Neely Woodson Powell, founder of the Charleston Shoe Company, will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming ICX Summit taking place Sept. 9-11 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Neely Woodson Powell, founder of Charleston Shoe Company. Photo: Charleston Shoe Company
When Neely Woodson Powell, founder of the Charleston Shoe Company, opened her first retail location in Savannah, Georgia, she knew success was all about enticing shoppers into her store, so she literally put on two different shoes from the shelves and walked out to the bustling sidewalk.
Today, 27 years later, her store associates are still implementing that customer engagement approach to boost sales of her versatile and fashionable footwear.
Her success began with a nearly 30-year partnership with a cobbler she met on vacation in Central Mexico in 1996. She then enrolled at the Savannah College of Art & Design to expand her shoe design skills and knowledge. Now there are 60 more cobblers on her all-female staff of 180.
The Charleston Shoe Company footwear is sold online, in retail locations and in more than 800 boutiques.
Powell will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming ICX Summit taking place Sept. 9-11 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She will share how customer engagement and providing ‘shoe joy’ proved successful for her iconic national brand of versatile and fashionable footwear.
The event is celebrating its eighth year, with notable names serving as keynote speakers and panelists on a wide range of retail customer experience topics. Operating in tandem with the Banking Customer Experience Summit, the ICX Summit brings together B2C brands to learn from industry leaders, network among peers and hear from top innovators when it comes to innovative customer experience. Early bird registration offers a special discount of $450 if registered by May 3.
The two summits are hosted by Networld Media Group, a leading business-to-business media communications company specializing in digital media, associations and events in the mobile, self-service, digital signage, retail, food service and financial services industries.
RetailCustomerExperience reached out to Powell in an email interview to get deeper insight on her customer experience strategy. She was also a recent guest on the CX Innovator podcast where she shared her approach to CX and how she has overcome challenges like COVID-19 and the retail shutdown.
Q. What is your philosophy when it comes to customer experience, and can you talk about strategies you’ve deployed, whether it be via marketing efforts or in-store?
A. We like to make sure everyone feels like they are shopping in their best friend’s closet! It is definitely not your normal retail experience. All of my sales associates wear two different shoes, which always puts the customer at ease with a fun, whimsical gesture. Our products are made in an array of colors, with some styles coming in over 40 colors. This is very rare in the retail world, so when you walk into one of our stores the displays are Baskin Robbins for your feet. We also believe in putting all shoe sizes on display so that the customer has the opportunity to pick up a shoe and try it on. All of our marketing in the stores, online and throughout our e-commerce channels feature our customers, employees and family! We like to bring familiarity across all channels.
Q. The store associate is front and center with shoppers, so do you do any training or provide tools to associates to enhance the customer experience?
A. We are constantly training with written tips, weekly calls, training videos and hands-on demos.
Q. What is the customer wanting most these days, in your view — perhaps seamless product search, easy checkout, or no inventory hurdles? Also, who is the typical customer?
A. They are looking for classic style and ultimate comfort these days. Our customer is every woman from every walk of life, aged from 12 to 112. And the occasional man… We are a generational shoe company.
Q. Any tips or advice to other retailers looking to improve customer experience?
A. Find employees that love and believe in your mission and product. This helps build a passionate team and a great culture.
Judy Mottl is editor of Retail Customer Experience and Rewards That Matter. She has decades of experience as a reporter, writer and editor covering technology and business for top media including AOL, InformationWeek, InternetNews and Food Truck Operator.
