When Shelby Leonard-Watt was a kid, her favourite thing was “playing store.” She’d raid her mom’s closet and hang up all the beautiful clothes. Then she’d sit, in the middle of her display, waiting for imaginary customers, while smoking a fake cigarette.
Now there’s no time for Leonard-Watt to sit, and her ever-increasing number of customers are the inspiration and the reason for her S.O.S. brand expansion.
S.O.S. (Save Our Soles) was opened 12 years ago on George Street in downtown Peterborough. The shoe and lifestyle boutique was a spin-off from PLUSH, the fashion-forward destination shop she was running with her husband Mike Watt. Over the years, the energy of S.O.S. just kept growing.
Leonard-Watt built S.O.S. with small, well-edited collections that focused on events and with a deep understanding of the local retail market and downtown community vibe.
Proudly identifying as a “Townie,” Leonard-Watt grew-up in Peterborough and says she loves running her shop on George Street.
“There’s an energy to the people downtown,” she explains. “We were feeling this fun, giddy energy in S.O.S. It was a place where girls were just hanging out.”
But as more and more people started connecting with the boutique, it started to be a problem.
“There were times we were so jammed, people couldn’t come in to the old store,” Leonard-Watt reflects.
So, with S.O.S. bursting at the seams and with a feeling that PLUSH had run its course, the decision was made to move the men’s collection from PLUSH to Mike Watt’s new Hunter Street West shop, Providence, and for the PLUSH space to be re-launched as the new, expanded S.O.S. retail experience.
Besides the usual chaos that comes from running multiple retail locations and the challenge of insane winter weather over the past few weeks, the move has been going well and S.O.S., now re-opened at the former PLUSH location at 384 George Street, can start a new chapter as a female-focused space.
“It was time to make this change,” Leonard-Watt explains. “It was time to go back to the experience that people and customers want. It’s about being able to have an interaction in the store with a stranger about a pair of shoes that you’re trying on. It’s about having fun with clothing.”
Leonard-Watt says this is what she’s always loved — having fun with clothing.
She has a real thing for shoes, heels in particular, but now with three kids and shop swaps and with constant running around, you’re more likely to find her in a pair of sneakers. She smiles, remembering the days when she could be a bit more expressive with clothing.
“I don’t go to my kids’ school in elbow length gloves and a fur hat,” she laughs. “Fashion is where you can push your comfort and you can feel good and you can feel confident.”
And with the new female-focused space, she’s planning to put even more emphasis on this notion of women empowering women — something that Leonard-Watt has had success with in the store and through social media.
“My voice was heard and wanted to be heard on Instagram,” she admits. “I let myself have my own voice and I share what’s happening in the moment, good and bad and funny.”
Social media has helped S.O.S. grow and the store’s brand is anchored through Leonard-Watt’s ability to be loud, empowering and, at times, proudly irreverent. She’s focused on the strength of women and how much better life is when women do great things for each other.
Again, this translates into the George Street fashion hub. With high ceilings, lots of natural light, and bright, even on a dull day, the store is filled with girly fashions, pops of colour, and a wall of shoes that are both fashion-forward and wildly nostalgic.
Customers of all ages wander into the store. There’s great conversation, fun music, and an unspoken understanding that a great outfit can absolutely fix a bad mood.
“If you’re having a shitty day, we’ve got $10 earrings that can help,” Leonard-Watt says. “If you need a pick-me-up, it doesn’t have to be a third cup of coffee.”
These insights are what Leonard-Watt will be growing the new S.O.S. with. That and her ability to buy great pieces for her faithful customers and for those who are just discovering the downtown space for the first time.
“Our market can be casual and gravitates towards easy dressing, events, and must-haves, but I will always buy what I consider to be something special,” she says about choosing pieces for her store. “If I get excited for a style, I’ll buy it.”
The expanded S.O.S., now open at 384 George Street in Peterborough, offers women’s clothing, shoes, fun lifestyle items, fashion fixes, and absolute empowerment. There will be a clearance sale in May at the old S.O.S. space (388 George St. North, Peterborough) that will feature S.O.S. footwear and clothing from the former PLUSH boutique.
“It’s going to be a slash-and-burn clearance sale,” Leonard-Watt says. “It’s all about the new growth — and people love telling stories about the deals they get.”
S.O.S. is located at 384 George Street in downtown Peterborough. For more information, call 705-741-4326, email info@sossaveoursoles.ca, or visit www.sossaveoursoles.ca (where you can buy products online). You can also follow S.O.S. on Facebook and Instagram.
VIDEO: S.O.S. “The little shop that could.”
