R.E. Tricker Ltd
IndustryRetail
Founded1829
FounderJoseph Tricker
HeadquartersNorthampton, United Kingdom
ProductsShoes
Websitewww.trickers.com
A pair of Tricker's Stow country boots

R.E. Tricker Ltd, which trades as Tricker's, is a British footwear company established in 1829 by Joseph Tricker in Northampton.[1]

Tricker's produces men's and women's shoes and boots, as well as leather accessories such as belts and wallets.[1] It is best known for its heavy country boots and shoes,[2] and was one of several Northampton-based companies identified as having survived the downturn in British shoemaking between the 1970s and 2000s and "carved out a niche for themselves at the top end of the international shoe market" by The Telegraph in 2012.[3] The company was granted a royal warrant in 1989.[4][5]

Tricker's factory in Northampton is a Grade II listed building.[6] Much of the film version of the musical Kinky Boots was filmed in the factory.[7]

As of 2019, Tricker's operated several shops in the UK as well as a single store in Tokyo. A BBC story reported that 80 per cent of the company's sales were overseas, and it was considering opening other shops in South Korea and the United States.[4]

Tricker's closed its factory and shops in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first time the firm had stopped producing shoes since it was established.[8] The closure of the factory was necessary on health grounds, as it was not practical for staff to practice social distancing in it.[9] Tricker's received a funding facility from its bank in May that year to enable it to be able to rapidly resume operations.[10]

In 2021 Tricker's employed 86 workers in its factory who typically produced 1,000 pairs of shoes weekly.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 "Company Overview of R.E. Tricker Ltd". Bloomberg. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  2. Gustashaw, Megan (16 July 2016). "7 Iconic English Shoemakers You Should Know". GQ. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  3. Nicholls, David (24 March 2012). "For the well-heeled: British shoemakers find their feet". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Shoe firm Tricker's opens Tokyo store". BBC News. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  5. "R.E. Tricker Ltd". Member's Directory. The Royal Warrant Holders Association. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  6. Morrison, Kathryn A; Bond, Allen (2004). Built to Last? The Buildings of the Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Industry. United Kingdom: Swindon. p. 62. ISBN 9781848023031.
  7. "Getting to the roots of Kinky Boots". Northampton Borough Council. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  8. "Coronavirus: Royal shoemaker stops for first time in 191 years". BBC News. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  9. Duggan, Jack (23 April 2020). "'The shoe industry will be back on its feet soon': Tricker's boss hopeful after shutting Northampton factory for first time ever in history". Northampton Chronicle & Echo. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  10. Ulke, Alastair (5 May 2020). "Northampton's Tricker's factory receives 'support' from HSBC to tide firm over until lockdown lifts". Northampton Chronicle & Echo. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  11. Schomberg, William (26 January 2021). "Historic English shoe-maker counts the costs of Brexit". Reuters. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
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