Lolita Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 OK, a friend and I have been looking into setting up a shop in Glasgow for a while now, mainly specialising in retro and goth clothing, however we are planning on carrying a wide range of shoes, and I'd like for everyone to feel welcome. So I have a few questions, and I wanted to run a few ideas past you. 1. Are you comfortable trying heels on in a shop? 2.What would make you more/ less comfortable? 3.We were thinking about having a seperate fitting room just for shoes, would this appeal to many of you or would you feel like you were being shoved away into a corner? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sendra45 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Hi, I would say, have a quiet area toward the back of the shop for those that are not that brave, perhaps with some sort of rack or divider to give a little privicy, but with that in mind you should be there to make sure the customer is happy, they might want to try something else but might not be brave enough. A warm welcome and a smile go a long way too! Make it plain that the heels are for the girls and the guys, perhaps a small sign? that way the customer know you are not going to be surprised when he asks for a 6" patent boot in a size 10. good luck with it. The angels have the phonebox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shyguy Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 For me personally I would prefer a section to try on shoes in private, and in my opinion a lot of other guys who may want to buy heels would be the same. On this forum you're bound to get a skewed opinion as a lot of guys here are open about wearing and trying on shoes. I'm sure there must be thousands of men however who do not frequent these boards but may try on heels if they had the privacy. I think Nigel has the right idea, have a small area seperated off, and make sure people are aware you can cater to their tastes in footwear and enable them to maintain their dignity. He was so narrow minded he could see through a keyhole with both eyes. Brown's Law: If the shoe fits, it's ugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoyLegs Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 I'd rather not be on display in the shop window. Approachable sales help also goes a long way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxylady Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Yes for sure it might increase the sales towards male customers who, as said earlier, are not in the forum and do like wearing heels. I know a shop in Belgium and they have a seperate area for male customers, they can try on heels and walk even around to see if they are comfortable. If you want I can send you there URL on the internet. It is in Flemish dough... I wish you both good luck and lots of fun FL FoxyLady Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolita Posted February 8, 2008 Author Share Posted February 8, 2008 Thankyou, I'll be taking this to her as proof to back up my argument, she felt that men might feel like they were being shunted away in a corner as if we were embarassed by them, whereas I feel that everyone (male and female) would benefit from being able to have a cup of tea and try on nine or ten pairs of shoes, without being gawped at by a load of kids on a saturday afternoon! The plan is to have both of us in store whenever possible, so that one of us can stay 'up front' while the other fetches shoes and so on for any customers, chances are it'll be very rare at first for us to be busy, so we should be able to give undivided attention to anyone wanting to try on shoes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Histiletto Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Lolita and friend, Setting up a shop where men and/or women can sit down, even together, in a holsum atmosphere and try on some high heels sounds very good. Most people like to feel as though they are your VIPs or the preferred ones. By sectioning your fitting areas (even in corners), where the customer feels they have your attention for their needs, would probably be the best way to accommodate your patrons. It's kind of like going to a restaurant and the waiter is very concerned that your eating experience is a grand event and you will want to do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba136 Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Why not ask Peachy or Heelfan how they do it in Peachy's shoe store? I'm sure they would be forthcoming with some valuable comments. Being mentally comfortable in your own mind is the key to wearing heels in public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefox Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I think you should have everything open but offer a private fitting room for the shy ones. Also, deliberately advertise the styles you also do in larger sizes as "unisex." This won't put off women, but there are quite a few men who won't try stuff unless they are told it's for them as well. It's amazing, they won't get stuff they like, but stuff they are told they can have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrimper Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 One of the reasons why I patronize self-serve shoe stores is that if its not really busy I can try on womens' shoes without attracting too much attention. The racks are high and the large womens' shoes and the mens' shoes are on the same aisle. I've often thought of having a store and offering private areas for customers to try on whatever they wanted. Its also worth noting that some full-footed ladies are also embarrassed to be seen trying on shoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wood&metal Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I feel that trying on heels in a store would depend more on the clientele than the setting.. With the Goth and retro crowd, I think the environment could be comfortable to where I personally would have much fewer reservations about trying something on in at least a somewhat private area without alot of traffic... Never frown because you never know who is falling in love with your smile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedesigner Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 actually u could get a real niche market. I remember when virgin records first started in london they had big sofas where people could meet, chill, and listen to music - and buy more. If you did the same, perhaps with a coffee machine, you coul make a meeting place for like minded people and build a micro business in addition to the emo shop xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolita Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 The Emo crowd will definitely not be our target market, but I do like the idea of having quite a relaxed and friendly environment- we thought about coffee but thought it might be offputting, especially if the smell sinks into the clothing!! I think one of our main problems will be attracting the shyer customers- within my circle of friends I could use word of mouth to attract the more flamboyant crossdressers etc, but I think men who are less comfortable with other people knowing they wear heels, despite being one of the customer bases we're aiming for, are going to be harder to make aware of our business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootking Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I would very much