By Keith Newman
How The Brogue Trader is bringing traditional retail back to Newcastle.
In an era of self-service checkouts, online shopping and next-day deliveries, one new business on Newcastle’s iconic Grey Street is doing something rather unusual by slowing things down.
At Barker at The Brogue Trader, customers are encouraged to sit down, enjoy a coffee or even a beer, have their feet professionally measured and take their time choosing the perfect pair of shoes.
It’s a retail experience that feels refreshingly old-fashioned, and according to founder Chris Macnamara that’s exactly the point.
“We’ve gone back a couple of decades to bring good, solid retailing back,” he says as we sit among polished oak cabinets, Chesterfield furniture and rows upon rows of beautifully crafted British footwear.
“We measure every customer’s feet; make sure they’re getting the correct fit and spend time talking about how they’ll wear the shoes. That level of service has disappeared from most places.”
The new Grey Street store opened in February and has quickly established itself as a destination for men seeking quality footwear for life’s important moments – weddings, graduations, black-tie events, promotions and job interviews.
For Chris, shoes have never just been about fashion.
“A lot of people only think about shoes for weddings or funerals,” he smiles. “We try to encourage people to buy quality footwear that can be worn for lots of different occasions.
“If someone is coming in for a wedding, we’ll talk about colours, what suits they’ll wear, how versatile the shoe is. A good pair of shoes should become part of your life, not sit in a cupboard after the big day.”
The store stocks around 130 styles from Barker, the renowned Northamptonshire shoemaker that has been producing footwear since 1880. Sizes range from four to 15, with half sizes and width fittings available, something increasingly rare on the high street.
But while the shoes are impressive, Chris believes the experience is what keeps customers coming back.
“Our customers are very broad,” he says. “You might get a university graduate buying their first proper pair of shoes, somebody preparing for a job interview, a groom and his wedding party or a retired gentleman who simply appreciates quality.
“They’re not necessarily wealthy people. They’re aspirational people. They enjoy independent restaurants, independent hotels and businesses that care about what they do.”
Chris certainly understands the independent business world. The Brogue Trader was established in 2013 after what he describes as a leap of faith.
“I’m just a normal working-class lad from a council estate,” he says. “I don’t really know why, but I decided I wanted to open a shoe shop.
“We managed to secure some funding and opened our first store in Cardiff. It was received incredibly well and from there we expanded into other cities.”
Like many retailers, the business faced challenges during the pandemic, but as recovery began Chris started looking for the next location. Newcastle stood out immediately.
“I’ve always loved Newcastle,” he says. “My wife and I would often come here for weekends. I enjoy wandering around city centres and seeing what retail they have to offer.
“What struck me was that there wasn’t really anything like this here. Other cities had lost specialist gentleman’s shoe retailers years ago and Newcastle deserved one.”
Helping bring that vision to life is Head of Business James Taylor, who brings more than 30 years of retail experience to the store.
Having worked in independent fashion retail and previously managed menswear at Fenwick, James immediately recognised that this was something different.
“The thing that’s always mattered to me is customer service,” he says. “What we’re doing here takes that to another level.
“We don’t rush people. If someone wants to try several pairs of shoes, that’s fine. If they want to sit and have a coffee while we talk through their options, that’s fine too.”
James believes many customers have forgotten what genuine personal service feels like.
“Some people haven’t had their feet measured since they were children,” he says. “When you take the time to do that properly and explain the differences between styles and fits, people really appreciate it.
“We want customers to leave feeling they’ve been looked after.”
As we talk, it’s easy to see why the store feels different. There is no hard sell, no rush and no pressure. Instead, there’s an atmosphere more akin to a traditional gentleman’s club than a modern retail outlet. For Chris, that’s exactly how it should be.
“The customer is king,” he says. “Come in, sit on the throne and let us look after you.
“Whether you’re buying shoes for your wedding, your graduation, your first important interview or simply because you appreciate quality, we want it to be an experience you’ll remember.”
In a world where retail often feels increasingly impersonal, Barker at The Brogue Trader is making a simple but powerful statement: good old-fashioned customer service never goes out of style.
www.thebroguetrader.com