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This posting follows on from one I have seen on TFS.
Has anyone come across a new company called "Shuropody"? It seems they are developing high-street outlets, and provide a one-stop-shop for all foot problems. Their services range from basic pedicures, footbath, massage through to the provision of orthotics. I don't know if they provide any nail surgery.
It sems they employ both FHPs and Chiropodists/Podiatrists but the Chiropodist is in charge of running the outlet.
Dido
2nd February 2008
Second store goes live with Myriad EPOS system in Staffordshire
Shuropody today opened their second store, located in the Shopping Village at the Trentham Estate in Staffordshire. Like the recently-opened Chesterfield site, the store offers a range of shoes and footcare products as well providing a variety of foot therapies.
The Trentham Shopping Village site is the third site to run on Myriad EPOS software, including head office. Shuropody Operations Director Simon Kirby is very impressed with the system and service he has received:
Impact on local IPPs?
My guess is we'll have to wait & see.
Regards,
__________________
:)
twirly
Mandy Brooks
Brooks Podiatry
S64 0DE
Suffering a fondness for odd things.
I saw an advertisement for several Podiatrist jobs in different locations for them. The advert stated 'my client desperately needs Podiatrists to fill various positions in different locations within the UK, they do not mind if you are newly qualified or experienced, they are eager to get these roles filled as soon as possible'
The advert has gone now so guessing they filled the vacancies. From what I read the will be employing FHPs too.
I personally think any stores specialising in footcare helps raise public awareness of the importance of footcare and of the profession. My guess is they'll be pricier than IPPs? They may impact on IPPs business but then at the same time they might actually increase business by raising awareness and people may not get the personal experience they get with an IPP? I know very little though!
Surely some mistake here or have our two top tootsie ticklers finally spawned a transatlantic corn-cutter par exellence?? Think we should be told....
At least the secrets out now! Simon Kirby is indeed our love child. Born in a particle accelerator situated somewhere near Wolverhampton last year (6lb 2 oz), he was fed on genetically modified food-stuffs manufactured from pulped down copies of Root, Orien and Weed to accelerate growth. We hoped he would one day grow up to be a dentist, but he didn't get the grades hence he has embarked on a career in shimopody. We were so disappointed initially, but with global domination on the horizon, our ample bosoms are now swollen with both pride and mastitis.
__________________ Science is the antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition
Hello all,
There are rumours that Shuropody has bought out Scholl, according to postings on that Foot Site.
This might also be of interest, from the same site. It certainly doesn't look like Scholl are in trouble.
Quote:
"Expansion prompts buoyant sales at SSL
Strong growth from both its Durex condom business and its Scholl footcare and footwear ranges mean SSL International's sales will be up by more than 10 per cent to about £532m in the financial year to the end of March.
The group said that sales performance underpinned its expectation of a double-digit increase in operating profits for the year and predicted another rise of more than
10 per cent in the 2009 financial year. The group's shares rose 9¼p to 450½p yesterday.
Garry Watts, chief executive, said underlying sales rose 7 per cent across the group, stripping out currency effects and the change in its Chinese business from a joint venture to a wholly owned subsidiary.
Mr Watts said that product developments, from vibrating penis rings to cracked heel cream and geographic expansion were behind the improved performance.
Sales from Durex and the two Scholl business were £477m, while the group's other activities had flat sales of about £55m.
Mr Watts said the business should be resilient in more difficult economic times as consumers tended not to cut back on personal healthcare products. He said it could be argued that in a recession "people could stay at home more, with nothing to do but have sex".
He said the benefits of moving condom production to India and Thailand were becoming apparent now that the company's Spanish factory had been closed.
Mr Watts said the group had taken a stake in a condom maker and distributor in Russia and other former states of the Soviet Union. It had options to take full control of the business within two years, which could cost up to £200m depending on its profitability. The move would help SSL to sell its brands in those territories.
Last November the group acquired Orthaheel, which makes shoe insoles designed to reduce foot, leg and back pain, and Mr Watts said the company would expand into Europe in the autumn.
