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Shoes Galore shooting to success

The Shoes Galore franchise opportunity was launched at the British Franchise Show in Olympia in March of this year and within just six months the company had already succeeded in setting up a network of 14 franchisees.

As the name suggests, Shoes Galore sells shoes and accessories but, they say, they are very different from standard shoe retailers. For a start, there is only a limited number of each design of shoe, which are designed exclusively for the company and manufactured in Spain or Italy. Furthermore, whilst they can be viewed on the Shoes Galore website, the products can only be purchased via a Shoes Galore shoe party which can be held at customers’ homes, at charity and corporate events or at shoe fashion shows. Despite there only being a limited number of each kind of shoe, the prices are at the same level of high street stores ranging from £19 to £79.

Franchisees operate from home and hold, on average, 8 parties a month but each person decides themselves just how busy they wish to be. People joining the system receive a comprehensive initial franchise package which includes, among other things, a stock of shoes, bags and belts, display kits, personalised stationery and a sales training and operations manual. Workshops are also held to teach franchisees how to run their own business. Lesley-Ann Simmonds, chief executive of the company, commented: “This franchise is perfect for those wishing to work flexible hours around family commitments.”

In an interview with FranchiseKey held at the National Franchise Exhibition in Birmingham in October, Lesley-Ann expressed her delight that Shoes Galore was proving to be so popular with both customers and franchisees. She is looking to further develop the company around the country with the aim of setting up a network of over 200 franchisees.

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