Page 17 - Oundle Life August 2023

What ages do you cater for? We welcome anyone of any age, right from first steps.
Have you any plans to expand further? No plans to expand bricks and mortar at this present time but you never know, if an opportunity comes our way we will always have a look. We are however, very busy developing our online business into new markets around the world.
What makes North Shoes different? We pride ourselves on quality customer service and an excellent shoe fitting service for the family. The independent shoe shop also offers brands you don’t see in the chain stores, so it gives a different offering to the high street.
Most challenging moment? Lockdown when it was compulsory to shut our doors for 12 months in total. We lost a massive amount of income with lots of bills still to pay. My father likened the moment to a story his grandfather told when due to the second world war we
got to our last two pairs of shoes for sale in our Bourne shop. Both equally disastrous for business!
Who makes you laugh? Peter Kay, Bill Bailey, Miranda Hart and Dawn French, to name just
a few.
Jaffa Cake or Hobnob? Both, I love all biscuits and all food.
Proudest moment? When my father, who was the 4th generation owner of North Shoes, gave me the keys to business on the day he retired. While giving me the keys he said, “it’s not yours, you are just the custodian to the next generation”.
Dinner out or at home? Dinner at home. My wife is an excellent cook and our house is an open and busy one. Family around the kitchen table discussing the day usually with a few hangers on...
www.northshoes.co.uk
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