like to try the footwear on in the store to avoid the grief afterward but it would have to be a "friendly" store. I think that you're on the right track as long as your staff is accepting and warm. It's all about the heel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan_Heels Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I wish you the very best of luck with your venture. I have worked in the retail industry (on and off) since i was at school (being s/e for 4 years) and i hope my observations can help. THE MOST IMPORTANT DETAIL: Please make sure that you are making a healthy profit margin. It sounds brutal, but if you can't compete against the internet, don't do it. I have had customers come in store, ask info for an hour, receive good product details, and instead of buying from us, go for an online purchase instead. THEN, come in store and tell us that they managed to get it for £1.00 cheaper @www.cheapcrap.com and think that we would be happy for them:penitent: It is all well and good offering an environment that we feel confortable buying in but, if the profit is not there - don't do it!!! If you can get a descent mark up (buying in bulk if you can) then, as firefox says in the earlier post offering "unisex" shoes/boots will help us "more reserved" customers feel comfortable buying from you. Be welcoming and get a good reputation and i think people will go out of their way to shop with you. Best of luck. oh, don't forget to stock larger-than-currently-available size fashionable shoes (not only 5-6inch stereo-type tranny shoes!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnieheel Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 How about having the male help wear heels? real men wear heels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loveheel Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Personally I am not bothered by trying on in public, but I do think it is a great idea to offer men a private fitting area. I think it will help break the ice for many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolita Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 Johnieheel- Unfortunately I think it will be a while before we can hire anyone in, and my business partner and I are both female... although if we could get my boyfriend to step in that might work (and hers, once we've coerced him into wearing heels!) Milan_Heels- A lot of helpful advice thee, thankyou! We know we can outprice local competitors, and we are putting some reasearch into web competition, and so far it's looking good. We are planning to try and gt everything in as broada range of sizes as possible, so that everyone has the same choice! Bootking- I've mentioned elsewhere, my boyfriend does Rocky Horror shadow casting, and has gone out in full drag to a couple of events we've been to (including a transvestite Nazi hooker, which was just amazing, especially as people didn't feel they could object!!), plus is planning his Hallowe'en costume to involve big heels once again (we're goths, it isn't odd for us to plan this early, I swear), plus my business partner is dating someone somewhat height challenged and is trying to talk him into wearing heels so she can, so I don't think accepting will be an issue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sendra45 Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 the customer bases we're aiming for, are going to be harder to make aware of our business. Why not drop Richie a PM, he hosts the website I use for work and could help you get some decent page rankings with google, msn and yahoo. It works quite well in my case and I even come out higher than some companies that turn over millions every year. ( I dont ). Its only going to cost you the price of a decent pair of boots and a bit of your time. Anyway, it was just a thought. Nigel. The angels have the phonebox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolita Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 Thanks Nigel, that's an awesome idea, and I definitely will as soon as things are a little further advanced- right now we're still in the very early planning stages! Why not drop Richie a PM, he hosts the website I use for work and could help you get some decent page rankings with google, msn and yahoo. It works quite well in my case and I even come out higher than some companies that turn over millions every year. ( I dont ). Its only going to cost you the price of a decent pair of boots and a bit of your time. Anyway, it was just a thought. Nigel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevenup Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Lolita and friend, I wish you well in your business venture and can only agree with the wide ranging advice that has been given, an open attitude too male heel wearing with a relaxed approach i'm sure will help in attracting the shyer ones amongst us.I used too get most of my heels from Hayway in Leicester, sadly they have closed now but their understanding and caring nature was brilliant, you could try anything on without fear ,they made you feel quite at home, its a shame they closed. Good luck Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksheep Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I like the idea of a sign saying that it is for male and female. that way, other people in the store like other customers should not be surprised to see men trying on heels. the staff are obviously well trained, so will go outof their way to make first timers feel comfortable. best of luck with setting up the store to sell for everyone. Blacksheep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan J Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Lolita: I agree with Nigel and others - keep the fitting area somewhat private, not in the shop window. Welcome the male customers; a smile and a good word goes a long way. As said earlier, the self-serve stores have the benefit of anonymity, but along with the loss of customer service, which is really needed. Additional comment: I remember a store in West Hollywood, CA, on Santa Monica Blvd (maybe some of those in that area can recall the name and reply). The look of the store was bright and clean. Tile floors and carpeting, lots of lighting, chrome, mirrors everywhere. Large selection of leather, latex, B&D equipment, HHshoes for women & men, shoe fitting area in one corner, seperate private fitting rooms.. The best part: the assistance was very professional, very respectful, knowledgeable and helpful. Good luck. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roniheels Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Lolita...You've gotten some good advice from many of your friends here. Just use your best judgement and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
las Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Lolita...You've gotten some good advice from many of your friends here. Just use your best judgement and good luck. Indeed - do let us know how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojo Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 I would certainly be your customer. It is always better to be able to try shoes on before buying instead of the hit or miss of internet buying. Depending on the manufacturer, my (male) shoe size can vary quite considerably, and finding high-heel shoes in larger sizes in stock at shops is always a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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