schuh

Back in August, we hosted an open day at our Liverpool Shopping Park store in partnership with Liverpool Intern to Work scheme. The event gave 16 to 24 year-olds with SEND (special education needs or disabilities) the opportunity to learn more about what it’s like to work in a schuh store. Following the open day, we offered two supported internships at the store. Macy secured one of those positions, and we are so proud to see her excel in her role and transition into a paid contract position with us. Go Macy! 💚

Another Day… Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The theme for this year is "Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future." We’re proud to partner with Shape Arts in sharing the new work of acclaimed artist James Lake Sculpture, last year’s winner of the Adam Reynolds Award. The Adam Reynolds Award is the charity’s flagship award for mid-career disabled artists and offers development opportunities and creative commissions in addition to a bursary. James Lake has pioneered the use of cardboard as a creative medium, sculpting emotive life-sized human forms and objects, working with the material for its availability and immediacy. He also shares the magic of his process in workshops with schools around the country. As a result of Shape Arts support, James has been able to collaborate with digital media studio Hot Knife to animate his work for the first time. We spoke to James about his journey, his motivations and the themes within his animation entitled ‘Another Day’. - On becoming disabled at 17 and the start of his journey with cardboard “If you think about being stuck, I was stuck and couldn’t really move around in that space. I actually started making things with my hands in space, and there was something very liberating and freeing about doing that.” - Introducing the themes of the animation “Another Day starts off as another day potentially of hardship, and then it transforms through the course of a night, to another day of possibility, of hope, and new beginnings..” - On his work with Shape Arts and the Adam Reynolds Award “What we did with the award was, take the essence of my work, that I do in schools and communities, and find a way to share it to the widest possible audience.” We hope you enjoy it. PS. James also says the touching post-credit scene was key to leaving his audience with an upbeat, optimistic feeling. https://lnkd.in/eEDMejK9

We're thrilled to announce that our very own Stephanie O'Reilly, Head of PR, has earned a spot in the Retailer category of the BFA Footwear 50! This list honours trailblazers in the footwear industry, recognising their exceptional talent, innovation, and leadership in shaping the future of the industry. A truly well-deserved achievement! 

As we celebrate Disability History Month, schuh is proud to highlight our ongoing partnership with Shape Arts, an incredible charity that is dedicated to supporting disabled artists and promoting inclusivity in the arts. At schuh, we believe in creating an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Shape Arts is leading the way in breaking down barriers for disabled artists, providing essential resources, mentorship, and platforms to showcase their talent. Through their work, Shape Arts fosters creativity, empowers artists, and challenges perceptions around disability and art. Support Shape Arts by buying a tote bag and helping to fund their important work and support disabled artists. *Bag Design by Shape Arts supported artist Grace Fairley https://lnkd.in/engFbrjn ID: An image of a person holding a natural coloured schuh Shape Arts tote bag on their shoulder in front of a white wall.

This Disability History Month, we’re reflecting on the importance of creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace, both within schuh and for our customers. Our supported internships and work experience placements for young people with disabilities continue to grow. We now have supported internships in place in our Liverpool stores, supported by Liverpool City Council. We work closely with Expanse College, Warrington to offer work experience in local retail stores and with West Lothian Council in our Scottish Distribution Centre. At Head Office our customer experience team have connected with West Lothian Education for Work Services and Cedarbank Additional Support Needs School, to offer work placement opportunities for young people with additional educational needs. These initiatives break down barriers, helping individuals develop valuable skills while creating a pathway to long-term employment. We also learn so much about how we can be more inclusive and give employees the tools and resources they need to succeed. Earlier this year, we launched a disability confident policy which ensures we create an environment where every employee feels valued, respected and empowered to thrive. We are excited to continue our journey, and we’re grateful for the individuals and organisations who support us along the way. If you’re interested in joining a workplace committed to inclusion, please check out our vacancies. ID: An image of a person trying on a shoe whilst speaking to a staff member in a schuh store. Overlaying the image is white text saying "Disability History Month 2024".

