SKELMERSDALE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hotter officially opens its 50th branded store in Milton Keynes on March 7th - 36 months ago, the UK’s biggest shoe maker had just five.
The innovative multi-channel retailer embarked on its expansion programme after developing a winning formula of product, service and shopping environment which underlined its mantra that "customers are for life". Retail expansion continues, with Hotter (http://www.hottershoes.com/) planning 20 more openings by the end of the year, adding a further 200 jobs to the 200 it created in 2012.
"Hotter is all about making our customers feel stylish and comfortable - not just when they wear our shoes, but also when they buy them," explained Peter Taylor, MD who joined the growing business last year from Hunter. "All of our women's and men's products are designed with microscopic attention to detail and our stores are no different."
Traditionally a shoe maker – and currently manufacturing 1.5m pairs of stylish and comfortable shoes (http://www.hottershoes.com/en/Women/Shoes?DisplayProductList=true) each year in its Lancashire factory - Hotter began selling direct to customers in the 1990s and now has a 100 seater call centre, servicing UK and USA customers. With www.hotter.com, www.hotterusa.com, 200 independent stockists and its increasing branded stores portfolio (http://www.hottershoes.com/en/info/Store-Locator), the company has evolved into a true multi-channel retailer; bolstered by the strength of its British designed footwear and a factory which makes a pair of shoes every 20 seconds.
"We have always been close to our customers, we understand their desire for stylish and trend-led shoes which incorporate the 'comfort concept’ (http://www.hottershoes.com/en/info/Comfortable-Shoes) DNA that helps them enjoy their active lifestyles" added Peter. "Our retail concept mirrors our home shopping experience where our customers are made to feel comfortable and relaxed with outstanding service and thoughtful touches."
"The advantage of being an established customer focussed brand at the outset of our retail expansion was the detailed demographic information we possessed which helped us identify Hotter hotspots," added Peter. "We have been thoughtful and deliberate with our strategy, spending time on the high street to see what is happening, reviewing every decision and always keeping the customer at the front of our mind."
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