How does a small retailer compete today against the Big Box stores and the Amazon.coms?
Anthony Holloway: Customer service, customer service, customer service! Know your customers, provide for their needs, maintain a dialogue with those customers, and continue to find ways to exceed their expectations. Box stores and many Amazon.coms have done very little to “nurture” their customers. They rely on price alone. That formula has worked to a certain extent, but there is a niche market out there [of people] who demand more from their buying experience. Those customers are our market. In my experience working with small retail clients, it really takes a lot of upfront spending — on inventory, storage, staffing, etc. Does that fit your experience? How did you get “over the hump,” as they say? I was lucky. I did not depend on the business for an income. Funding was not an issue. We were well funded but we started small. The initial goal was to solve my own problem of getting quality food for my dog. We started with a handful of super high quality core products. We did not have t
