Elsey is no Pollyanna about his mission. “Footwear can’t cure cancer or fight AIDS, but it can make a huge difference in someone’s life,” he notes. Owing a pair of shoes, he says, can reduce the stigma of poverty, lessen the number of scrapes and burns on a child’s feet (worldwide, there are more than 300 million children without shoes), and can even eradicate diseases such as hookworm, which results from walking barefoot.
It turns out giving a pair of shoes has its rewards as well. Soles4Souls gets the shoes it gives away from a variety of sources, including individuals and shoe manufacturers. Shoe companies can donate their excess inventory, samples, discontinued or returned footwear and receive the tax benefits that such contributions enjoy.
There are further incentives for businesses on the retail level. Stores can host “trade-in events” where customers donate their new or gently used shoes, which are then sent to Sole4Souls. “The events drive business to the store, and people around the world receive something they desperately need,” notes Elsey.
More importantly to the retailer, the increased traffic could translate into additional sales. Many stores have hosted these events during their slow periods as a way to boost revenue, usually over a 2-3 week period.
Participating stores have even reported an enhanced corporate image, an intangible result with far reaching benefits. Stores may gain a reputation for caring, which may help strengthen customer relationships and influence their future buying patterns.
Elsey advises retailers to offer some kind of incentive to customers during the event, such as a percentage or dollar amount off regular-priced merchandise. “People like to be recognized for their efforts,” he adds.
A simple phone call to Soles4Souls is all it takes to get started. The organization will ship boxes and other items needed, and even prepare press materials and help promote the event in your area. Shoes that are collected are sent to Soles4Souls, with the retailer absorbing the shipping costs.
Stores can also choose to become permanent collection sites, setting up a box in a dedicated area where customers can drop off shoes year round. “There is an estimated 1.5 billion new and gently used shoes in closets throughout the United States,” Elsey points out. “Many of these will wind up in landfills, adding to our environmental problems. So why not do something good for the earth and its inhabitants by donating them instead?” Stores who choose this option become “Participation Locations,” and are listed on the Sole4Souls website, with a customer easily identifying a store through his or her zip code.
To broaden its promotional efforts, the organization recently took a booth at the NAUMD’s annual trade show in Nashville. It was familiar territory for Elsey – he was an executive with Weinbrenner Shoe for years. “Response from the show was strong,” he adds.
He sees the uniform industry, with its network of small to mid-sized retailers, as a natural ally. “It’s an industry where service and attention to the customer are paramount,” Elsey says. “In an age of the impersonal big box retailer, participating in a Soles4Souls event shows people there are still those stores that care about their customers in the local market and beyond.”
The uniform industry is also flush with customers who work in public service, such as police officers, fire fighters, and military personnel – individuals whose job centers around helping others. “Police departments could serve as participation locations,” suggests Elsey. “Most people want to get involved when they realize the need.”
This last point was brought home during research for this article. Taking stock of my own closet, I quickly came upon a pair of new, but long ago forgotten shoes, and several slightly worn, but out of fashion pair.
Using the Soles4Souls website, I quickly located the nearest store within my zip code. It was a retailer I was unfamiliar with, and a drive off my usual path. But I packed up my shoes anyway, and arrived at the store about 30 minutes later. After dropping my shoes in the collection box, I decided to look around the store. In need of a new pair of running shoes, I made my purchase. Would I have traveled to this retailer without Soles4Souls? Doubtful. Will I share my experience with others, in the hopes of sparking a similar reaction? I just did.
