Nigel Carr

Bio

Shoes.co.uk was set up in Spring 2006 as a 'pure' online shoe shop. Of course there were shops selling shoes online then but many operated out of the back of a shop or just affiliated to one of the existing larger multiple chains. The business was started by Ex Barratts buyer Nigel Carr who broght in ex Schuh buying director Jackie Hodge. From a standing start the company now operates a mult-brand website selling over 70 brands to the UK and Europe and growing. Operating from a distribution and logistics centre in Leigh Lancashire, the company employs ten staff and the services of a local web development agency in Manchester, design companies; Honest Group and Rowlinson Cooper, Parcelforce for delivery and HSBC to process all transactions. Its been a pretty harrowing three years getting up and running and moving in to profit as the company was totally self financed. But the demand for high fashion merchandise delivered to your door with a few clicks of a mouse has become very alluring. That coupled with the best domain name a shoe shop could want has proved to be an irresistable combination. The shop is probably the largest retailer of Boat Shoes on the internet with Sebago, Henri Lloyd, Chatham and Sperry Topsider featuring. It also sells large ranges of Hush Puppies, Fly London, Base London, United Nude, Ikon, Rieker, Rohde, Leli Kelly, Norvic as well as many more brands. The aim is to be the UK's largest online shoe shop and with sales running at 70% up on 2008 it looks as though it will get there sooner rather than later! © Nigel Carr - April 2009.