Analysts at Cazenove, the group's broker, said they expected profits before interest and tax to rise
16 per cent in the year just ended to £65.2m, and by a further 21 per cent in the year to March 2009, to £78.7m."
Last edited by Admin : 5th July 2008 at 05:46 PM.
Reason: added quotes
Too much information on certain over the counter products.
I am concerned at how certain of these products would be retailed with in the practice. Especially as most of the clientelle would benefit from KY JELLY and Viagra.
Certainly seems to hang onto the end of mens barber shops in my childhood whereupon leaving the barber he asked ANYTHING FOR THE WEEKEND SIR nudge nudge wink wink.
Mind you with fungal infections increasing these products could be placed adjacent to the antifungal products.
Not too sure about the vibrating penis rings though.
As an aside i looked up the details of a Car Show here in Sydney on YOU TUBE
and there was an immediate link to non feline pussy material. So SEX SELLS everything and now even including PODIATRY.
Regards David
The Following User Says Thank You to DAVOhorn For This Useful Post:
There are rumours that Shuropody has bought out Scholl, according to postings on that Foot Site.
Can anyone verify what is being said on TFS? As Scholls (ie SSL int); Boots (ie Alliance Boots) are big companies that put out press releases on this type of transaction, there has been nothing. Shuropody are a private group, but there is nothing on their website re this.
Hello All,
Unfortunately no-one is able to confirm these rumours. People have been searching on the internet for press releases etc but so far only the above snippet has appeared.
(Sorry, David if you think it is too much information - it was promulgated in the interests of public information, you understand.)
The postings on TFS claim to be from podistrists who work there. I must admit I didn't believe it at first either and am still sceptical.
Dido
Last edited by Dido : 5th July 2008 at 10:58 PM.
Reason: Spelling mistake.
Hi. I can confirm that Shuropody have bought the most profitable branches of Scholl from Boots. Happened late Friday evening. Even the staff were unaware that the takeover had taken place. These branches will undergo a complete facelift. The unprofitable branches were retained by Boots and it looks like they are closing them down. One of my collegues has lost her job.Talk about stealth.
Anyway try as i might i have failed to find out the fee structure for Shuropody.
Anyone know this?
I would love to know.
I have a friend who works for Scholl in Norwich and he has not heard of Shuropody.
The only name i have seen linked to this company i cannot find on the HPC and or SCP registers so presume he is management.
This is an interesting scenario whereby a marketing idea can go from such humble beginnings to having several branches and acquiring branches from a large multinational in such an apparently short time. I wonder how this has been financed and how quickly they decide whether a branch is profitable long term, or whether it will not be.
So there could be a rapid increase in size and an equally rapid downsizing if the business model proves not to be viable.
Boots had a go.
Scholl have been going for years.
So one wonders what the unique selling point is and what their targetted client base is.
Remember half the population is male and going down the beauty pampering route would exclude this large population.
Is the beauty lifestyle business model the way to go today?
I just wonder where the not so comely clients will fit into this.
A client of mine runs a beauty therapy business and she has clients come in with pictures of a beautiful 20 somethings from womens magazines. The client says i want to look like this!!!
My clients response is to stop breathing for a few minutes and politely explain that even todays wonderful products cannot remove the ravages of 60 years on the planet.
I wonder what is so different about the Shuropody business model that differs from Scholl and how likely it is to succeed in todays market?
If Scholl could not survive with its household name, what is Shuropody going to offer in its place? They are going to need a high turnover to make a decent profit, so once again they will be hoping to sell as many products as they can in addition to the podiatry treatment.
Looking at the website Shuropody has taken over the Norwich Scholl (as the address is the same). Shuropody sell MBTs. That will please John Lewis in Norwich no end :)
In the Norwich Scholl (I mean Shuropody) there is a sign for a vacancy oin the window for a full time Podiatrist. The have also rung around some of my colleages to ask them if they want a job!
