Westown Shoe Clinic: Carrying On Del Guercio's Legacy

Name: Westown Shoe Clinic: Carrying On Del Guercio's Legacy (English version)
SKU: W48070

Ryan, Christopher; Zhang, Nanxi

Product #:W48070

Supplier:Ivey

Discipline:General Management

Setting:Canada;North America, 2025

Details:Case (PDF) • 8 pages • 2026-01-29 (Rev: 2026-04-27)

Subjects:

Leadership and managing people Business management Management Operations and supply chain management Operations and supply chain management Environmental sustainability

Geography:

Canada North America Canada

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$10.54

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Westown Shoe Clinic in London, Ontario, was a long-standing repair shop built on Luigi Del Guercio's craftsmanship and loyal customer relationships. In late 2025, Del Guercio was now in his 70s and he hoped to pass the business to Nancy Xu and John Zhu, skilled newcomers who brought modern techniques to the shoe clinic but faced cultural, communication, and market challenges. With the shoe-repair industry in decline and customer loyalty tied personally to Del Guercio, Xu and Zhu had to decide whether to take over the shop and, if so, how to adapt its operations to remain viable in a changing market. Nanxi Zhang is affiliated with Ivey Business School;Christopher Ryan is affiliated with University of British Columbia

Learning Objectives

After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following: Understand small-business succession and the sources of value beyond profit. Analyze the operational viability of a craft-based service business. Explore how culture, communication, and craftsmanship affect customer loyalty. Evaluate systemic and policy factors influencing repair industries. Encourage values-based decision-making in entrepreneurship.