Exclusive: Lucky Feet Shoes offers footwear protection treatment

A regional California-based specialty footwear and orthotic equipment retailer is helping customers extend the lifespan of shoe purchases.

In a recent conversation with Chain Store Age, Nichole Ramos district sales manager of Lucky Feet Shoes, explained how the retailer is dramatically improving sales in the shoe care category by implementing Imbox footwear protection technology in its stores.

Imbox is an enclosed unit that treats all types of footwear with an organic, water-based treatment designed to provide shoes with all-season protection against water damage, dirt, stains, and color fade caused by UV rays.

Throughout the 60-second process, customers can view the treatment process through the Imbox’s 24-inch screen and without a post-treatment waiting period, customers can walk out of the store wearing their newly treated shoes.

“Our shoe care/ foot care items have always been a very low percentage of our total store sales,” said Ramos. “Within the three classes of categories we analyze –shoes, orthotics, and retail (shoe care/foot care), retail has been about 1.5 to 2% of our total sales. This low percentage has mainly been due to the staff forgetting to offer it, or to certain products being unavailable.”

However, as part of its general strategy of providing shoppers with service options, Luxky Feet Shoes decided to implement the Imbox solution in its stores after a referral by a colleague of the company’s senior management.

“The Imbox machine itself is very eye-catching and attracts the curiosity of customers,” said Ramos. “Store associates present it as a way of protecting the customer's investment for only one minute of their time.”

In the last few months Lucky Feet Shoes has been deploying Imbox technology in its stores, the retailer has seen what Ramos terms a “tremendous bump” in retail category sales. The turn rate of shoe/foot care products and services has tripled, while sales in the category have increased 271% compared to pre-Imbox implementation.

“Imbox has been a pleasure to have in our stores so far, and the support of the sales and management staff have been extremely responsive and positive,” concludd Ramos. “I am hopeful we can expand the Imbox service to our online shoppers, as well, sometime in the future.”

Headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Lucky Feet Shoes operates nine stores in Southern California.

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