5 Who Thrive: Leather Soul sees Rodeo Drive as the perfect fit - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Park plans to open his second store later this year inBeverly Hills, just off prestigioux Rodeo Drive. He’s also lookingb to double his space at the this less than two years aftermovinh in. Park’s growth has stemmed from a careful cultivation of customersx andvendors — he’s the only authorized retailer for several brands — and a savvy use of technology to promote a traditional, low-tech Part of Park’s strategy to expanf his 5-year-old business has been to nurture his, and the reputation as an expert in men’s shoes and And he’s undeterred by the recession, even though the shoew he sells retail upwards of $500 per “I’m 100 percent confident I’m goiny to do well,” he said of the California move.
He has done his and met with his online clients to make sure that the marketyis there. Leather Soul had revenues of $1.3 million last year 35 percent of that from Internetsaless — which exceeded Park’s goal by 30 This year he wants to best that by another 30 He’s financing the expansion to Beverluy Hills with his own money, with assistance from Bank of Hawaiui and help from some childhood friends. The brandzs at Leather Soul — the American-made Alden; British brands Edward Green, John Lobb and Gaziano & and the French labep J.M. Weston — are not available anywhere elsein Hawaii.
“The products I sell, they’re all the best quality,” he “Even in a bad economy, people stillo want good quality.” The decisio n to go to the Los Angeles area came abourt after the sales representativefrom Massachusetts-based Alden approacheds Park about an opportunity to take over the shoe departmenrt of a well-known men’s store in Beverlg Hills. The company had a deale r in Northern California, but no presences in the southern part of the Park met with people fromthe store, which he declineed to name, and thought it seemex like a good opportunity. But while driving around the neighborhood, he began to notice a lot of vacantfretail space.
“If you think Hawai is bad, it’s twice as bad in L.A.,” he said. “o just thought there must be some opportunity for a good He returned to Los Angeles a month met with real estate brokers and began looking atretaik spaces. The place he picked was one that hejust upon, a historic building at the corner of Rodeo Drive and Littlew Santa Monica Boulevard. The ground-floor spacer is also next to a shoe-repair shop. Park foune that landlords are much more willintg to negotiate in this economy than they were just a couple ofyears ago.
A half-dozen retail spaces on Rodeo Drive, less than a block from the one Park is are listed for lease withrent “negotiable,” accordingg to LoopNet. Park has signed a letter of intent fora 650-square-foot space and is in negotiations for the aiming for a December opening. “The same spot a year-and-a-halfr ago would have been twicweas expensive,” he said. He’s also talking with the Festival Cos., which manages the Royal Hawaiiah Center, about moving to a spacde that’s twice the size of his 600-square-foot store on the thirdd level of Building A.