Staying competitive
Smaller, more focused niche shops find success even as retail market expands
By Brielle Kennington
Argus Observer
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 12:33 PM PST
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| Mike Strong, owner of Mike’s Custom Boots uses the same boot making techniques used 100 years ago to produce unique high quality boots for customers. Customer service and a focus on niche products help many small merchants to compete and succeed in a retail field packed with competition. |
Ontario - Several local, small businesses utilize a focus on customer service and niche items to stay competitive in a retail landscape increasingly crowded with new merchants and big box store chains.
Big companies do not trample on the ability to do business but are merely a form of competition, Mike Pratt, Co-owner of Kinney Bros. & Keele Hardware Co., said.
“We’re a member of a dealer-owned buying group, which gives us better prices. There are some areas where our prices are a little bit higher, but there are cases where they are lower. We’ve had a general image of higher prices but in a lot of cases we don’t,” Pratt said.
Yvonne Murphy, sister and employee of the owner of The Knitting Knook, Mary Takami, said that big box companies may not always showcase the lower prices that they boast.
“The large ones (companies) advertise that they are cheaper, but when you come down to it, they aren’t. If people comparison shop they will find the prices are better and the customer service is better,” Murphy said.
Some local businesses compete by offering services and products larger companies don’t.
The Desert Edge Gallery, for example, situated on South Oregon Street, is a place to shop for unique art from local artists in the area, something that large companies do not offer.
“I don’t think they can compete with our store because we are one of a kind,” professional artist Donna Goodfellow said. Likewise, Mike Strong, owner of Mike’s Custom Boots, said his shop specializes in shoe repair and custom boots both of which are not offered by big companies in the area.
“I seem to stay pretty busy the whole year,” he said. “I’m the only shoe repair shop in the area. We don’t have competitors.”
Strong and his wife run the business. Some boot orders, Strong said, can take up to 80 hours to complete.
“I build boots the way they were built 100 years ago. I’m still wearing the first pair of boots I ever made 15 years ago,” Strong said.
Strong said business at Mike’s Custom Boots is good, but conceded he can still see the impact from the big stores.
“The quality businesses that sell quality products bring me more business because customers are willing to pay to get them repaired. The repairs are really the bread and butter. I don’t need extra work right now though. There’s no sense in killing yourself,” Strong said.
Strong also practices customer service techniques designed to add a personal touch to his products.
“The customer picks out the leather and style, and I take measurements and make a custom boot for them. Boots can range from $600 to any amount really. The sky’s the limit,” Strong said.
Customer service plays a key role for many small businesses regarding gaining and retaining customers.
“We have a greater depth of repair parts, we do a lot of special orders and we try to specialize in niche areas. We offer rental services and we have more people on the floor,” Pratt said.
Local resident Brad Gore, shopping at Kinney Bros. & Keele Hardware Co., Tuesday agreed customer service is critical.
“I like the personal assistance. That’s the best thing there is, that is why I come here,” Gore said.
Kinney Bros. & Keele Hardware Co.’s customer service does not always ensure them a victory over the competition, so they use another strategy as well.
“We get concerned. But we do a lot of research on the companies and what their style of operation is. It makes us work harder,” Pratt said.
