5 Reasons to Shop Independent

Without question, independent shops are becoming a dying art. We see it as a responsibility to ensure that our customers still love spending their time in our store and seeing interesting and inspired quality shoes. I wanted to put together the 5 reasons to shop Independent and I hope it inspires someone to choose an independent for their next purchase.

1- Unique, bespoke and hand-chosen products

At Watkinsons you can find many brands and products that are exclusive and are not available on the corner of every high-street. We travel globally to review products, to find exciting ranges and to ensure that we don’t provide unsustainable and mass produced shoes. We want our customers to have a sense that they’ve never seen the ranges we have in our store.

2- Superior Service

We may be biased but at independent stores you really do receive a superior level of service. We constantly get positive feedback and have customers visiting us every single time they’re in the city. Our customers travel from all parts of the country and globe to visit us. We offer a personal experience and our team go the extra mile to help our customers. Our team know the brands like the back of their hands!

3- Heritage & History

We have a long-standing history with the city of York. Established in 1904, Watkinsons is still in the family and retains a real sense of heritage as soon as you walk into our Aladdins cave! We have managed to battle on through every event in the 20th and 21st century and have won the battle so far!

4- Supporting Local

When you buy a pair of shoes from Watkinsons, not only are you supporting a store you are also supporting the local economy and it is a great way to do your bit to keep the community thriving!

5- Keeping the Watkinsons dream alive

Most independent retailers, including us, really love what we sell and spend our lives researching to be the best we possibly can be! We know our shoes! We are passionate about our brand and our history and want to continue providing an unparalleled experience.