Start-Rite has consistently supported the British independent retailers that stock our shoes and continue to maintain our high-street presence. We trust these independent retailers, such as Begg Shoes, to champion our values by providing quality fitted footwear for customers in their local community who want to give their children the best opportunity to maintain healthy physical development. We spoke to the Director at Begg Shoes, Donald Begg, the sixth generation of Begg to join the family business.
Begg Shoes has an incredibly rich history spanning over 150 years since the business was established, when the first ‘bricks and mortar’ store was opened in 1866 by Alexander Begg. The footwear retailer now has nine stores across the North of Scotland, from Perth to the Shetland & Orkney Isles. Interestingly, the Lerwick store can be found within a listed building designed by famed architect William Hamilton Beattie, who also designed the famous Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. The operational heart of the business is Inverness, where you can find their office headquarters as well as two shoe shops which have provided family footwear to the Highland capital for over 40 years.
Begg Shoes is a relative newcomer to the Start-Rite brand, with the two businesses currently in the midst of a third year working together. Donald told us “Upon opening a children’s department in our Perth Store, we decided to try Start-Rite out for the first time, and the rest is history.”
In spite of the partnership being in its infancy, Begg Shoes is emblematic of many values that Start-Rite believes most strongly in. They value experience in footwear and their rich heritage means that should you require a specialist service e.g. small or large sizes or narrow/wide fitting shoes, they believe that their industry knowledge is unrivalled and allows them to deliver a service not often found elsewhere. By stocking Start-Rite, Begg Shoes is able to give their customers quality not just in their service, but in the product too. Donald said “Start-Rite reflects our values of quality, fit and value for money.”
One of the best-selling subcategories within the Start-Rite collection are the pre-walkers, with Donald citing “a great appeal to customers in terms of style and colour, and the softness of them is perfect for a little one’s feet.”
From the outset, Begg Shoes has been extremely fortunate to have a dedicated team working in their stores. The business has continuously invested in training and development to maintain traditional shoe-fitting expertise in the modern retail environment, and many of their team members are qualified shoe fitters. Some staff have over a decade of experience. Donald said, “Our team’s knowledge in footwear allows us to provide an experience for customers that we believe is unrivalled.”
Begg Shoes has long been big advocates for local charities, supporting the stores in the community representing the RNLI, Marie Curie and CLAN Cancer Support. Furthermore, they have supported the Moray School Bank in providing school shoes to underprivileged children in the region, as well as taking part in the annual Blythswood Shoe Box Appeal.
For many years, Begg Shoes has also worked with ‘Sals Shoes’, collecting pre-loved children's footwear, that is then donated to children in poverty across 60+ countries, including the UK.
Author: Vista, published 22-08-2024.
