The British brand Church’s has raised their prices with approximately 40-50% across the board of their entire offerings. Over one night a pair of their Custom Grade Goodyear welted shoes went from to €570 to €830. In their newfound decision to enter a new segment they are likely to lose a lot of their existing customers.
I first thought it was a joke, when I saw a screenshot in the Church’s thread on StyleForum showing the price of the classic plain cap toe oxford model Consul priced at £720 (€830). Discussions at first was on it to be an IT glitch, since only a few models had raised prices, but when the retailer Herring Shoes sent out a newsletter informing about the new prices to set in on all Church’s shoes, and as all shoes on the Church’s site eventually went up with 40-50% in general, it was evident that this was the new deal.
Church’s Consul, now priced at €830 / £720. Pictures: Church’s
As Financial Times wrote in an article on the topic, Church’s are likely setting their brand up for a new type of customers. We’ve seen it coming a bit with the new type of more fashion forward models coming out, cemented Made in Italy shoes entering their ranges, and so on. The fact that they also built out things in their Northampton factory made one hope that they would at least continue to have the classic welted footwear as a base, and their new top range Crown Collection launched a couple of years ago showed they also did new good things in this area. Now, the owner Prada seem to have decided that Church’s are to be more of a luxury fashion brand, pricing them into a new category. Cause it’s highly unlikely that their existing customers who like Church’s for what they’ve been will feel that it’s worth it to pay almost 50% more than what they bought the same shoe for a few years ago. Those folks in many cases know well enough about Crockett & Jones, Cheaney etc and will buy these instead, to a large extent. Time will tell if Church’s will find its new crowd in the more top tier price segment they have entered. For the shoe industry in Northampton, I sure hope so, a loss of a player like Church’s would be a big blow.
What do you all think of the new prices of Church’s? If you’ve been a customer, will you continue to buy them?
To me unfortunately Church’s “died” a long time ago … definitely out of their league now with these price hikes!
Andre: They’ve had their issues, but as I mention also done good things, but this sure is something I’m very hesitant towards.
Church’s shoes were my first entry into fine English shoes back in 2007. Unfortunately the decline in quality, styling and move towards a fashion brand lost me as a customer a long time ago. So many more interesting companies offering better products.
I only have one word to say: crazy!
Impossible to understand from the perspective of t those in the know, the move may well profit them on they long run as long as they’re able to market it to their new customer base. Quality may matter less for those who are willing to pay so much, weird as it is. Instead it may simply be the image they care about way way more. I won’t be surprised to see them succeed though I wouldn’t bet on it now.
Excuse me, Mr Church’s ~(~aka prada?) I can’t imagine this business model working. I’ve only got a few responses: TLB, Carmina, C&J G&G, Carlos Santos…I could go on. A mind blowing decision, unfathomable….. x Tony
Oliver and Anthony: Yeah, for those in the know they are sure to loose out. Then question is how they will make it as a “luxury fashion brand”, we will see with time.
Dominik: Yup, as I write, we’ll see eventually.
Time ago I discovered Berwick 1707 brand, they have improved their quality and now they produce very good goodyear welt shoes around 220€.
A couple of weeks ago I saw in Instagram the atrocities that Church’s is puting in the market and thought “well at least the Custom Grade line is still there”. I was wrong.
I have just purchased my last pair of Church’s from Herrings. At the new prices my money will go with C&J.
Les prix augmentent, la qualité baissé.
Prices increase, quality lowers.
The last 10 years has been a golden age for shoes. Lots of companies competing in the mid/high range and holding down prices. I wonder if this price change by Church’s is a signal that the whole market is about to change.
Vicente: They are a good choice in that price bracket for sure.
Juan Manuel and Alexis Boniface: I hope they will manage with this new direction.
Alec: I don’t think so. Price increases has always been there, it’s the nature of inflation and the rising leather prices has affected further, but I don’t think we’ll see many others following Church’s example where you over night move into a whole new segment. If you’re a Prada owned company, you have the possibility to succeed in the luxury fashion segment, but there’s only a handful of classic shoe brands that have that type of owners, for the regular men’s shoe brands doing the same would be signing their own death certificate. Instead the increased competition we see has likely stalled prices increasing that we’d otherwise might have seen on more players.
Well, we could see it coming with the 100% fashion oriented models they released the last years. Good luck, there are so many other similar choices out there.
The exact same pricing policy has been followed by leather jacket and repro manufacturers the last years. When they realised that there are markets around the world that are willing to spend a lot (for example the Japan market for A-2 and similar repro jackets), their prices went sky-high overnight.
Harris: As I mention in the article, for example the Crown Collection showed that they developed the classic stuff as well in recent years, so don’t fully agree with that.
Yeah, I think the Chinese luxury fashion market and that Prada are trying to make a bigger mark there is an important reason for why they take this step at this point in time.
That’s suicidal in this pandemic environment where everyone is working from home and dress shoes are gathering dust in the closet. I would very much like some nice English shoes, but the prices are way out of my range (even before this increase).
Churchs have gone through some changes in the last decade. However: this move to increase prices is a bad move for them. One of the most important element in the shoe market right now is “correct pricing” many shoe company’s are pricing their RTW shoes on perceived value. Everybody in the retail shoe industry needs to take step back and set realistic retail shoe pricing. “Correct pricing” is the watch word.
