Zappardo_Anthony_Assignment_4_June_23

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Feb 20, 2024

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Outdoor Retail Business Anthony J. Zappardo American Public University System BUSN 624 Dr. Alex Lazo 4 June 2023

Outdoor Retail Business The author of this paper would be highly interested in developing an outdoor retail business using a brick-and-mortar location named Joe’s Place . This outdoor store would look like a large wood paneled building on the outside that resembled a log cabin with items such as side-by-sides and kayaks scattered across the main entrance to the building as well as a local food truck parked nearby selling bar-b-q to attract customers to the business on nice, weathered days. Inside however, is filled with quality name brand outdoor products sectioned off across the store. This store would have a hometown feel and by not having a large space inside, it would push products closer together and seem like the business had a lot more products. A smaller location would not only cost less to build or rent an existing building, but smaller stores have also produced great results in revenue. As Wertz (2022) mentions, stores such as Target have seen higher year-over-three-year growth in store traffic than their larger locations. Additionally, sectioning off the products depending on their activity would give customers the ability to shop in a well-organized manner using a diagonal layout for better traffic flow and more products viewable to customers walking in a smaller store. Joe’s Place would have name brand products for activities such as backpacking, hunting, fly fishing, firearms and knives, grilling, work clothes, and outdoor activewear clothing. While there is an abundance of retail businesses already established in the outdoor industry, there are many customers that a strategically placed outdoor retail business would attract if the business model had quality products available to customers at competitive prices, many competitors lack what many customers want, and having superior customer service and support would sustain these competitors. Customers

Customer demographics at this store location would include a wide variety of consumers looking for high quality products at reasonable prices. These customers would likely be hunters, fly fishermen, shooting enthusiast, backpackers and hikers, rock climbers, and blue-collar workers wanting work clothes and boots. Additionally, this store would also attract consumers who are maybe not “hard-core” outdoor enthusiasts. For example, customers looking for safes to secure their belongings such as money, jewelry, and important documents could shop for name brand safes from companies such as Liberty Safes . Additionally, families could shop at Joe’s Place for weekend camping supplies and activewear clothing such as jackets, shirts, and shoes from quality suppliers such as Columbia, Mountain Hardware, Altra, Patagonia , and The North Face . As Ramroop and Writer (2023) mentions, when most of your sales come from a small number of customers, losing even one can have a huge negative impact. Having additional products that expand Joe’s Place customer base will allow the business to be relevant and interesting to a wide range of potential customers, thus increasing the customer base and revenue. Satisfy Customer Expectations To satisfy customer expectations, Joe’s Place will offer many things that consumers within the communities do not receive too often. Within the hunting industry, consumers like to try on clothing to see how it feels as well as see any restrictions the clothing has, especially when being quiet and mobile is very important to many hunters. Clothing companies such as Sitka and First Lite are some of the biggest names in hunting clothing currently as it could be seen as a fad due to a big social media presence. Unfortunately, many of their sales are online as it is difficult for customers to find retailers that carry their products. Joe’s Place offers these brands in a wide variety of sizes for customers to feel confident in their purchases and can purchase and own the

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product instantaneously instead of ordering online and hoping they like it once it arrives at their door. Additionally, Joe’s Place will offer demo models of many of their products. For example, Tethrd is a tree stand company that has used social media to become one of the fastest growing businesses in the hunting industry. Unfortunately, unless customers find them at a trade show or know a friend who already has one, they are unable to try it due to many retailers not offering a demo model. As Lavinsky (2012) mentions, by giving something of value away for free, you encourage customers to try a product which can influence them to become paying customers. At Joe’s Place , customers can demo this product and ask questions to knowledgeable and friendly staff about their concerns. Competition As previously mentioned, current major retailers such as Bass Pro Shops, REI, and Academy Sports lack what Joe’s Place is about, which is high quality leading brands at affordable prices with a small business feel. Mass merchants such as Scheels and Bass Pro Shops offer outdoor products, but the majority of inventory is their own brands. Their brands often lack quality and are often seen as the “great value” products of the outdoor industry. More than likely, if customers are interested in hunting, they are also likely to be interested in fishing, shooting, and camping. According to Statista (2021), 14 percent of Millennials in North America stated they participated in hunting while camping, making them the generation to have done so the most. At Joe’s Place , consumers who are interested in a wide range of outdoor activities can shop for their favorite brands at one centralized location. Unfortunately, these mass merchants also have a large e-commerce presence already established that Joe’s Place is going to have to compete with.

Sustained Competition There are a few ways that Joe’s Place will sustain competition within the outdoor industry. Joe’s main priority is customer satisfaction and increased customer lifetime value. By doing this, the store will offer a unique experience that consumers cannot find at other outdoor retail stores. Superior customer service, subject matter expert staff, and opportunities that other retailers do not provide like previously mentioned are ways that Joe’s will have a competitive advantage over other retailers. An important way to sustain competitors is to understand where Joe’s stands in comparison to the competition. As McKeown and Durkin (2016) mention, before we can determine how we’d like to grow or transform our business, we must first plot our current standing within our defined marketplace. Joe’s main goals are to be strategically placed in an area that has many outdoor activities Joe’s is trying to sell products for. Additionally, the store wants to offer a one-stop shop for consumers and provide demos and products that consumers cannot find anywhere else with a friendly and knowledgeable staff. For example, each employee that works in a specific department will be knowledgeable in every product Joe’s offers. Customers who ask questions about products will receive reputable answers from staff. One of the author’s biggest issues with mass merchant stores is the staff usually only knows what the product is used for and that is it. At Joe’s , the staff will know about the product, brand, and give customers useful information on why that product may or may not be good for them. Each staff member should act in somewhat the same way as a sales representative from that brand and know about the products Joe’s Place sells, which is a major way this store will sustain their competition. Conclusion

In conclusion, Joe’s Place offers outdoor products to a wide range of consumers. Joe’s customers can be avid hunters and fishermen all the way to a family picking up some last-minute camping supplies and someone who just likes to wear outdoor activewear or durable jackets to go to work in. Unlike competitors who offer their own “great value” products, Joe’s will offer high end brands with knowledgeable and friendly staff as well as opportunities for customers that other retailers do not such as Sitka floor models and Teethed demos.

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References Lavinsky, D. (2012). Start at the end: How companies can grow bigger and faster by reversing their business plan . John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. McKeown, N., & Durkin, M. (2016). The seven principles of digital business strategy . Business Expert Press. Ramproop, T. & Writer, S. (2023, May 18). What is a customer base? 9 strategies to build and grow it. Zendesk Blog. What is a customer base? 9 strategies to build and grow it - Zendesk Statista Research Department. (2021). Share of campers hunting in North America by age ground 2018. Statista. Camping: share of participants hunting in North America 2018 | Statista Wertz, J. (2022, December 27). Do small-format stores have an advantage in retail? Forbes. Do Small-Format Stores Have An Advantage In Retail? (forbes.com)

Zappardo_Anthony_Assignment_4_June_23

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