Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Keough.
Eric, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m the owner of Kids Footstop – a children’s shoe store located in Winchester, MA just north of Boston. It’s like no other shoe store you’ve experienced. Envision total awesomeness.
First question I usually get, “Why on earth did you open a kids’ shoe store?” Well actually, I didn’t begin my career in the retail space. After graduating from Tufts University as a Mechanical Engineer, I earned my chops at GE Aircraft Engines designing parts for Apache and Blackhawk helicopters. When you’re in the store and if you’re interested ask me about the “Bird Ingestion Test Cell.” Fun stuff…well, not for the birds.
After two years at GE, I left to attend Bentley University for my MBA in Marketing. Over the next 15-plus years I worked for a few Boston advertising firms in managing roles developing traditional & digital marketing programs for clients like AT&T, FedEx, OnStar, EMC, and Gillette. Most of my career was spent at Digitas and believe me, I logged my fair share of frequent flyer miles.
In June 2005 a miracle occurred…my wife gave birth to twin boys. And twelve months later gave birth again to my beautiful daughter. Three kids under 13-months.
Chaos ensued. Priorities shifted. I grew weary of traveling. I didn’t enjoy working 60+hrs a week for someone else. My commute seemed longer. I wanted to enjoy my young kids (at least while they still liked me!) My wife and I often dreamed about what type of small business we’d start if we had the opportunity. On long drives we’d bounce ideas off each other and always say, “What if…” I finally stopped saying it and made the leap.
First, I researched types of businesses that could thrive in our town center. At the same time, my wife and I were frustrated by the shoe buying process for three kids. It was impossible to have a pleasant experience traipsing through the mall on a Saturday. Lots of crying, whining, and fighting. And that wasn’t even the kids! No place thought about the experience beyond the shoe purchase. Or what kids liked to do when they are in a shoe store. And does anyone accurately measure kids’ feet anymore? I was convinced I could offer something different. More relaxing. Something better.
I hired a retail consultant (he owned seven Stride Rite stores) who was certified in accurately measuring and fitting kids’ feet. He schooled me on the ins and outs of the business. Kinda like a shoe Yoda. Aside from providing the best customer service, I built the store around child engagement – a Treat Tree with hidden characters, a jump meter to measure how high kids could jump, Disney & Pixar movies to watch, Lego structures on display, and of course, lollipops on the way out. Things to amuse and entertain the kids while selecting a new shoe. I even balked at standard merchandising practices and left plenty of room for the kids to run. Coz that’s what they want to do when they slip on a new pair of sneakers. The Sales Associates, aka Fit Experts, encourage our little customers to run, jump, and act silly in Kids Footstop. I’m meeting terrific families and having an absolute blast. Come check us out. I look forward to properly fitting your child’s feet.
Kids Footstop. Taking the stress out of kids’ shoe shopping…one foot at a time!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The major struggle is attracting new customers to the store. Winchester Center is not necessarily a major destination for outside towns. It has been a challenge growing the business and competing against the large online retailers like Zappos and Amazon.
Please tell us about Kids Footstop.
We specialize in measuring and properly fitting children’s feet. It is critical, especially in the younger ages, to ensure a child is in a good fitting shoe.
Kids’ shoe sizes vary greatly. Even within the same brand sizing is inconsistent. So a size 2 in one style does not always fit like size 2 in another style. That’s where we come in. Our trained professionals measure length and width and also have your child walk, run, and jump in the new shoes to determine proper fit with room for growth.
We guarantee a healthy correct fit every time.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Going to our local shoe store in my hometown for my first pair of high tops. They were the original leather Converse (yes, real leather) Larry Bird wore. I sported those kicks every day until the outsoles wore through!
Contact Info:
- Address: 553 Main Street, Winchester, MA 01890
- Website: www.kidsfootstop.com
- Phone: 781-729-3137
- Email: info@kidsfootstop.com
- Instagram: kidsfootstop
- Facebook: facebook.com/kidsfootstop
- Other: kidsfootstop
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