Daughter saves father's 34-year-old shoe store with social media, draws long queues in London
A father's shoe shop faced closure due to rising rents and changing demographics. His daughter, Zineb, used TikTok to showcase vintage shoe styles to a new generation. This social media strategy attracted younger customers, revitalizing the family business significantly. The shop, once near closing, now sees long queues of eager buyers. Zineb's efforts have established an online presence and…
For 34 years, Rachid Lazraq operated his shoe store in Shoreditch, East London, cultivating a loyal clientele. However, the neighbourhood's transformation — driven by rising rents, gentrification and the emergence of chains, coffee shops and newer establishments — began to impact his business. At one point, the 59-year-old father prepared to close Rich Collection Italia.
Yet, his daughter, Zineb Lazraq, stepped in and discovered that the shoes her father had been selling for years could appeal to an entirely new generation.
Zineb, 25, began promoting the store via TikTok, showcasing the products to a younger audience. The video garnered over 3 lakh views, revealing people's interest in her father's footwear. Leveraging her background in video editing, Zineb created more content highlighting the Y2K-style sandals her father offered. This strategy quickly gained traction, resulting in long queues forming outside the shop.
The sudden surge in popularity also presented a challenge, as the store's capacity struggled to meet demand. Consequently, Zineb began working at the shop, handling the influx of customers as she learned the business on the job. The turnaround proved timely, as the store was expected to close in late June. However, following the social media buzz, it remained open, even removing a closing sign on June 10.
While the initial social media frenzy has eased, the shop continues to attract customers, particularly on Saturdays. The family now aims to establish an online brand and is receiving inquiries from global customers seeking to purchase her father's shoes. Zineb has already created a TikTok Shop to facilitate these transactions.
For Zineb, this experience has been both enlightening and somewhat regretful. She laments that she could have taken action sooner to help her father's struggling business. However, she believes the timing was right, allowing her to witness a once-struggling enterprise thrive under the influence of social media and a new customer demographic.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
