Business Profile: Blaylocks Shoes of Swindon

By Barrie Hudson - 22 February 2023

Business
  • Mark Blaylock

    Mark Blaylock

This business profile takes a look at local Swindon shoe retailer, Blaylocks.

The History of Blaylocks:

Although Blaylocks has been a familiar Old Town landmark since 1928, the company began its long life as a shoe repair business in Gorse Hill.

Many customers still bring shoes they bought in the shop years previously for repair, and they are sent by Blaylocks to a specialist firm.

In some cases, manufacturers offer a repair and reconditioning service.

The firm has traded through four generations, and is proud not only to be Swindon’s just family-run shoe shop but also to be recognised as one of the leading independent shoe businesses in the south of England.

It carries a wide range of high-quality brands not generally found in high street chain shops, covering men’s and women’s shoes and school shoes for children.

An interview with Mark Blaylock:

Mark Blaylock is manager and a director of the company which has proudly carried his family’s name for more than a century.

His father, David, is a fellow director, and one of Mark’s children has already said he hopes to work there one day.

According to Mark, the reasons for the firm’s longevity and continued success are perfectly straightforward:

“I put that down to good, longstanding staff. One lady did 50 years for us and another lady did 40.

“Of the current staff we have one who must be coming up to 29 years working here.

“We carry a range of stock and brands that you wouldn’t find in your department stores or your normal high street stores, and we couple that with a one-to-one service to the customer.

“When a customer comes through the door, they are with a member of staff until they leave - hopefully with a bag in their hand!”

Staff pay attention to detail. Customers’ feet are carefully measured, with separate specialist devices for men, women and children.

Mark said: “On the men’s side we do brands like Barker and Loake, which are traditional English-made shoes, made in Northampton. They are fully leather; leather soles, leather-lined, leather upper. They are very good quality.

“For ladies we have brands like Hotter, Ara, Rieker and Padders.

“These brands create styles that look good and are built with long-lasting materials and hard wearing in mind.

“We have a good rapport with our customers. We have our regulars.

“I’ve got customers who no longer live in Swindon, and who now live as far away as Australia, but when they need new shoes they contact me and I send the shoes that they’re after because they don’t want to buy their shoes anywhere else.”

 

Further information:

Established - 1920

Address - 1-3 Bath Road, Old Town, Swindon, SN1 4AS

Telephone number - 01793 534271

Website - blaylocks-shoes.co.ukhttp://blaylocks-shoes.co.uk

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