BY GREG DUTTER
THE RIGHT STUFF CONSOLIDATED SHOE COMPANY HAS A 116-YEAR TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS. MARC FANNING, COO, DISCUSSES HOW THE FULL-SERVICE OPERATION BUILDS PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE MADE TO LAST.
NEARLY ALL WHOLESALERS claim they can do it all, and usually better than anyone else. They believe they possess enough human talent, technical systems, factory operations, established brands and spot-on styles to provide a resource that retailers simply can’t afford to pass up. But nearly all retailers know these claims are not always true. Too often, capabilities are lacking, misses exceed hits and promises end up broken. That’s why proven results speak volumes. And the longer the legacy of proven results, the louder it speaks. Enter Consolidated Shoe Company of Lynchburg, VA, and its century-plus legacy as a full-service wholesale partner. It currently features a portfolio of seven women’s brands (Nicole, Madeline, Madeline Girl, Poetic Licence, OTBT, Axxiom and Dimmi) and a substantial first-cost division (Trade Winds). Marc Fanning, COO, credits the longevity primarily to three generations of Carrington family ownership (Billy Carrington is CEO) and a unique blend of strong family values, state-of-the-art customer service and production capabilities. All customers receive equal and individualized attention, whether they’re one-store independents or national chains.
Fanning stresses that each account is a partner of Consolidated Shoes in the truest sense of the word. “We are not just selling them shoes,” he says. “We work with each account closely in order to ship them the right products, at the right time.” Helping to make those decisions is an executive management team that, in total, possesses 180 years of industry experience. “Down to a single thread or a last shape, we know what we are doing because we have been doing it for so long,” says Fanning, who has more than 30 years of industry experience in retail and wholesale. “We are confident that we can do a good job for anybody.” Consolidated’s executive team members are all former retailers who made their industry bones managing Kobacker stores. “We have worked together for 25 years and we talk all the time about what we would do as retailers,” Fanning offers. “We are more conscientious about trying to do what’s right for the retailer because we know what it’s like to be on the other end of that phone call.” For example, Fanning’s team understands the impact a wholesaler can have on a retailer if he requests an extension on a delivery or seeks to pass on a price increase. “That’s why we do everything possible to prevent having to make those sort of calls,” Fanning adds. “We want to get the right shoe at the right quality and at the right price for each store, because if they’re not successful then we’re not going to be successful,” he says. “Our staying power boils down to our ability to work with each customer. More importantly, our wanting to work with them.” The first non-Carrington to run the company’s dayto-day operations, Fanning honors the customer-always-comes-first approach to business. “It’s what the Carringtons have always done and what they have instilled in all of us who work here.” He recalls a red chair that sat in second-generation CEO Dick Carrington’s office and was actually called the hot seat. “I can’t tell you how many times I heard him ask someone sitting in that chair, ‘Did you take the order?’ They’d say, ‘Yes.’ Then he’d say, ‘Then whatever the deal was is the deal you’ve got to live up to.’ There was no swaying from that.” People who work at Consolidated Shoes tend to stick around. (The average employee tenure ranges from 15 to 20 years.) “Plenty of my customer service reps started around the time I did or before,” notes Fanning, now in his 21st year at the company. It’s a distinct advantage, particularly when dealing with larger accounts where buyer turnover is high. “We know their shoe business more than the buyer does, and that consistency helps our customers,” Fanning says. While not the largest of corporations, Consolidated Shoes’ rela-
22 footwearplusmagazine.com • february 2014
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