Our Story

Grace helping Kate & Annette select the AW21 range

Today’s blog is a special one; we wanted to share our story with you, a story of two incredible women who built Shouz from the ground up over the last 40+ years - Annette McInerney and her daughter, Kate Rieger.  

If you ask Annette about the words she lives by, she’ll answer without missing a beat, ‘To never give up,’ she says. Shouz’s journey is certainly a testament to that. At just 23, and armed with nothing but her passion and drive, Annette set off to bring her vision of a fashionable women’s footwear boutique to life. This all in the days before Google, Alexa and Siri were there to walk her through the great abyss known as running your own business.

 Annette & Grace at Styling Services

Being a working woman is hard, but some forty years ago, those challenges were tenfold. Annette recalls having to double her efforts to be taken seriously in an industry then dominated by men. When the time later came to start a family of her own, it was pointed out to her that she would have to give up the business for it. She didn’t. She shifted gears and juggled it all. She still does and has no plans of stopping. 

Kate recalls growing up in the back of their shoe shop, watching Annette work hard day in, day out to create something for herself. Watching her mum hard at work instilled the same values in Kate, who returned to Adelaide after a busy stint working in London’s fashion industry to join the family business as General Manager. These days you can sometimes catch her little one, Grace, stomping around the shops as well.

 Kate, Grace and Annette at Styling Services

Both Kate and Annette remain very hands-on and involved at every level of the business. In addition to her role managing things, you’ll occasionally spot Kate working on the shop floor at one of our four stores, while Annette oversees operations and serves customers from our Norwood store. If you’ve happened to visit us there, you’re sure to have seen her bustling about. 

It’s this level of involvement from both of them which has allowed us to get to know our customers so well. Over 40+ years, we’ve built a strong rapport with our community, understanding their wants and needs and catering to them by personally selecting each and every style on our shelves. ‘Our buying trips aren’t based on trend forecasting for the mass market,’ says Kate, ‘We choose styles based on what our customers will love.’ 

And this customer-first approach trickles down through the entire business. Our styles were selected especially for you. Our customer support team, be it in-store or online, will go the extra mile to make sure you walk out with a smile. Our stores are kid-friendly, because we know what it’s like to be a busy mum. So come and do something for yourself and we’ll entertain your kids. 

We’re not a faceless corporation, and we’re not trying to be. With us, it’s always personal and it’s all about going the extra mile. So thank you for joining us on our journey and for choosing to support our small business. We’re so happy to have you along for the ride!