Looking at the website, the shop front looks a lot nicer than the Scholl one, which is looking a bit tired.
So we shall see... Scholl in Norwich were charging £30 for 1/2 hour when I enquired in January.
M.D.: Frank Duffy, formerly of Dr Martens UK (Griggs or something similar).
Scholl - formerly E. Moss Ltd subsumed by Boots Alliance Pharmacy - insufficiently profitable.
SSL - separate huuuuge company, supplies diverse outlets globally with their products.
Details of implications to business of takeover vague and merely placatory to existing staff, at present.
Both Pods and FHPs employed. Parity?
...£30/Rx - nail surgery and biomech ass/insoles offered (the latter, once which co. to deal with is decided upon).
Let's wish them well, hope they learn from errors made by E. Moss Ltd (it's less profitable to put profit before people) ~ & may staff & management enjoy mutual appreciation. No more 20 minute production line treatments (thus diminishing treatment to a glorified pedicure) or bonuses to sales assistants for selling insoles, more carrots (CPD help, structured appraisals & wages) and fewer sticks (targets, bonuses etc).
FHPs - are punters able to claim on insurance for Rx received from them? Are they HPC registered?
Just as a matter of interest I contacted my local branch of Shuropody enquiring RE:
1. a home visit. Not available & no they don't know of any visiting Pods locally (so much for my advertising eh!)
2) Disabled access. No, sorry ''we do not have disabled access!''
Hmm, I was under the impression that shops had to provide wheelchair access.
Am I totally wrong?
I googled (again)
Quote:
Disabled access to buildings: law in force today
OUT-LAW News, 01/10/2004
From today, every business should be more user-friendly for Britain's 10 million disabled people. But according to a new report, businesses on 80% of Britain's biggest high streets are ill-prepared.
The Disability Discrimination Act was passed in 1995. It came into force in different stages. For instance, obligations on web site operators to make their sites accessible have been in force since 1999.
But the Act's biggest change is today, when businesses will finally have to address the problems their buildings cause for disabled people - such as steps, heavy doors, bad lighting, lack of signage and lack of colour contrast.
In addition, from today, small employers for the first time have the same duties towards disabled staff and job applicants as larger firms. This means not discriminating against employees or potential employees because of their disability and making reasonable adjustments to the workplace.
The law requires reasonable adjustments by businesses – such as adapting premises, removing physical barriers or providing the service another way – so that disabled people can use the service. The legal changes will affect over two million British businesses – and failure to act could result in legal action.
An NOP survey published this week and commissioned by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) reveals major problems on the high street: the majority of shops, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and pubs are still problematic for disabled people and have not made substantial improvements to comply with today's changes in the law.
The DRC is an independent statutory body responsible for advising Government on the effectiveness of disability discrimination legislation.
Bert Massie, Chairman of the DRC, warned:
"Whilst it's clear that some shops and services are getting it right for the disabled consumer there are those that have done little or nothing to prepare for the legislation. For them there will be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide as disabled people's complaints will now be backed by law."
Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said:
"This Government has championed rights for disabled people and will continue to do so. I am tired of hearing that delivering fairness for disabled people is political correctness gone mad. That is nonsense. This new piece of legislation is about making 'reasonable adjustments' so that disabled people can participate more fully in society."
Any thoughts?
__________________
:)
twirly
Mandy Brooks
Brooks Podiatry
S64 0DE
Suffering a fondness for odd things.
DesignWeek UK are reporting: Shuropody rebrands Scholl's stores
Quote:
Footcare brand Scholl's retail network is to be rebranded as Shuropody, following its acquisition by the shoe chain, co-founded by design consultancy The One Off.
Shuropody bought Scholl's UK retail network of 44 footcare stores from Alliance Boots in a deal that will see Scholl become solely a product brand.
Alliance Boots said that the sale of Scholl's UK retail arm is 'in line with the group's strategy to focus on growing and developing its core businesses of pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling'.
The outlets under the Shuropody name will continue to sell Scholl sandals, shoes and foot products, as well as other 'comfort' shoe brands. Like Scholl, the stores will also offer a chiropody service.
