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What It Means To Be Independent
July 3, 2008

Since today is July 3rd, I thought that now would be a great time to declare tomorrow Independents' Day for us specialty retailers.  What does it mean to be an independent in this industry or any other retail industry?  Does it mean that you have to go it alone?  Does it mean that you have only one store?

Well, as an independent, you definitely don't have to go it alone.  There are buying groups that can help you network with other similar stores across the country.  The difference between being in a buying group and being a part of a corporation is that as an independent in a buying group you have your own identity.  Your owners and buyers have free reign over how they run their business and what products they carry.  As for how many stores you have, I feel like you can have as many stores as you want (within reason, of course) as long as they are all still run by the same group of people and maintain an intimate connection between the owners and the consumers.  Yes, that's right, I said that the owners should maintain a relationship with consumers.

Think about this...  How many times have you gone into a KFC expecting to meet Colonel Sanders?  Would you be surprised though, if you were in a small local eatery and ran into the owner?  Independent retail is exactly the same.  The store(s) can succeed in selling better products and offering better service because the owners & buyers have contact with the target consumer.  There is no substituting the human experience within a big box setting.  

So, to all of you independent store owners, buyers, and workers, cheers to you for what you do!  Kudos for your daily interactions and your efforts to offer your customers the absolute best!  Most of all, happy Independents' Day!!!

Posted by Kelly Nelson on July 3, 2008 | Comments (0)