Your Business: Love of shoe trade runs in the family

John Upton and his daughter Liz Upton-Savage at her Runaway Shoes & Accessories store in Newmarket. Photo / Dean Purcell

The market knows the two retail shoe brands as Scarpa and Runway but it all began on July 13, 1978 in Whangarei when John and Barbara Upton took over Franklins Shoes from Barbara's aunt.

Upton, Scarpa's managing director, started out selling Imperial typewriters but enjoyed the shoe business. "I developed a liking for making people happy," he says.

Barbara took over the buying when they bought the business, changing the range from comfort shoes to fashion quality.

The couple opened their first Scarpa store - Scarpa is Italian for shoe - in St Lukes Mall almost 20 years ago.

The Uptons had seen a gap in the New Zealand market for high quality imported Italian shoes and brought in brands such as Paco Gil, Thierry Rabotin and Diesel. Prices at Scarpa range from $250 to $550.

"Scarpa has a large mix of shoes to offer, some fashion forward and exclusive, some comfort and quality focused, more lifestyle brands,"says Upton's daughter and a company director, Liz Upton-Savage.

Upton-Savage has worked in the family business since opening and running the 277 Newmarket store in 1998, the year she graduated from university. She returned from her OE in Europe in 2001 to open the Scarpa on Chancery store.

Upton-Savage's sister Philippa Larner is marketing manager for Scarpa and also helps oversee other facets of the company, as Upton-Savage does.

The directors of the retail business are the four family members.

"We all help run the company and when the time comes, my sister and I will take over from our parents," says Upton-Savage.

In August 2007, Upton-Savage opened her own sister store to Scarpa, Runway Shoes & Accessories in Newmarket's Nuffield St targeted at higher-end customers.

"With our family's experience and contacts established over the years travelling to the European and international shoe fairs, we had the ability to source and bring into New Zealand some amazing international designer brands, that were so fashion forward, they were direct from the runways," says Upton-Savage.

Runway's exclusive brands include Diane Von Furstenberg, Givenchy and Stella McCartney. The prices range from $190 to $990.

Scarpa continues to expand, meanwhile. A Ponsonby store has been rejected for now. The area would need a surge in population before he went there, says Upton.

Scarpa has been available to buy online since December.

"If the fit isn't right, they can be exchanged so the risk is not there," says Upton-Savage. "We realised buying online is a great convenience tool."

The family business does not have an advisory board but the directors have taken some coaching. "Some of the advice you take on board," says Upton, who says he is taking a helicopter view of his company these days.

The family company values its longstanding staff. Scarpa employs 30, while Runway has a store manager and three part-timers.

"We currently have a Scarpa area manager, Anna, who does an amazing job. Our HR and operations manager Nikki is crucial in our company and Caroline, our buying assistant, is so valuable to us," says Upton-Savage.

During the recession, the family business has had to cut its cloth, says Upton as people buy fewer shoes. "We have had to travel a little less.

"We used to talk about an Australian store but the market changes."

Upton confirms they have had approaches by buyers who liked the values of the family business. If there was an opportunity in New Zealand he would look at buying something himself, he adds.