By WMBD TV
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — A brand new shoe storefront has opened in Bloomington, offering products you cannot get anywhere else.
The Sneaker Box is located at 716 E. Empire Street in Bloomington. It’s housed inside The Hive 309, across from Keg Grove Brewing Company. They officially opened their front with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, put on by the McLean County Chamber of Commerce.
“We had a soft opening yesterday to go ahead and just get some employee training out of the way. But as you can see, it’s it’s been it’s been pretty packed,” said Brian Plath, president of Sneaker Box.
The store offers shoes, socks and other accessories. What sets them apart from other shoe stores is that they only carry independent, international brands.
“We’ve got over 20 different brands that we carry, all independent international brands, all unique, colorful, fun and different. And so we hope to just bring something new and unique that people aren’t used to seeing. And celebrate individuality and encourage people to do what they want to do,” Plath said.
Sneaker Box was originally an online-only business, starting this past November. Plath said the storefront was their next step in the business’s development.
“As much as people love to shop online, shoes are still very important for people to feature in store. I think 68 percent of consumers still buy in stores,” he said. “The online was the first step for us. And now having a physical presence was the next step in the business development for people to come and see the quality, see the variety, and check out what we’ve got.”
The store is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, and is also still available online by going to their website.
WMBD TV first reported this story. You can read the original story online at CIProud.com.
