Team building is the stage of work that causes problems for virtually all entrepreneurs, despite the genius and perspective of their business ideas. It depends on the people you hired, how customers will see your product. Trading companies are very interested in talented specialists who can sell goods in an era of fierce competition, where thousands of brands compete with each other, and the buyer can not only buy whatever he wants, but also become a seller on numerous Internet resources.
Anya Pabst - Head of the Russian branch of BEITRAINING. Master of Sociology and Slavic Studies. Education "HR Manager", is a specialist in the field of crisis communication. He has experience working with people in study groups of various profiles both in Germany and abroad. Over the years, Anya Pabst has trained over 150 trainers. For more than 7 years her professional activity has been associated with work in the CIS countries - Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. BEITRAINING is an international franchise company and a certified strategic partner of the German and Austrian Franchising Union on the topic of “Professional Development”. He specializes in training and professional development in the field of management, trade, customer service and personal growth.Look for the light in your eyes
A true professional knows how to emphasize the competitive advantages of the product he sells, present the product in the best light and masterfully overcome all obstacles. Look for people who know how to work with a twinkle in their eyes - trading is merciless to those who can not cope with stress and failure, and loves those who know how to show activity and initiative. Qualifications and work experience are important, but not decisive factors - pay attention not only to knowledge, but to personal qualities of candidates.
Adaptability is an important quality of a professional seller. This will depend on whether he can adapt to your corporate rules and standards, or sabotage them, having forever acquired the norms of the previous employer.
Search for staff constantly and patiently.
Problems with the search for personnel will be eternal, if you do not turn hiring into an ongoing process, with its resources and backup solutions. Any search from time to time inevitably leads to difficulties with the staff. Hiring is an ongoing, ongoing process that requires development and training.
Hiring is a very time-consuming process, requiring great time and emotional costs from the employer. You need to be prepared for the fact that out of twenty candidates, only one is perfect for you. Unfortunately, for this you will have to talk with all the candidates, but you can make your life easier at the stage of selecting a resume. Are you looking for a young man or a girl from the age of 20 to 30 years old or a specialist who is already well over forty? The answer to this question does not depend on personal preferences, but on the assortment of your store.
Often the target audience for which the product is designed seems somewhat blurry, especially for multi-brand stores. Therefore, it is important to remember, for example, that young buyers are more likely to listen to their peers, and people aged are reluctant to accept the advice of the young. In such cases, the question of the age and gender of the candidates is decided at the stage of selecting a resume, after which you can proceed to the most time-consuming stage - an interview.

Interview tactics: how to see a princess in a frog, and a beautiful swan in an ugly duckling
Before you start looking for the perfect seller, you should decide for yourself what is most valuable and important for you as a candidate. This is determined by the specifics of your business. Short sales in the middle segment and a large flow of customers in a busy outlet require energy, stress resistance and perseverance, without which the seller can not provide a high level of service. Complicated sales in the luxury segment, when it comes to piece, expensive goods, require from the seller not only self-confidence and sociability (without intrusiveness), but also tact, flexibility of thinking, sensitivity and the ability to give oneself well.
Knowledge in the field of sales and customer service is necessary for a good seller, but without a set of personal qualities that make this knowledge applicable in practice, he will never be the best. Therefore, at the interview you need to distract from the lines in the resume and make a choice not only in knowledge, but also in personal qualities. Otherwise, you may encounter the fact that an employee who is perfectly knowledgeable in sales issues will show virtually zero results.
Of course, all successful sellers have common qualities: first of all, this is self-confidence, positivity, sociability, the ability to show oneself competent and open to everything new and interesting. Perhaps one of the main qualities is the ability and motivation to work, realizing its usefulness. To understand whether a candidate has such qualities, one needs to pay attention to how he communicates with his interlocutors, does he have a first impression of communicating with him? Is there a feeling of aggressiveness, irritation that accompanies “aggressive” sales?
If you choose between the ability to make a person listen to a story about a product, even if he is not interested in buying, and the ability to listen, the second is definitely more useful. It’s easy to identify: tell the candidate about the company and observe how interested the person is in your words. If you hear clarifying questions, if you were not interrupted, if you nodded in response to your words, the candidate is able to demonstrate his interest.
Among the communicative skills of a candidate for “ideal” sellers, the talent of persuasion is important, in a broader sense, the ability to influence others. This can manifest itself already in the way a person behaves during an interview: how he presents himself, whether he is ready for clarifying questions, and even in how punctual he was. All this will be important when he will have to impress the buyer.
