Kiwi shoe polish to stop selling in the UK as sales drop

Kiwi, a well-known brand of shoe polish, has confirmed that dwindling sales means it will no longer sell in the UK.

The company said it is a result of the increase in the number of people working from home and the amount of people wearing casual footwear.

Kiwi is responsible for more than half of the world’s shoe polish and is sold in more than 180 countries.

However, David James, 62, who runs a shoe repair and cleaning firm, said the company’s decision to stop selling in the UK was a “sign of the times”.

He told MailOnline: “In part this is because people wear suits and smart shoes much less. Covid accelerated that with more working from home, but a trend was in place before then.

“Also, trainers are being worn more and more – even to work. While shoes are dying, trainers are alive. We now renovate sneakers – repair and paint them.”

A spokesman for Kiwi said the company was reacting to the drop of sales in the UK which has been accelerated by more people wearing trainers and not polishing their shoes.

Kiwi was founded in 1906 by Australian William Ramsay. In 2011 it was sold by Sara Lee Corporation to S. C. Johnson.