What should I check before buying a shoe repair shop?

A shoe repair shop is a craft business. The shop’s reputation usually sits in one pair of hands, and the equipment is specialized, old and sometimes hard to replace. That shapes what you look at. Beyond the books and the lease, spend your time on the person, the machines and the work in progress.

Does the skill stay?

Ask who does the repairs and how long they have done it. If the seller is the cobbler, ask how long they would stay to teach you or an employee, and put that in the agreement rather than leaving it to goodwill. If you have no trade experience, think honestly about how long it would take you to be useful at the bench.

Stitching and finishing machines

Ask to see the machines run. Request service records, and find out who services them and whether parts are still available. Old machines can last for decades, but a failed one may take weeks to replace. Ask which equipment is owned outright, which is leased, and which belongs to a supplier.

Open tickets and unclaimed shoes

Shelves in a repair shop hold other people’s property. Ask how the shop tracks open tickets, how long unclaimed items stay, and what the shop tells customers about them. You will inherit these customers and their expectations, so ask your lawyer how to handle items already left with the seller.

Side lines

• Key cutting, watch batteries, engraving or bag and zipper repair
• Retail goods such as polish, insoles and laces, and the supplier terms behind them
• Whether side lines depend on a counter licence or supplier agreement that may not transfer