT. Which means time to bust out the sandals, throw out what's old and bring in what's new! Sandals, whether it be casual or dressy, are the easiest way to jazz up a simple summer dress. I personally think summer dresses are the entire purpose of summer, but only with the right footwear!
After reading the first two paragraphs of this blog, I know you just walked away from your computer...opened your closet and realized that you NEED or MUST HAVE some sandals for Summer 2011! If I'm right, then it's your lucky day! I'm about to show you why you should get into your car and drive on over to Shoefits and stock up on your Summer sandals!
SHOEFITS HITS: (SCROLL DOWN)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
FN, MAGIC - VEGAS
So, let's just say not EVERYTHING that happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas...and that my friend is for your benefit! Last week, the Shoefits crew ventured out to Las Vegas, Nevada as we attended the FN Platform shoe show and the MAGIC shoe show....WHAT A SUCCESS! Even though we lost our money in our pockets through slot machines, the real winning gamble was SHOES! We have so many things coming your way - things that Houma and Lafayette have yet to see, such as: BETSY JOHNSON, ZOE KRAFTSMAN, DIZZY, AND MORE!!! The list is almost neverending. Our goal for the Vegas market was to hunt for things that were different! Things that you would never find in your local department stores and other boutiques in the area! We are SO excited to introduce these new lines. Get ready for lots of bling, ladies! The shoe market is shifting into neutrals and bling for this Spring and even Fall. We picked out some last minutes Spring shoes, however we were shopping for Fall 2011. Fall 2011, looks FANTABULOUS, and yes that IS a word! I can't wait to post sneak peek photos! We have tons of pictures, however our camera's are currently in Atlanta for another Market, therefore I am unable to upload any photos today! And yes, I did say another market. Jodi, the owner of the company flew straight from Vegas to Atlanta where another shoe show was taking place. Our store managers have joined her to assist in buying more of Fall 2011! You can count on having the hottest footwear selection in the upcoming months...and that's a promise! Stay tuned for the pics that will be posted on the blog and on our Facebook!!! Also, another goal we have set for our store is we are getting a huge flatscreen TV and we will air what we do at market via video, so YOU can see how it's done and get sneak previews - LIVE - of what Shoefits will be receiving!
Chelsie, Jodi, Lisa & Donald Pliner
I almost forgot to mention the honor we felt as we walked FN show rooms! As you know we were featured in FN News Magazine, and this was the FN shoe show. People recognized us from our article, and was calling us out to say hello and meet us! We felt famous and it was so great to feel supported and loved by our vendors and fellow retailers through out the country! Your favorite shoe store is on the map, ladies! And of course, WE don't take all the credit for that, you ladies who shop our stores and website have helped us grow and become the company we are today! So...thanks for that :)!
We love you!
EDIT: CAMERA IS BACK, PICS ARE HERE!
Chelsie in Harrah's
Shanna and Linda, the weary travelers :)
Monday, February 7, 2011
WE MADE IT TO THE TOP
As recent events have proven, Shoefits prevails in the face of adversity.
The two-store independent retailer, which has locations in Houma and Lafayette, La., and a flourishing online business, has faced hurricanes, the recession and the Gulf oil spill since opening in 2004. Still, the business finished 2010 with $1.8 million in sales — up 8 percent over 2009 — and plans are under way to franchise the concept elsewhere in the South and even beyond.
“When we opened, I expected to be successful, but I never dreamed it would be this successful,” said co-owner Jodi Webb, who runs the store with her mother, Shanna Trosclair. “I’m not saying we haven’t gone through rough times. ... We took our licks, but we always stayed in front of the customer.”
Webb comes from a retail background that started when she was 15 years old. She graduated from Nicholls State University in 1982 with a degree in fashion merchandising, and over the next 16 years held various management positions at Maison Blanche, Limited Corp. and independent boutiques. She’s also worked in outside sales, marketing and advertising.
Trosclair, meanwhile, provided the financial experience, having served as CFO of an international oil field company before retiring 10 years ago.
The duo’s Houma store opened in 2004, followed by the Lafayette location in 2006. In 2008, the e-commerce site launched, and it now accounts for about 20 percent of sales.
Webb said her original concept for the store was to provide a playful, unpretentious boutique where women can shop and have fun. “I wanted the boutique feel, but also to be comfortable, with music playing and people talking and having a good time,” she said.
