When you walk into a Mosser’s Shoes in central Illinois, you quickly realize you are truly in a family business. The cornerstone of that business today is Mosser’s Shoes Vice President, JP Piercy.
Mosser’s Shoes was founded in 1941 in Danville, Illinois, by Piercy’s great grandfather. JP is now the fourth generation of his family representing this business, as an executive.
“My kids are working in the business. My wife’s working in the business. My parents work in the business. It’s our true family business,” says Piercy with a grin.
While online shopping and big box shoe retailers have squeezed out many small, independent shoe stores, Mosser’s Shoes continues to flourish.
“Some people have trouble doing something for 80 minutes. We’ve been doing this for 80 years. That’s a long time,” stated Piercy with a matter-of-fact tone. “We’re obviously doing a lot of things right.”
Today, Mosser’s serves customers in Champaign. Piercy has put together a store filled with many of top brands from around the nation and the world. Customers can shop for New Balance, Birkenstock, Sketchers and Dansko, just for starters. The store also features daily specials, and an area called the “Lucky Size Sale Room and Racks” where one may find a footwear treasure on sale, waiting to be found.
But Mosser’s Shoes has evolved into more than just a shoe store. When you walk the sales floor, you find stylish handbags for women, belts, and other fashion apparel which make Mosser’s a unique shopping experience.
“We get people from Chicago who come down for Mom’s Weekend at the university and maybe stay two hours saying, ‘Boy, I wish we had a store like this in Chicago,’” recalled Piercy.
“One of the big reasons we have survived all this time is our great customer service and the range of products we carry,” explains Piercy. “When our customers come to one of our Mosser’s locations, they know they’re going to get a great shoe.”
Piercy realizes he needs to keep up with technology, but also understands there is one thing that still does not change for many of his customers when it comes to buying footwear.
“I love being a retailer because of the problems I get to solve and the flexibility of my schedule,” Piercy explains. “It’s afforded a great way of life for my family.”
“If I could offer some advice to a new retailer, it would be to be ready for curveballs,” explains Piercy. “For me, it was my health.”
Piercy explains, “I want retailers to know is that life just happens. People might be sick, or there might be supply chain disruptions.”
“In fact, there was a point in time when we couldn’t get New Balance, one of our top sellers, for a year,” stated Piercy. “If you’re going to work in retail, in order to succeed, and to stick around as long as we have, you have to be agile and be resilient.”
“Every day when I walk in here, it’s a blessing because of my health and because of the longevity of this business,” said Piercy. “I’ve heard somewhere that only four percent of businesses make it to the fourth generation. I love coming into work every day to be with my family and with great customers and great teammates.”
“I want the people of Illinois to know about retailers is we’re an essential part of your community,” explains Piercy. “We’re not just providing jobs, we’re providing careers, and in our case, we’re putting shoes on feet across central Illinois.”
JP Piercy understands his business is a cornerstone in the community he serves. He also knows taking care of his customers is paramount to the future of Mosser’s Shoes.
“It makes me feel so great when I’m driving around central Illinois and I’m seeing people wear our shoes,” said Piercy with pride. “I know they’re from Mosser’s.”
