Anna • Content Marketing Manager US Team
The footwear industry is an incredibly competitive space, with hundreds of brands vying for attention and sales.
However, there are still plenty of opportunities to grow a successful business selling fashion brand shoes.
With the right strategies in place, entrepreneurs can create an effective strategy for standing out from the competition and building a thriving enterprise.
Starting a shoe business can be a rewarding venture with endless possibilities.
Looking at the big shoe brands like Nike, Adidas, and Converse, it's clear that there's a huge demand for quality footwear. Each of these brands has built a huge fanbase of customers.
For example, Air Jordan from Nike has become a collector's item where people line up for hours or spend hundreds to get their hands on the newest limited pair.
Nike's popularity isn't stopping anytime soon. In 2022, Air Jordan passed $5 billion in revenue for the first time.
What's even more inspiring is the rise of recent new shoe brands like Allbirds and Rothy's, who are revolutionizing the industry with eco-friendly and sustainable materials.
This shows that there's always room for innovation and a unique selling point.
Starting your own shoe business could present a chance to make a mark in the industry while providing customers with quality, stylish and comfortable footwear.
Women's shoes come in a variety of styles and designs. From high-end designer brands like Jimmy Choo, Gucci, and Prada to more affordable options such as Steve Madden and Nine West; there is something for everyone.
Women can find classic pumps, wedges, sandals, and boots along with the latest trends like mule slides and espadrilles.
Men’s shoes come in a variety of styles as well.
From formal oxfords and loafers to the casual slip-on sneaker; men can find a variety of options to suit their individual style.
Popular brands like Cole Haan, Aldo, and Clarks offer classic leather dress shoes in timeless styles that are perfect for any occasion.
For those who prefer more casual options, there are plenty of chukkas, boat shoes, and canvas sneakers from brands like Vans and Converse.
Sneakers are a type of shoe that has become incredibly popular in recent years.
They can range from athletic shoes to designer fashion brands, making them perfect for a variety of uses and styles.
Many major brands like Nike, Adidas, Puma, and Converse have iconic styles of sneakers that have become well-known around the world.
There are also smaller streetwear and lifestyle brands, such as Vans, New Balance, and Reebok that offer unique designs to cater to different audiences.
Sneakers come in all sorts of styles and materials, from classic leather or canvas sneakers to recent trends like chunky dad shoes or minimalistic slip-on styles.
In today's technology-driven world, the importance of online shopping and e-commerce is clear and competition is on the rise.
According to Statista, global retail e-commerce sales amounted to $5.2 trillion worldwide in 2021 and are projected to reach $8.1 trillion by 2026.
The fashion brand shoe industry is no exception to this trend.
With the rise in online shopping, fashion brands and retailers have also to established their digital presence through an elevated customer experience to cater to their customers better.
Online shopping has made it easier for fashion enthusiasts to shop from the comfort of their homes, while also providing them with a vast range of choices.
E-commerce has revolutionized the fashion industry, prompting companies to prioritize enhancing their digital customer journeys.
As a business selling shoes, it can be a challenge to stand out in a crowded market and increase your sales.
So whether your business sells casual sneakers, high-end heels or anything in between; these tactics are tailored specifically for growing and marketing your brand while increasing sales.
Consider your target audience and tailor your marketing and branding efforts to speak directly to them.
For example, in the case of Nike, people became more health-conscious during a jogging boom in the 70s. Nike understood this and created jogging content and positioned itself as a company that could help people hit their fitness goals. Through this strategy, they were able to sell their jogging shoes along with that message.
Focus on building strong relationships with your customers through personalized experiences, excellent customer service, and loyalty rewards.
A great way to prioritize the customer experience is to have a dedicated communication channel.
Having an efficient and reliable communication system in place to handle questions about orders, items, and shipping information will build trust with your customers and ultimately lead to an easier purchasing process.
While having a support email and phone number is a great start, it can often become difficult to easily manage those inquiries. CRM-based live chat tools, such as Channel Talk, provide a customer relationship management platform to not only chat directly with your customers but also store data and analyze behavior.
Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and seasonal styles to keep your product offerings fresh and exciting.
This could be in the form of partnerships as well - Crocs, which have recently risen back up in popularity, released new shoes around the Barbie movie and also have a Minecraft shoe series as well.
Leverage the power of social media to connect with potential customers and build a community around your brand.
For Sperry, their Instagram incorporates user-generated content in their feed which has helped them grow to 300K followers.
These four tips offer a blueprint for success when it comes to growing and marketing your footwear business.
Ballop up to 3.84% and overall revenue by 6%.a shoe brand company, that has seen successful growth since its inception in 2014, capitalizing on all four strategies to engage their customer base and expand their reach.
This has allowed them to achieve success in the competitive fashion industry by building their brand and increasing sales year over year.
In just eight short years, Ballop has become a go-to brand for quality shoes in South Korea. They are known for their Aqua shoes, which have proven to be a steady seller since they first hit the market.
Now, Ballop has expanded its product line to include sneakers, sportswear, and accessories that are suitable for all four seasons.
Despite the crowded market for athletic footwear, Ballop has been able to carve out a place for itself by consistently introducing new and innovative products.
The company has sold over 300,000 pairs of their signature Tivat Running Sneakers since their launch in 2019, and a staggering 1 million pairs of sneakers overall.
Ballop is projected to achieve 100 billion won in sales by 2025 by expanding into the global market and is poised to become South Korea's number one sports brand.
But how?
Ballop's success can be contributed to a multitude of factors including, the strategies above.
There was a need for quality shoes for water sports, and Ballop answered the call with their Aqua Shoes series. The company then tailored to its target audience who were interested in sports by expanding its identity to an all-around athletic wear brand.
By staying up to date with trends, the company has added to its catalog its iconic Tivat Series for running and introduced winter shoes and summer sandals to cover footwear in all seasons.
And with their Instagram, Ballop leverages social media and boasts 17.2K followers where they keep an updated look into their popular and new products.
Most importantly, Ballop focuses on building strong customer relationships which they have attributed to their growth.
Previously, the Ballop team had an array of communication channels such as a question board, phone, email, and third-party messaging apps. As a result, customers were inquiring about the same problem in multiple channels which caused an inefficiency in replying.
After introducing a live chat software, Channel Talk, Ballop was able to consolidate those inquiries into a single channel and saw a 90% usage rate of the chatting feature.
The company has prioritized solidifying the relationship with its customers by quickly answering any questions and ensuring the purchasing journey is as smooth as possible.
Sales have been on the increase month over month, and the ease of communication between the customers and Ballop has contributed to that.
Starting a business selling fashion brand shoes can be a rewarding and lucrative venture.
By considering the current trends, such as e-commerce and the growth of new shoe brands, entrepreneurs have the potential to develop an established fashion brand.
With the right strategy and hard work, individuals and small businesses alike stand to benefit from entering the fashion brand shoes industry.
After all, as we saw with Ballop's success story, investing in this industry can bring tremendous rewards.
By taking risks while being mindful of sensible strategies for growth, entrepreneurs can turn their dreams into reality when it comes to fashion brand shoes.