Glenys Berd, Founder & Managing Director
www.LoveThoseShoes.com
The Business
- Launched 2003
- £1.2m Turnover
- 12 Staff
- 30% Revenue Growth from 2010 2011
- Orders increased by 27.5% from 2010 2011
- 24.7% increase in products sold
- Operates Globally
The Leader
- Innovator of health and wellness footwear in the UK
- 1st to import MBT and Earth Footwear brands to UK
- Advocate for Women in Business through internal and external bodies
- Glen was ranked 30th in the Top Entrepreneurs in Britain 2005
- Top 10 Female British Entrepreneurs Summer 2007
- Finalist in Fast Growth Business Awards 2008
- Short Listed in First Women Awards Summer 2008
- A mentor through Aspire Foundation
- Business Link Ambassador
- Recognised for her role in providing women in business inspiration
Eight years ago, Glenys Berd launched health and wellness footwear site LoveThoseShoes.com with just £5,000 cash. Today, Glen’s business has changed the shape of the footwear market and boasts a £1.2m turnover and over 30% revenue growth from 2010-2011. Glen saw a gap in the market and the demand from consumers for shoes that offered health benefits such as toning, improved posture and increased calorie burn. She was the first to import MBT trainers to the UK fuelling a trend for shoes with unique health benefits. She followed with Earth Footwear and Beech Sandals, and a new niche was born.
Love Those Shoes, based in Stockport, near Manchester, now stocks 41 different brands of footwear, sourced from around the globe, including Reebok and Skechers, which have also proved the buoyancy of the market by releasing versions of the shoes in recent years.
Glen is a business woman undeterred by the recession. Despite owning and running a SME in the harsh climates of recent years she’s driven her business forward, increasing revenue and order growth through clever thinking, some exclusive distribution contracts and exclusive retail arrangements and hard work. She recently expanded the business internationally opening LoveThoseShoes sites in Ireland, USA, France and Germany with plans for Italy and Spain in 2012.
Aside from the company facts and figures, Glen’s commitment to the development of women in business, especially young women, is another spell of success for her. Highlighted through the many mentoring and ambassador projects undertaken throughout her career and in the team she has grown at LoveThoseShoes.com, which is heavily dominated by women with an average age of 26. Glen’s ethos is to take in women looking for a break in business, where they found many opportunities closed to them and their ambitions stifled in the corporate world and to give them the training, inspiration and platform to succeed in business.
Glen is available to comment on all areas of the health and wellness footwear industry, SME development and growth, women in business, online retail and personal achievement.
For an interview please get in touch with Nancy on 0161 975 5391 or
PressRoom@lovethoseshoes.com.
“I love business as much as I love shoes so no surprise that my business is ? shoes!” Glen Berd.