Robert Konshak: Well, I would say that it’s correct for the segment Church’s was in, but not as much for the luxury fashion segment. Obviously affected by the pandemic, but it picks up rather fast as well especially on relatively “young” markets like China.
Ola: Can basically say something similar to the above, that “would say that it’s correct for the segment Church’s was in, but not as much for the luxury fashion segment.”
As soon as Church got acquired by Prada it was the beginning of the end. On my few models were still carrying the English shoe style in them. Soon after the quality started going and the price up. I remember seeing Church shoes with studs on (I buy because it is higher standards and classic not because it is a trend to have studs on sides like Louboutin etc..) and that for signalled time to move elsewhere. I now go to C&J or Cheany etc… for shoes.
I like Church’s shoes… I’ve owned a few pairs over the years. They make nice conservative shoes. At £500 odd a pair, they were a bit expensive for what they are. At around £700-800 a pair, the owners are just crazy. I see Crockett and Jones, Cheaney and others doing well on the back of Church’s pricing swathes of their customers out of the game. Perhaps that’s a good thing? I’m not a fan of Prada, I’d rather see the smaller businesses without mega-corp ownership succeed. I don’t think Prada realise it, but I think they’ve taken a big step toward ensuring the survival of their competition for some years.
Mike Mokobo and PeteJ: Yeah I said several times I sure believe Church’s will loose a large amount of their existing customers. They might however succeed in winning new ones, we’ll see.
You only have to look at the horrific shoe creations on their Instagram page . They have gone from the footpath to the catwalk . Their great tradition has fallen to 24 hour fashion creations. Style is timeless … fashion is weekly . Very sad …
My Church shoes from long ago have fared very well due to good quality. At that time they were comparable in price to Alden and AE and may have surpassed them in quality. I have a lovely pair of dark reddish high vamp slippers I wear for special occasions and another pair of black Oxfords with broguing for business.
PRADA ruined the line for the average business customer such as myself. I don’t see a place in the office suite for spikes protruding out of my shoes.
Instead of returning to higher quality, and marketing their shoes to quality conscious buyers – which include many very value conscious wives – Church makes forgettable shoes more expensive in an unforgettable marketing campaign that actually says we are stupid enough to pay more just to pay more without regard to quality. In other words we want to impress the 1 person out of 10 million who might recognize a Church shoe at a distance and who also knows how much was paid for them. Such a person is more apt to think the wearer daft and trendy to boot. Just the impression I wish to create.
Canary Wharf branch has closed, they are heading the same way as Thomas Pink. Bought out by LV, re-branded, increased prices, ran it like a fashion brand, quality went south, ended up in administration.
Pure greed.
Church’s shoes will head the same way
Well Im looking at my church’s and wondering how much I can get for them on ebay?
The price hike seems completely unjustified, I don’t see how the finished product will get any better.
I suspect they have damaged the trust of the customer and brand loyalty will be at an all time low.
It’s possible that they will catapult into the stratosphere of luxury shoes becoming the British/ Italian Jimmy Choo, or something of that ilk, but they wont be doing it on my dollar.
Makes me feel a bit sick! Like vomit in the mouth!
Glad I bought some before this crazy price hike! I’ll be looking after mine. Ha!
Absolutely crazy the Loafers were £450 when my Brother bought them for me So I took them back as he Got me an 8 8 instead of a 9 size pair for my 42nd Birthday so I took them back in box too the Shop in Cheapside in the City of London to exchange them with the receipt to be told oh no sir you can’t?.. I said what you mean I can’t ?” Unfortunately theses shoes are Now £850 sir and you have to pay £400 pounds towards the size 9 so I said okay fuming inside vivid at the Daylight Robbery I was Going to be a victim of and when the short young guy came back with a size 9 I left the receipt and size 8 on the counter and said thanks as I snatched the new pair from the counter and Left Calmly Hearing “sir “…”Come Back Sir “… and when I looked back I said “ Tell you Managers to Deal with it”… To my Surprise Nobody had the Ball’s to Question me as I Walked out of the Shop and down the Road like Nothing happened thinking to myself The Cheeky #astards ….👞
Church was my brand of choice 25 years ago. They were not cheap then, but they had a good reputation (probably partly due to product placement). As soon as I come to discover the beauty of blind stitching, bevelled waists, oak bark tanned soles etc., Church was not an option anymore. That was quite long ago. If they seriously want to be perceived as a luxury brand, they have to make luxury shoes! Get rid of all “bookbinder” and start using the highest quality leathers! Get rid of that cheap looking Goodyear-stich and go for a blind stitch!
I bought a pair of Church’s brogues in a sale at Jones about 10 years ago, think they were £250. It was an extravagance, but the fulfillment of a dream. I nearly fainted a couple of days ago when I idly browsed the Church’s website! Thank you for this article, which (sort of) makes sense of the situation…
Consul^ Calf Leather Oxford Black today £940
Too much.
Consul^ Calf Leather Oxford Black today £940
Too much.
The latest Italian trick is to import Chinese people to come and live in Italy and have them make the products there. Thus they can be made in Italy by low-cost labour.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/16/the-chinese-workers-who-assemble-designer-bags-in-tuscany