Shop job is a perfect fit
If the shoe fits – as the saying goes – and for Caroline Fitt, the Scarborough branch manager of footwear specialists Pavers, and her assistant Nicky Gadsby it is a perfect fit.
Caroline has worked for the York-based shoe company for 38 years and Nicky has been by her side for 30 years.
"They are a lovely company to work for. It is a proper family,” said Caroline, who, when she first started work, was a shop assistant for Stead and Simpson shoe shop in Scarborough in the morning and for Pavers in the afternoon.
Caroline lives in Scarborough with her husband and started working solely for Pavers, in Westborough, when her daughter Emma started nursery.
She is three years off retirement. “The thought of retiring upsets me,” she said. “What would I do if I did not have my staff and my customers?”
She is now meeting the great-grandchildren of her customers – and customers always come first. “You have got to listen to your customers and pass the information
on to make sure you are getting the right thing for them.”
Nicky and Caroline enjoy a near-mother-daughter relationship. Caroline bought Nicky a Tiffany necklace for the 30th anniversary of working at Pavers and a Lulu Guinness handbag for her birthday.
"We are like a family,” said Nicky. “We tell each other our problems and help solve them if we can.” Nicky lives in Scarborough and visits her partner Engin, who lives in Altinkum, Turkey, a few times each year.
The other members of staff in the Scarborough store are Tanya Ward, who has been there for 20 years, Karen Hartley, Julie Kitching, Tracy
Betts, Rebecca Vitty and Lisa Murray.
Pavers was founded by Catherine Paver, a mother of three boys, 50 years ago. The bank refused to give her a business loan, so she told it the £200 was for a sofa. She started selling shoes at home parties.Thefirstshopopened in Scarborough in 1981.
Pavers Shoes has grown to be a UK leader in today’s footwear industry, continuing as an independent, family-run business. The Pavers Foundation was launched in 2018 to honour Cathy’s memory. It donates to local charities and causes and supports a major charity per year –making a difference in health, education and community.