Shop Talk: Why smalls are big business for walking shops

But as we are all striding out more and taking our walking more seriously, there is an increasing amount of specialist kit on offer. This week, we step into two of the region's walking shops to see.

THE WALKING SHOP, LEYBURN

Alec Rycroft worked in corporate publishing but spent much of his free time in the great outdoors, walking in the dales near his parents' home or climbing and skiing in Switzerland.

Back home in Leyburn, he realised that although there were a number of general outdoor shops in the area, there wasn't one concentrating purely on walking equipment. Three-and-a-half years ago, he decided to fill the gap in the market.

His shop sells top of the range gear. Everything there, however fashionable, is also functional. It doesn't just look good, it performs well.

"We have a lot of weekenders up here. Or people with second homes who may have taken early retirement," says Alec. "They have time and energy to do a lot of walking and want decent equipment."

The names stocked include Rohan, Craghoppers, Lowe Alpine, Mountain Equipment, Source, Bridgedale, Gabel, Charlet Moser and more.

The season is busiest from February half term through to October half term, with more than half of Alec's customers being visitors.

"December is sock month - mainly locals buying Christmas presents," he says.

Even the socks are specialised.

Alec says: "We started doing socks for women. It sounds like a gimmick and all to do with pretty colours but it isn't at all. We do smaller sizes, with finer gradations between sizes and the socks are slightly narrower, finer. It means a much smoother, neater fit and less bulk, which can make a lot of difference to your feet when you're walking."

He already stocks a lot of women's clothes and this autumn is extending the shop to include a proper ladies' department. Women know what they want, and usually want their clothes to be fun as well as functional - and to fit properly.

Alec had just got the shop up and running - or walking well - when foot-and-mouth hit the countryside.

"It was as if someone had turned a tap off," he says. "One day the town was full of walkers and the next, no one...."

But now business is back on its feet.

Among the specialist services Alec offers is boot fitting - he mainly sells the lovely Italian Scarpa boots and those by Meindl - and also rucksack fitting.

"More people, including the over 50s, are now going on adventure-style holidays or doing long-distance walks, so need to carry their stuff in a back pack, says Alec. "Correct fitting is crucial so that you're carrying the weight evenly and aren't wasting energy or wrecking your back."

It can take some time to find the right backpack and the right fit, but it can make a world of difference.

Alec even sells safety cages for backpacks - treat your gap year child to one now - which means they can be safely chained to railings and can't be slashed open while you're snoozing on the Tans Siberian Express.

There are flasks, knives and tiny titanium stoves; torches, insect repellents and hydration systems, so you can keep drinking on the move without having to swing that rucksack off. There are also walking poles "They were thought a bit gimmicky at first, but people appreciate how useful they are, especially on steep ground," says Alec. "They really take the weight off your knees and hips and stop your legs turning to jelly."

There are maps, of course, and GPS systems - satellite navigation on which Alec is a bit of a specialist.

You can even, if you really want to, scan your own map and route in so the GPS will guide you every step of the way. Purists would say that takes away the fun of getting lost and hacking your way through six foot brambles, only to have to hack your way back again.

There are specialist clothes - waterproofs, micro fleeces and trousers that become shorts. There are even specialist knickers.

From top to toe, there is everything you need to keep yourself snug and safe.

And to think, you thought walking was just a matter of putting one foot in front of another.

The Walking Shop, 4 High Street, Leyburn DL8 5AH.Tel: (01969) 625375. www.thewalkingshop.co.uk

Open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5pm. Closed Sundays - that's when Alec's out walking.

THE OSMOTHERLEY WALKING SHOP

Osmotherley is like a crossroads for a number of long-distance walks - the Coast to Coast Walk, the Cleveland Way and the Lyke Wake Walk all pass close to the village.

It's an ideal place to pop in and buy some new boots when your old ones suddenly start to rub - which is precisely what some Americans doing the Coast to Coast did last week.

When Chris Gaunt took over the post office and gift shop, he used a small part of the premises for walking equipment. Gradually, demand grew, so he got rid of the gifts and the walking equipment took up more space. Then the post office moved to another shop in the village and the transformation was complete.

"I'd actually retired from running a walking shop in Norwich and didn't think I'd be starting again but I knew the business, had contacts, says Chris. "It seemed logical."

He had just been going a year before foot-and-mouth hit his business hard - doubly hard, because he also does bed and breakfast, again catering for walkers. But as on the sunny Sunday we were there, it was almost impossible to move for walkers in boots and backpacks, it's safe to say business is restored.

Despite a similarity in names, there is no connection between the two shops, but, like Alec Rycroft, Chris has found that half his customers are women. "There's a big increase not just in women walking, but also in women walking in groups with no men. It's very much a social thing," he says. And he has sorted out his shop accordingly - neatly half and half, with plenty of women's clothing, including lots of small size boots.

His stock is at the cheaper end of the market, ideal for people kitting out families or people new to the outdoors, with clothes mainly by Regatta. Fleeces start at £15, wicking T shirts, which keep the wearer perspiration-free, at £9.50; and waterproofs at £20.

He even sells second-hand - or should that be foot? - boots, some of them almost new, others well-worn but for only £9.95.

In addition, Chris stocks a wide range of boots by Brasher, Zamberlan and Loveson. The cheapest are around £25, others are around £50 and the Brasher boots are around £95.

"Boots represent the biggest part of our sales and we specialise in fitting them. They are the most important thing," says Chris.

Most of his customers, apart from visitors, including occasional Americans, come from Teesside, Darlington "and coach loads from York and Harrogate".

"Most of them are committed walkers," says Chris. "There are a lot of walking groups and clubs who might not do the long-distance walks, but who are here regularly at weekends and all year round, too. Obviously, we're busier in summer but even in January people are up here walking.

"These days, walking is a year-round activity and a year-round business."

Osmotherley Walking Shop, 4, West End, Osmotherley. Tel: (01609) 883818. Open seven days a week.

BOUQUET OF THE WEEK will be back as usual next week. If you want to say a public thank you for good service or to a helpful neighbour, kind stranger or efficient business, then just write with all the details to Sharon Griffiths, Bouquet of the Week, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF.

Each week, the person nominated in our main letter gets a real bouquet of flowers or a box of handmade chocolates from The Little Chocolate Shop in Leyburn.