Hotter Comfort Concept bucks high street trends

July 28, 2011 - PRLog -- Hotter Comfort Concept is bucking high street trends with a dynamic store opening programme.

Having recently opened its 18th high street store, located in Peterborough, the UK's biggest shoe maker (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzZYGz0iC-s ) is on track to beat its target of 25 stores by the end of 2011.  The innovative shoe maker - which is forecast to make 1.6 million pairs of shoes this year - took a step out of its own comfort zone to venture into selling direct to the public in the 1990s.

Its unusual approach has seen the company set up its own 100-seater call centre to serve its mail order and hotter.com customers and open up 18 high street stores to sell its shoes through 200 independent retailers across the UK, including several leading garden centres. The company also sells and ships its shoes direct to the US.

"We have a dynamic store opening programme in place which has seen us open 12 Hotter stores around the UK in just over 12 months and we are aiming to open a further nine before the end of the year ," commented Retail Operations Director John Nicholas.  "Our stores have been carefully designed to ensure stand out on the high street, but what our customers really love, and which brings them back time and time again, is a combination of comfortable, stylish shoes and great service.

"We are totally focussed on creating a quality retail environment for our customers; our stores are carefully designed to showcase our collection, with customers lead around to store to view contemporary, classic, heels, sporty styles and accessories.  We pride ourselves on our attention to every single detail, so on our shoes you'll find handcrafted detailing and hidden adjustments and in our stores you’ll find lots of seats, at just the right height to for trying on shoes."

Stylish shoes with comfort built into every pair is the product promise which has helped Hotter Comfort Concept (http://www.hottershoes.com/ ) shoes grow to be the UK’s biggest shoe maker. The team of Hotter designers works hard to hide comfort features in its stylish shoes, including lightweight, supportive soles; deep toe boxes; softly padded heels and tongues and removable insoles. Womens shoes (http://www.hottershoes.com/en/Womens-Shoes?DisplayProduct...= ), boots and sandals come in UK sizes 3 to 9 with some half sizes, extra wide fitting and EEE fitting; Hotter mens shoes (http://www.hottershoes.com/en/Mens-Shoes?DisplayProductLi... ), boots and sandals come in UK sizes 6 to 12 with some half sizes

Hotter Comfort Concept was set up in 1959 by the parents of the Managing Director, Stewart Houlgrave. The company, which has always been based in Lancashire, invested £6m in a new factory in 2003 and, with recent investment in its production lines, now boasts one of the most technologically advanced shoe making factories in Europe.  

About Hotter Comfort Concept Shoes:
The company, which was established in 1959, is now one of the most successful production facilities anywhere in the world.  The 'Comfort Concept' in every pair includes features such as smooth internal seams; removable insoles; soft leather uppers and soft padding.  The 1.3 million pairs of shoes designed and made in Hotter Comfort Concept's UK factory each year have shock absorbing soles which contain millions of air bubbles that make the shoes incredibly light and give a feeling of walking on air.

Hotter Comfort Concept shoes and sandals are sold direct to customers via its 100-seater call centre; hotter.com, 15 Hotter Comfort Concept stores across the UK and through 200 independent retailers.

For further PR information, please contact:
Melanie Killilea
PR Manger
Hotter Comfort Concept Shoes
2 Peel Road
Skelmersdale
Lancashire
WN8 9PT
01695 712720
www.hottershoes.com