Rejuvenated Soles
Morrison & Me's recent move to Hyde Park Square has been a shoe-in for booming business. We chat with the married "pair" co-owners to learn what's new on their store's high-heeled horizon.

The new interior of Morrison & Me shoe store in Hyde Park

With the mantra "rejuvenate your sole," Amy Gaudio-Morrison and Tim Morrison, owners of Morrison & Me, have made it their mission to equip the feet of Cincinnati with up-to-the-minute trends. Now, seven months after they moved to a Hyde Park location from their original store in O'Bryonville, the boutique is able to reach more Cincinnatians with this purpose than ever before, says Gaudio-Morrison.

The new location for the boutique, which has been open since October 2005, is great because unlike the O'Bryonville store, it's a one-level store, so the merchandise isn't split up by a floor. "It's all on one level instead of having two levels, which makes it easier than having two levels. You don't have to go up on steps into the store either. We didn't eliminate anything -- we're still carrying shoes, clothes and accessories."

The decision to move to Hyde Park mostly involved joining the already vibrant community of boutiques and shops in the area.

"We felt like we just needed to go where we would be seen more," Gaudio-Morrison says. "We were kind of a destination in O'Bryonville. We love it -- we think it's great, but there's just not the same feeling of shopping there. We wanted to be a part of that kind of community."

And even in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression, moving to Hyde Park as well as launching a website for online retailing in 2009 are two savvy moves that have kept this luxurious business booming. When the economy started to tank, the Morrisons started to figure out these moves that would recession-proof their business.

"We ran some little promotions that we had never done before and we send out more email blasts for different promotions throguh our website, so that has helped," she says. "And there's also the fact that we carry things that you won't find everywhere. We give great customer service, too."

Another asset for the store is the fact that Morrison continues to work as a sales representative for Mjus and Biviel. (Gaudio-Morrison used to be a sales representative as well, but doesn't work in the field anymore, because she wanted to stop traveling so much.) With the knowledge of the market from both the husband and wife, the boutique is feasibly an arbiter of style for the Cincinnati area.

"I'll know trends before a lot of people just because he can tell me what's happening, what's coming down the pike for seasons way ahead," Gaudio-Morrison says. "He knows what's coming after a season ahead, as we shop. You can start trickling it in to test it, and then a year and a half later is when you start to bring that trend in."

More articles by this author

One Tank Trips

One Tank Trips When you don't want to go too far,...

Read More >>

Join the Green Thumb Revolution

Join the Green Thumb Revolution With a mission to "promote...

Read More >>