The Begg family is the heart and sole of Scotland’s largest independent shoe retailer.
Based in Inverness, Begg Shoes has seen six generations of the family lead the way since establishing in 1866.
Gaven Begg and brother Donald operate nine stores including two in Inverness and two in Elgin.
It also has shops in Inverurie, Lerwick, Kirkwall, Peterhead and even as far as Perth.
Now, Gaven is looking to secure the next 150 years of the business.
He talks about the loyal customers, competition and being kept on his toes.
Family business was a shoo-in for brothers
Gaven and Donald are both chartered accountants by trade and by no means was it written in the stars they would join their dad, Garek, in the family business.
The business begun around 158 years ago when a 20-year-old Alexander Begg started his own shoemaking business.
However, after seeing it as such a big opportunity, both brothers made the decision to be part of the family brand.
Gaven said: “I joined around six or seven years ago and what I saw was an incredibly loyal customer base.
“There also a lot of amazing people involved in the business, it was an easy decision.
“Our dad successfully ran three shoe shops and more and more opportunities arose to add to the number of stores we had.”
Gaven said the customers are part of the footwear family in many ways and now sees orders from all over the UK.
He added: “We do everything from first shoes, right up to the latest fashions for adults and everything in between.
“We feel close to our customers, not least because we spend a lot of time in the shops and live in the area ourselves.
“Sometimes when you walk in the customers and staff will be having conversations like they’ve known each other all their life.
“We do need to be a jack of all trades in the north and it certainly helps us stick out — people come back year after year.”
Begg Shoes bosses are kept on their toes
Gaven said a lot of hard work goes into running Begg Shoes and making sure it keeps up with competitors.
He said: “Donald and I are number guys by trade but we’re passionate about finding a way to successfully do modern retail.
“We have spent a huge amount of time and investment on the website and it’s been my main thrust in the past five years.
“All of our sales from it are shipped directly from stores, we don’t have a huge warehouse somewhere.
“It also means our stores are well stocked so there’s always plenty of selection when customers walk through the doors.”
Competing online is one of the main training topics at Begg Shoes, according to Gaven.
He also wants to make sure people are given “a warm welcome and special experience” in store.
Gaven added: “We know we have to be significantly better than what else is out there. It isn’t just about providing fast delivery, other businesses can do that.
“For us we aim on providing an experience and the same goes for physical customers.
“It has to be worth tackling parking problems or whatever new one-way system has been put in.
“We make sure our customers not only get a warm welcome but also expertise which can guide them to what they’re after. A great shoe shopping experience should be fun.
“Even with size, not all factories use the same ruler — it can give customers a total headache. It’s about understanding why the shoe fits.”
Begg Shoes also offers a loyalty reward to its members, who receive £10 off for every £200 spent.
Taking the next step
Gaven is determined to provide a “seamless experience” for customers while adding to their product range and growing Begg Shoes.
The business currently has 90 different suppliers and see around 20,000 pairs of shoes arriving each season.
Gaven said: “We’re spending a lot of time and money in upgrading and modernising our software to make things easier on our end.
“We’re also wholeheartedly committed to opening new stores and expanding our brand.
“It is a tough trade and there are plenty of opportunities out there, with brilliant independent businesses who may be struggling on their own.
“That’s the way forward for us — investing in software and heading south.”
The brothers want to take their formula which works in the north and north-east and “surprise people everywhere”.
Gaven added: “We’re ambitious and we have been very lucky to inherit a business which people already love.
“It’s already found ways to become bigger and now our job is to work with the great people in the business to keep going in that direction.”
Conversation