Bolton: A welcome return for range launches

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Range launches – complete with shelves and shelves of samples, showings in the major centres, models, snacks, and invitations to a cross section of retailers – are so from-days-gone-by, so out-of-date, so ‘pre-Covid’ – and so welcome, it turns out.

Bolton Footwear group sales, design & marketing executive Dewald Visagie said last month’s events in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban were as well attended as Bolton could have wished for, and led to better-than-expected orders, on the days and later.

They were part of a process to reinvigorate Bolton after some difficult years, and they included some strategic changes.

Visagie’s job title tells part of the story: 3 roles, 1 person, “to build strong client relationships, understanding customer needs, and closing complex deals that provide mutual value”.

The wide array of samples tells another: Importing is back, offering a wide selection in more fashion options, and now across all the brands, including Grasshoppers, Crockett & Jones and Barker – formerly strictly reserved for local production. The hoped-for trade-off? An overall growth in orders which will also see an increase in locally made evergreens and basics.

Women’s fashion is back in the mix. Bronx women’s, previously licensed to the Footgear chain, is back in-house, and Bolton was promoting it hard, devoting 1 of every 2-day show exclusively to the brand. The entire women’s fashion range on show was imported, but Bolton is planning to develop a local leather range to complement the brand. 

Durban Road Show Bolton team from left: Kamal Gunpath (sales representative KZN), Brent Maron (National Key Accounts Manager), Samantha Pillay (National Sales Manager), Dewald Visagie (Group Sales, Design and Marketing Executive), Penny Koenig (Agent KZN), Jeetesh Beharilal (Digital Marketing Manager).

Ahmed and Farzana Ghoor of Tora Lifestyle.

Alex Mchunu of Kingsmead Shoes with Brent Maron.

Kamal Gunpath of Bolton with Chemy Machema of Chemmie’s Footwear & Textiles.

Alvin Jerrier and Rajesh Morar of Quik Serv Shoes with Samanatha Pillay and Penny Koenig of Bolton.