While the Covid-19 pandemic hit most retailers hard, it created uniquely intense challenges for Hotter Shoes. The vast majority of the footwear retailer’s sales were to older customers who patronized the company’s brick-and-mortar stores. These customers, who are not digital natives, were among the least likely to shift to buying online. Hotter needed to build up its e-commerce presence and appeal to a new group of shoppers at the same time.

While the company implemented First Insight’s “Voice of the Customer” predictive analytics to make more accurate design, buying and pricing decisions back in December 2019, the comfort footwear manufacturer and retailer has since gained a longer-term benefit of its deep digital transformation: attracting newer, younger shoppers.

In this chat, Ian Watson, CEO of Hotter Shoes, and Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight, talk with Sourcing Journal founder and president Edward Hertzman about how Hotter Shoes has expanded into a younger customer base.

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