The desire to work in a team is another indisputable plus of a successful candidate. Ask him to give an example when he was a participant in a project and, importantly, recall the case when he had to help colleagues. A more abstract but surefire way is to ask how he spends his free time: alone with himself (with a fishing rod on the lake or listening to classics) or chatting with people (collective sports, picnics with friends). Make a choice in favor of a person focused on team activity.
Friendliness and responsiveness are important qualities in the service, because the customer’s response largely depends on whether the seller evokes his sympathy. Simulated friendliness is also seen very quickly and only exacerbates the situation. At the interview, ask the candidate to talk about what claims from the client he encountered and how he resolved this situation. Or ask a hypothetical question: a customer complains about shoes that have become unusable a week after the end of the warranty period, how will you respond?
By the way, observation from the side will show the positive and negative sides of the candidate better than direct communication. Often the manner of communication at the interview as a whole coincides with the manner of communicating with clients. “Star” sellers who seem to have been born for a service that they dream of hiring and retaining at any retail enterprise that customers “stick to” themselves are undoubtedly good luck for the enterprise. However, there are ambiguous points here.
The cure for "star disease"
If the coveted “star boy” has appeared at your enterprise, you need to be prepared not only for sales growth, but also for the additional qualities of this outstanding personality, which often go into the burden of her professional superpowers. For example, excessive self-esteem, excessive independence and unwillingness to obey the rules. The more successful the seller, the more independent and indispensable he feels. If this does not go beyond, the usefulness of such an employee compensates for the inconvenience. But what if the "star fever" completely dizzy?
First of all, it signals problems in the company itself. If the processes in it are opaque, and in the team there are problems between ordinary employees and "stars", then managers cannot cope with the task of guiding subordinates and ensuring interaction in the team. People should know well for what they get paid, what they influence and how they can show responsibility and initiative.
Star Disease signals a person’s inability to work in a team, while employees should be focused on the success of the enterprise, as on the success of everyone in a single team. Conversation will be the first way to deal with a problem. The second may be the assignment of a problematic “star” to take care of another employee or take patronage over a newcomer. Often such an expansion of the area of responsibility acts positively, in addition, the super-seller will have the opportunity to once again show off his skills in front of a colleague, but not with the aim of belittling another. If beliefs and additional tasks do not work, think about whether to sacrifice a healthy atmosphere in the team for the sake of a single employee, albeit a "star" one? No matter how outstanding he may be, he can be found a worthy replacement.
This article was published in the 148 issue of the print version of the magazine.
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Shoes Style and its Discoveries. An Interview with Anton Bazylev, Prize Winner of the International Shoe Design Competition
The international shoe design competition Shoes Style, held in Moscow this year, showcased many interesting footwear and accessory collections. Shoes Report recently published a story about the winners—third-year students from Kosygin Russian State University, Margarita Skvaznikova and Egor Lysov, who presented their "Retrospective" shoe collection at Shoes Style.
ICEBUG at Euro Shoes: Swedish Innovation in Grip Technology
ICEBUG is a Swedish company steeped in innovation and creativity. Our rapid growth is a result of our expertise in grip and technology. Since its inception, ICEBUG has been creating footwear with superior grip and is always striving to improve grip even further.
KV+ will present versatile sneakers for both sports and urban wear at Euro Shoes.
The Swiss brand KV+ is not so well known to the general Russian audience, but it is well known in the world of skiing, because it was there that KV+ took its first steps and actively developed. The Swiss brand has earned the trust of the professional sports audience over the past 35 years. At the same time, the Russian sports market of ski equipment has always been a priority for the Swiss.
Rieker and Remonte are regular exhibitors at Euro Shoes: meet your favorite brands at the exhibition from August 25 to 28 at the Central Trade Fair Center.
Riker and Remonte will present their Spring/Summer 2027 collections at the Euro Shoes exhibition (August 25–28, WTC Congress Centre).
New brands at Euro Shoes in August!
At the end of the month, from August 25th to 28th, the international footwear and accessories exhibition Euro Shoes Premiere Collection will take place in Moscow at the WTC Congress Center on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment. We'd like to introduce you to the new exhibitors at Euro Shoes, who will be presenting their collections of footwear, accessories, shoe care products, and leather goods.
