Westown Shoe Clinic: Carrying On Del Guercio’s Legacy

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.