The One Off is overseeing the transformation of Scholl's stores into Shuropody outlets, which it estimates will take the next 18 months. Most Scholl stores are located in the Midlands and north of England.
Explaining why Shuropody has decided to drop the established Scholl brand name, The One Off's managing partner Adam Devey-Smith says, 'Although it is aimed at the slightly older customer, Shuropody still manages to be aspirational, elegant and cool.'
Devey-Smith says that the Shuropody retail concept was inspired by Scholl in terms of offer, while haircare brand Aveda influenced its look and feel.
The One Off established therapeutic shoe shop Shuropody with former Dr Marten's global chief executive Frank Duffy in January this year. The consultancy negotiated an equity deal for creating Shuropody's branding, collateral and retail design, and by June had opened ten outlets.
Background
1904 Dr Scholl was founded by US doctor William Mathias Scholl
1913 Dr Scholl's first Foot Comfort Service shop opened in London
1959 The first Scholl exercise sandal was created, which was later popularised by celebrities such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton throughout the 1960s and 1970s
2000 Manchester-based consumer healthcare company SSL International, which still owns the product arm of Scholl, sold the UK Scholl retail business to Alliance Unichem (now Alliance Boots) for £3m
Hello Davo,
I am wondering what sort of an employment contract your friend had that allowed his employer to dismiss him without notice?
It sounds like a case for an employment tribunal, unless, of course, there wasn't one.
There is a moral in this somewhere.
Dido
HI everyone, I recently worked for Shurpopdy. I began working for them mid september and everything was going ok. Then one wedneday afternoon I had a phone call asking me to attend a meeting in Bristol on Friday. I had Thursday and Friday off so I had to travel from plymouth on my day off.
When I got there I was told the clinic was not making enough money and they were shutting it down. My last day would be the following wednesday, a whole 5 days notice. I had been working for them for 5 weeks.
I was extremely annoyed with the way it was all dealt with. Why was I taken on when the clinic was making enough money? 5 weeks isnt enough time to turn a clinic around. I turned down 2 jobs to work for them as I thought they would be more stable, how wrong was I.
In my oppinion they are not a good company to work for, I wasnt even allowed to order any poron in to make simple insoles which would mean patients could extend the time between visits. I believe this is because they wanted to make as much money as possible hence getting the patients in regularly. If you decide to work for them be very careful and ask lots of questions.
**This statement is all of my own oppinion**
The Following User Says Thank You to Paul_UK For This Useful Post:
i too was working for the company they told me that the branch was no longer providing chiropody and relocated me half way across the country no extra pay no extra travel time 4 days warning. i had been there for 7 months and the books were filling up. Should have seen it coming really i think their idea was open as many as possible use this to raise the funds to buy out scholl and then focus on the nearly fully booked clinics.
when it was a small company they seemed to care then as soon as the takeover was in place no one was allowed contact with any of the head office.
its basically turned into scholl in a new shiny wrapper the customers hate the name and the service provided was basic as simple things like poron were not allowed.
lets not get on to clinical waste that was a whole different story!!!!!
any way all finished now THANKFULLY!!!! it has really hit hard with my applications for NHS jobs cant seem to get an interview anywhere, i meet the person spec just they see the shuropody job on my cv and seem to be putting me in the NO pile!!
***this is my own opinion!!*
Last edited by bubbles : 17th November 2008 at 02:06 PM.
Reason: want to make clear this is my own opinion
New to the forum - found you all when trying desperately to find out more about this company 'Shuropody'. News - this company is spreading - they have just acquired a company known as Sole Solutions in the South. Obviously I've read your blogs, could anyone tell me what their pay structure is. A friend of mine has told me the podiatrists work on a 50/50 basis?
Shuropody
to cracked heel cream and geographic expansion were behind the improved performance. 
and am still sceptical.
M.D.: Frank Duffy, formerly of Dr Martens UK (Griggs or something similar).
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