Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherri And John Bryan.
Hi Sherri and John, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Knuth’s was established as Knuth Shoes in 1960 and was a true family shoe store. We’ve been a fixture on the retail scene in Cleveland ever since.
Sherri Knuth Bryan and her husband, John Bryan took over Knuth’s from Sherri’s mother in 1987. Representing the third generation of our family business. Our West Side store opened in Rocky River in 1991 and we began to add women’s clothing and accessories in the early nineties.
Our first major expansion took place in 2000 when we dropped men’s shoes (after giving up the kid’s business in the seventies) to focus entirely on the women’s business.
Rocky River gave way to our current Westlake location in 2005 at the same time as our next big expansion in Pepper Pike.
Our online store was launched during COVID in 2020.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The first few years after we purchased the business were a challenge from a cash flow basis. We were late paying our suppliers but we worked with them to keep goods in the store. When we opened our Rocky River store (now in Westlake) we were unable to obtain a bank loan, so we operated on a shoestring, In just a few years we were on solid ground financially.
Working together as business partners and life partners can present unique challenges. At the end of the day we’ve really loved it, and this summer we’ll celebrate our 44th wedding anniversary!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Sherri leads the buying team and John runs operations. We specialize in offering contemporary fashion from head to toe. Jewelry, clothing, accessories and footwear. We are known for our unique mix of items and variety of price points.
We are proud of the reputation we have as the best women’s boutique in Cleveland and of our reputation in the marketplace.
Knuth’s is set apart from other retailers by our offerings, but also by our outstanding customer service. Our team makes us special!
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Sherri works closely with two full-time buyers and with vendors in the marketplace. The buyers collaborate and we get support from a retail management consultant who helps us plan our deliveries by month, by class, and by store. We meet monthly for the planning and review of the total business.
John supervises our floor managers, our stock manager and our bookkeeper. We also have a full-time Social Media person who manages the website as well. The Pepper Pike location has a full-time merchandiser who sets the selling floor daily.
All of these associates support what we do and are in constant collaboration.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.knuths.com
- Instagram: knuthsboutique
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KnuthsBoutique/