We’re championing disability equality and sharing our progress towards becoming a more accessible business in partnership with Purple Tuesday. Here’s what we’ve been up to recently to deliver a better every day shopping experience for disabled people. - All schuh stores now offer single-shoe purchases, allowing customers who require only one shoe or different sized shoes due to a limb difference or disability to buy one shoe with a 50% discount off the pair price. - We made searching for easy-on school shoes simpler during back-to-school season by adding a product filter to our Back-To-School website page and highlighting this product edit with dedicated customer emails. - We continue to prioritise education. This year our PR and Recruitment team completed Deaf Awareness training. We continue to offer store teams disability confident and neurodiversity training. All employees have access to Purple 365, a disability training and development resource to help build knowledge and understanding of the disabled shopping experience. We’re committed to equal opportunities and inclusion for all. Our mission is to provide disability equality within schuh and our customer community. Our ultimate goal is accessibility to retail and culture. ID: An image of a person with a prosthetic leg tying a trainer whilst sitting on a black bench. Purple text overlays the image which says "Today is Purple Tuesday. Accessbility Everyday, Everywhere, for Everyone".

For us, it’s never been just about footwear. We champion identity, individuality, and all the quirks and colours that make you unapologetically you. Today marks a new direction for schuh, as we launch a bold new brand platform and visual world - Same, But Different. Stephanie Legg, schuh’s Chief Marketing Officer, comments; “schuh has always supported and celebrated self-expression and cultural diversity, and we continue to be that progressive and inclusive brand today. Where other retailers box people in, we help people break out. We’re committed to forging a safe space where young adults can confidently showcase their unique style without fear of judgement and be unapologetically themselves.” ‘Same, But Different’ is our first campaign with new creative strategy partner, ZAK, and the creative direction was inspired by intelligence derived from the agency’s cultural insight platform, SELFHOOD, which identified the fluidity that 16-24 year old consumers are embracing in how they dress. Marking our return to UK TV screens after more than a decade, the campaign will launch across linear TV, video-on-demand, social channels, as well as OOH, gaming video, and numerous digital partners until the end of the year - all of which has been made possible by our advertising partner PHD. Keep your eyes peeled for us out in the wild 👀 We’re the same schuh, but same looks different these days…💚 ID: A video containing clips of people wearing different shoes in multiple locations, including a grocery store, barber shop, bedroom, bathroom, laundrette, gaming room and takeaway shop.

Our partnership with Vintage Threads has been shortlisted for yet another award! ♻️👟 We’re thrilled to be nominated for the Disruptor Award at this year's Drapers Awards. Fingers crossed for a win next week!🤞 ID: An image of white text on a black and gold background stating "Drapers Awards, 13 November 2024, The HAC London, Headline Sponsor DSV" with gold text underneath with the word "finalist".

In line with our Racial Equality mission to continually educate ourselves and use our platform to give diverse talent a voice, all of our schuh team members have been invited to a digital “Lunch & Learn” session with our charity partner, Blueprint for All. Blueprint For All is a charity working with young people, communities, and organisations to create an inclusive society in which everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background is provided with tangible opportunities to thrive. Alysha, Hermione and Sam from Blueprint For All’s Programmes Team will talk through their valuable work creating opportunities for young people across the UK. They’ll share ideas on how our schuh team members can get involved and support their work, as well as highlight this wonderful partnership to date. Marking the end of our Black History Month 2024 campaign, we know this is an incredible time to celebrate the achievements of Black people and people of colour, but so is every day. We’re committed to equal opportunities and inclusion for all. Follow us on socials @schuh to see what we’ve been up to.

Everyone deserves to feel safe at work. At schuh, we’re proud to support Retail Trust in their important new campaign, Respect Retail. Through this initiative, Retail Trust is offering free training to help retail workers manage challenging situations in the workplace. Sign up now!