Robert Tucker — the visionary founder of Shoe Show who quietly grew the North Carolina-based family retailer into a national powerhouse with more than 1,000 stores across 47 states — died on Sept. 30. He was 86.
In 1960, Tucker opened the first Shoe Show location with his wife, Carolyn Tucker, in downtown Kannapolis, N.C. — and the family-owned business has thrived for 63 years despite huge change across the retail landscape. (Lisa Tucker, the couple’s daughter, is now at the helm as president and CEO.)
Robert Tucker, who was born in 1937 as Robert Bright Deese, changed his last name after his mother remarried. From a young age, he had a tireless work ethic — toiling as a cook and curb boy at Tuck Tavern, his stepfather’s restaurant in Concord, N.C.
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While still in high school, Tucker scored a job at Baucom’s Shoe Store during his senior year, an experience that set the stage for his own retail venture. When Bob and Carolyn opened their first location on Main Street in Kannapolis, they decided to call it Shoe Show. From there, they never looked back.
As they dramatically grew the business through the decades, the Tuckers preferred to keep a low profile and forged strong industry relationships behind the scenes. But in 2020, when the chain turned 60, Lisa Tucker decided to mark the milestone in a big way to salute her parents. “After 60 years, I want to honor them for what they’ve accomplished. It’s absolutely amazing,” she told FN at the time.
The company’s vast network of stores features product that spans across genders and ages, offering something for every family member. In addition to a private label assortment, the mix is rounded out with key brands including Adidas, Puma, Under Armour, Skechers and Crocs.
“We really operate each one as a mom-and-pop [format],” Lisa Tucker told FN in 2020. “We want to give that special touch to whatever is important in that area. It’s a lot of work, but it’s some of the secret sauce that makes us special. In a lot of towns, we’re it. We’re the department store, the Foot Locker. We’re everything for that area, so we need to cater to whatever the needs are.”
Robert Tucker is survived by his wife and their four children; seven grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren. Services will be held in Kannapolis, N.C. on Oct. 7.