From July 27 to 29, the Euro Shoes@CAF_Eliteline 2026 exhibition will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Elite Line is an international specialized exhibition of footwear, fur, leather, and accessories. The exhibition will feature collections from international and domestic manufacturers from Russia, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, and other countries.
How to learn to effectively manage store customer traffic?
Customer traffic in shopping malls and street retail is declining; people are shopping less offline for a number of objective reasons, one of which is the convenience of online shopping with all its advantages. And yet, offline shopping continues to thrive. How can we control store traffic, learn to correctly calculate and influence the number of people visiting stores to ensure profitability?
"When Customers Are Few: How Fashion Store Owners Can Squeeze the Most Out of Every Customer"
In recent years, offline retail in clothing, footwear, and accessories has been operating under conditions of a steady decline in incoming traffic. By the end of 2025, offline store traffic in Russia had declined by 8-15%, with the offline segment's purchase rate declining more sharply than the overall market, according to Retail.ru. According to statistics from individual shopping centers, the decline by the end of last year was between 15 and 25%. How can salespeople effectively engage with customers in such challenging conditions? We'll explore service strategies in low traffic conditions with SR expert Elena Vinogradova, who specializes in purchasing and sales in the fashion business. The expert shares proven methods with practical examples of speech modules. Elena is confident that, in a context of declining traffic, high-quality service is becoming the main competitive advantage for the shoe industry.
How the Masters Forge. Interviews with the Winners of the International Shoe Design Competition, Shoes Style
In May 2026, the finalists of the international footwear design competition, Shoes Style, were awarded again in Moscow. The annual competition is held by A.N. Kosygin Russian State University, a university that trains shoe designers and technologists, and attracts students from design universities in Russia and the CIS.
How to sell more without losing customer trust?
Today, discounts and sales are no longer considered an effective tool for achieving sales targets. Furthermore, online and offline stores offer consumers virtually the same price for shoes, and consumers often choose not the cheapest option, but the easiest and fastest one. This is why service and soft sales are becoming a key competitive advantage for shoe stores, says Maria Gerasimenko, an expert at SR in fashion business management and development.
Euro Shoes: the industry's leading footwear exhibition will be held August 25–28 at the WTC Congress Center.
At the end of August, Moscow will once again become a magnet for the footwear industry: the WTC Congress Center on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment will host the international exhibition Euro Shoes Premiere Collection—a specialized B2B event for footwear industry and fashion retail professionals, the key industry event of the new purchasing season and the development of fashion retail assortments. Over 100 companies and brands will participate in the exhibition, presenting their spring/summer 2027 collections of shoes, bags, and accessories to professional visitors. A working meeting of the National Footwear Union of Russia (NOBS) will be held as part of Euro Shoes, featuring footwear companies, professional associations, marketplaces, and independent experts.
The share of marketplaces will grow
The footwear category on Ozon Fashion shows steady growth
What factors influence pricing, and how to work with retail prices for shoes
Footwear retail is one of those segments that is highly dependent on seasonality. Pricing in the footwear business, in turn, depends on a multitude of factors, from production costs to the vagaries of weather and regional factors.
New Tamaris Spring-Summer 26 Collection: Comfort and Elegance in Every Model
German footwear and accessories brand Tamaris will present its new Spring-Summer '26 collection at the Euro Shoes exhibition in Moscow, from August 27 to 30.
Creating an emotional connection through a showcase
Emotional response from customers is the key to successful retail sales. Shop windows are capable of not only attracting attention, but also evoking emotions: from joy and nostalgia to a sense of belonging and the desire to possess. Using psychological triggers in shop window design helps turn a passerby into a buyer. SR expert in visual merchandising and retail design Viktor Malygin talks about approaches to the concept of shop window design and current themes and plots for presenting goods in shop windows.
MARCO TOZZI presented his Fall-Winter 2025/26 collection in Moscow.
A harmony of comfort and elegance, fashion trends and classic essentials—German shoe and bag brand MARCO TOZZI presents its new Fall-Winter 2025/26 collection.
Euro Shoes starts on August 27th!
The leading international exhibition of footwear and accessories in Moscow, Euro Shoes premiere collection, starts next week!
