Pavers Shoes

{{Short description|Footwear business in the UK and Ireland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Pavers Shoes

| logo = Pavers logo.png

| type = Family business

| genre =

| foundation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1971}}
York, England

| founder = Catherine Paver

| location_city =

| location_country =

| location = York, England

| locations = 100+ shops (2013)

| area_served = {{ubl| United Kingdom | Ireland | United States }}

| industry = High Street retail

| products = Footwear

| num_employees = 1000+ (2013)

| revenue = £65,000,000 (2008 estimated){{cite web|url=http://www.drapersonline.com/features/paving_the_way.html |title=Paving the way |date=14 July 2007 |accessdate=17 April 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211152054/http://www.drapersonline.com/news/paving-the-way/98862.article|archivedate=11 February 2012|url-access=subscription|quote=Estimated turnover figures and staff levels|publisher=Drapers}}

| homepage = {{ubl| {{URL|https://www.pavers.co.uk}} | {{URL|https://pavers.ie}} | {{URL|https://pavers.us}} }}

| footnotes =

}}

Pavers Ltd, also known as Pavers Shoes, is a family-owned footwear business operating in the UK and Ireland. Pavers currently has more than 100 stores, all managed from the head office in York.

The company has grown rapidly in recent years and online. In 2011, Pavers launched its 24-hour TV footwear shopping channel on Sky.

Pavers was established by Catherine Paver in 1971, with a £300 bank loan ({{Inflation|UK|300|1971|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}),{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} initially by organising shoe parties with clearance stock from shoe catalogues. The first shop was opened in Scarborough, along with stores in York and Hull. The shop in Newcastle soon followed.{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/1299/If-the-shoe-fits-.1448626.jp |work=The Yorkshire Post |title=If the shoe fits – it's thanks to mum |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919120449/http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/if-the-shoe-fits-it-s-thanks-to-mum-1-2613776 |archivedate=19 September 2016 |url-status=dead |date=18 April 2006 |accessdate=9 December 2007}}

The first shop was opened in 1996 at the Royal Quays outlet centre in North Shields. The company currently has outlet stores from Loch Lomond in Scotland, to Trerulefoot in southeast Cornwall.{{cite web|url=http://www.pavers.co.uk/about-us|title=About us|website=Pavers}}

Directors

Pavers continues to be a family-run business, run by Cathy's son Stuart Paver as the managing director. Ian and Graham Paver, Cathy's two other sons, have now both retired.

Stuart, along with Middlesbrough-based Steve Cochrane, owner of the Psyche Department Store, set up a sister company in 2000 to sell footwear online. This company recently amalgamated with Pavers, which brought the online shoe ordering ability with it.{{cite web|url=https://www.drapersonline.com/retail/multiples/pavers-in-merger-deal-with-shoe-shopcom/5011077.article|title=Pavers in merger deal with Shoe-shop.com|website=drapersonline.com|accessdate=19 August 2018}}

Lifetime achievement award

Founder Cathy Paver was given a lifetime achievement award by her peers at the 2007 Drapers Footwear awards, 36 years after starting the company.

Charity work

Pavers supports several UK-based and international charities. In 2006, through a limited edition shoe design, they raised £45,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care.{{cite web|url=http://www.pavers.co.uk/in-the-community|title=Pavers – In the community|website=Pavers}}

For the past 10 years, the company has been involved with sponsoring and supporting children in third-world countries. Currently, Pavers is sponsoring three children through Compassion International.

Expansion

In 2008, Pavers announced the opening of its new business, Pavers England Footprints Limited, in Chennai, India.[http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/04/10/stories/2008041050860500.htm The Hindu Business Line] UK Based Pavers forays into India

Pavers England Limited (PEL) is a joint venture between Pavers Ltd. and the Foresight Group. At a press launch,{{when|date=August 2013}} Pavers revealed that they expected a sales turnover of $10 million.{{Citation needed|date=January 2014}}

As part of the project, Pavers announced they would commission a $3 million footwear design studio in Chennai.[https://web.archive.org/web/20080415143332/http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/12/stories/2008041255241500.htm Hindu Times] Pavers ties up with reliance footprint

In February 2018, Pavers acquired Jones Bootmaker from administrators in a pre-pack deal.{{cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/pavers-steps-in-with-jones-bootmaker-rescue-11269048|title=Pavers steps in with Jones Bootmaker rescue deal|website=sky.com|accessdate=19 August 2018}} They also purchased specialist online retailer Herring Shoes{{cite web|url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2018/07/pavers-acquires-herring-shoes/|title=Pavers acquires Herring Shoes – Retail Gazette|first=Elias|last=Jahshan|date=17 July 2018|website=retailgazette.co.uk|accessdate=19 August 2018}} in July 2018.

References

{{Reflist}}