“The shopping experience [that Shoefits] presented to consumers is unlike any other,” said Deb Tremonti-Hazelton, a sales rep for Donald J Pliner. “It is truly one of the best places to shop for shoes in Louisiana.”
On the main sales floor, products are merchandised by vendors on tables, with stock stored underneath or nearby. “We don’t have to go to the back [of the store],” Webb said. “We’re in face-to-face contact with that person constantly. That’s extremely important. We see what they want, sit them down on the couch and pull three other shoes that are similar. That’s a rule in our stores.”
An area dedicated to higher-priced shoes is located to the right of the entrance. “Anything over $200 goes in that corner,” Webb said. “There is a little sitting area with a couch.” Some items in this area can top $700.
The back of the store features racks of shoes organized by size and sometimes marked down. “When we sell down on a shoe — say we get 12 and two or three days later we only have three pairs left — we run it into the wall by size,” Webb said. “Most of [that area] is things we can’t really merchandise anymore.”
Webb said about 12 percent of sales come from higher-priced labels such as Donald J Pliner, Old Gringo, Ugg and Vaneli. However, she said her average retail price ranges from $89 to $99, from brands including Arturo Chiang, Calvin Klein, Chinese Laundry, Jessica Simpson, Sam Edelman, Matisse, Yellowbox and Volatile.
“I remember walking into the Houma location back in 2006 and couldn’t believe how great the store looked, extremely inviting,” said Stuart Matthews, a sales rep for Matisse. “Jodi has a great eye for fashion [and] always seems to pick the key items in the lines and retails the product very well.”
Such a diverse product mix and range in price points helps the store appeal to its target customer: “We shoot for those with more disposable income, which tends to be ladies in their 30s and 40s,” Webb said. “But when she comes in, she brings her daughter, so we have a variety of customers.”
And Webb is always on the hunt for new labels to add to her selection. At trade shows, she makes that search a priority. “At the end of the day,” she said, “I always stop what I’m doing at about a quarter to five and we just shop for new vendors. We’re there on business, and that’s what we do from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.” Webb also dedicates about five or six hours during her typical work week to research new vendors.
As for store expansion, Shoefits is in talks with potential franchisees in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. But Webb also has received interest from would-be retailers in North Carolina, South Carolina and New York. “I’m game for any kind of growth in any state,” she said. “It just has to be with the right person.”
Much of her time this year will be dedicated to seeking partners with the right combination of passion, retail experience and financing. Webb said 10 franchisees within the next five years is possible.
But while growth has been swift, it hasn’t necessarily been easy to accomplish. Webb said the store was challenged with Hurricane Katrina, followed by Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike, the latter of which forced both stores to close for 14 days.
“Then came the [downturn in] the economy. Then, the [oil] spill,” Webb said. “But we just keep on rolling along.”
The key to the company’s success, Webb said, has been its connection with customers, a dedication to advertising and keeping the store front-of-mind with consumers. “The way we survive is through constant communication with our customers, whether it’s through wine-and-cheese events, e-mail blasts or follow-up thank-you notes,” she said, adding that she also sponsors a “Diva Awards” event for her most active customers, as well as a Christmas open house and a spring gala.
She also advertises on billboards, in newspapers and online, and participates in charities like the United Way and Junior League, and even silent auctions at high schools. In all, Webb said she spends between $5,000 to $8,000 per month on marketing and advertising.
“To [effectively] communicate with people, you’ve got to do it top notch ... and it costs money,” Webb said. “A lot of people get into business and think the customer is just going to automatically walk in. They’re not. You have to bring them in.”
Monday, January 17, 2011
SALE UPDATE
Just giving you an update on our sales going on both online and in our stores!
STORES:
OUR ENTIRE STOCK OF BOOTS AND BOOTIES ARE CURRENTLY 40% OFF!!!!
THERE IS ALSO A BUY 1 GET 1 FREE SALE THAT APPLIES TO ALL OF OUR PINK DOTTED MERCHANDISE! BOOTS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PINK DOT SALE!
ONLINE:
TAKE 30% OFF OUR ENTIRE WEBSITE! JUST TYPE IN "ILOVESHOES30" AT CHECKOUT TO RECIEVE YOUR DISCOUNT!!!
Despite the sales, get ready for Spring 2011!!! Sandals are already starting to come in! Be the first to get what you have this Spring! Come on in and check it out!