Euro Shoes: The Fall Premiere That Set Trends and Raised Acute Questions for the Industry
From August 27 to 30, Moscow once again became the shoe capital: the international exhibition Euro Shoes premiere collection was held in the congress center of the Central Trade Fair on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment. For four days, the exhibition brought together leading global brands, buyers and industry experts, becoming a place where fashion trends are created and business alliances are formed.
Three fashionable colors for accessories and shoes for the fall-winter 2025/26 season
Each season, trend bureau Future Snoops (formerly Fashion Snoops) identifies key colors for different product groups. For shoes, bags, and accessories, the forecast takes into account the specifics of the categories and is based on general cross-market color forecasts for the season. The three colors described in the article below will influence the accessories market in the fall/winter 25/26 season, helping you promote trendy new items and update classic styles. These shades have beautiful and delicious names: "Ice Star," "Honey Glaze," and "Cherry Jam."
Euro Shoes — March 4-7, 2026 at the WTC Congress Center
From March 4th to 7th, leading brands from Europe, Asia, and the CIS will gather at the WTC Congress Center in Moscow to present their Fall/Winter 2026 collections, capture current trends, and set the direction for the fashion industry.
Customer profiling in a shoe store. What is this technique and how can it be used in sales?
Profiling is a scientific method of "reading people," allowing one to create a psychological profile of a person and predict their actions or behavior in certain situations, or even catch them in a lie. Profiling is used in sales because the salesperson needs to understand a person's emotional state and their underlying motivations for purchasing. An expert and practitioner in sales growth in fashion, SR, discusses this method and its practical application in footwear retail.
Shoe educational program: what shoe soles are made of
“What is the difference between TEP and EVA? What does tunit promise me? Is PVC glue? What is the sole of these shoes made of? ”- the modern buyer wants to know everything. In order not to smash his face in front of him and be able to explain whether such a sole suits him in soles, carefully read this article. In it, process engineer Igor Okorokov tells what materials the soles of shoes are made of and what makes each of them so good.
How to set prices that will earn
Some businessmen still confuse the concept of margin with the concept of trade margins and set prices for their goods, guided solely by the example of competitors. No wonder they go broke! Analyst at the Academy of Retail Technologies Maxim Gorshkov gives several tips and formulas with which you can set not only ruinous, but also profitable prices.
Sales of shoes and accessories: effective techniques for business rhetoric
Which speech modules are effective in communicating with potential and current customers of shoe stores, and which are not, Anna Bocharova, a business consultant, knows.
We form the salary of sellers: expert advice
“How do you charge your consultants for personal or general sales?” Is one of the most popular questions causing a lot of controversy and gossip on the online forums of retail business owners. Indeed, how to properly form the earnings of sellers? But what about bonuses, where to get a sales plan from, do employees allow them to buy goods at discounted stores? In search of truth, the Shoes Report turned to a dozen shoe retailers, but no company wanted to disclose its motivation system - the process of its development was too complicated and individual. Then we asked four business consultants, and finally became convinced that the topic of seller motivation is very complex, because even our experts could not come to a common opinion.
The whole truth about Bayer. Who is he and how to become one?
Bayer is no longer a new, but still a popular and sought-after profession. It’s fashionable to be a buyer. Buyers are at the origins of the emergence and development of trends. If the designer offers his vision of fashion in the season, then the buyer selects the most interesting commercial ideas. It is on buyers that the policy of sales of stores and what, in the end, the buyer will wear depends on. This profession is surrounded by a magical fleur, often associated with a lack of understanding of what exactly is the work of a buyer.
Technology Selling Issues
There is nothing worse than meeting the buyer with the words “Hello, can I help you with something?”, Because the seller works in the store just to help. Criticizing this well-established pattern of communication with the buyer, Andrei Chirkarev, business coach for effective sales and the founder of the New Economy project, shares the technology of truly selling issues with readers of Shoes Report.
Fur, and not only: types of lining
In the production of winter footwear, various materials are used that are designed to retain heat and meet the requirements of consumers: natural sheepleather, artificial fur, artificial fur from natural wool and others. All types of lining fur have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider the properties of each of them.
Retail Arithmetic
Before you begin to solve specific problems, you need to find out how accurately all the leaders of your company understand the basic terminology of retail.
How to fire a worker without tears, scandal and trial
Sooner or later, any manager is faced with the need to part with an employee. Correctly and on time the dismissal procedure will save the company money, and the boss himself - nerves and time. But why sometimes, knowing that a break in relations is inevitable, we postpone the decision for months?