Little Box Advantages In The Big Box World
How can the little box store compete in a world of the WalMarts and Home Depots? Does the little box store actually have some advantages?
Rick Hoekstra, President of Kitchen Ideas Center, and other small business owners were asked about what advantages a customer can expect from the little box stores.
Experience Working For You
“Many smaller businesses that specialize in home products for remodeling or building are locally-owned and operated, according to Hoekstra. “Smaller businesses also tend to have more experienced staff familiar with specific products and services. This will help to assure you the products you are purchasing are appropriate for your project.Well trained industry professionals can also save you time.”
“This experience shows when a knowledgeable professional helps you identify your personal preferences or tastes, and use the information to select products and options, you are more likely to enjoy the end product. This eliminates wasted time looking at thousands of choices to find the few that make sense.”
Planning The Present — Protecting The Future
“It is a good idea to make an appointment with a designer or sales person if you would like personal attention when visiting a showroom, says Chuck Weidenbach, Design Specialist at Kitchen Idea Center. “Beyond the personal attention and industry expertise, you can expect smaller companies to have better warranty and problem solving services in place. For instance, Kitchen Idea Center has spent 26 years developing customer service and warranty programs, as well as offering products that are of exceptional quality for our clients. It is important when purchasing a product consumers understand the associated drawbacks, as well as the positives. If you hear words like ‘never needs service’ or ‘indestructible’ you can assume you may not be hearing the entire story.”
In addition to design, sales, and warranty expertise, many small showrooms provide expert installation services. Most or all of the labor provided for installation is done by store employees or contractors with long term relationships that have a vested interest in making you happy.
Time Is Money
“We have occasionally worked with clients who either are stuck with product from a big box store, or who do some comparative price shopping,” notes Chad Speight, of Chad’s Carpentry Inc. “They assume they are saving money by purchasing product at the big box stores. However, without exception, each of these experiences has been disappointing. Inferior quality products take much longer to install, which adds labor cost; and the homeowner is still stuck with inferior or undesirable products.”
“Furthermore, problems are slow to be resolved. The big stores are volume-driven, while the local specialty store is service-driven. As a quality-conscious remodeling contractor, we rely on our suppliers to be knowledgeable and responsive to any concerns or problems which can arise. Similarly, the installers who partner with the big box stores tend to be price-driven operators; if you are looking to flip a property, and to let someone else deal with problems, the big box solution might be a good one. However, most people want their remodeling investment to last for a long time, and that is the service that we provide as a quality and service–conscious remodeling contractor.“
The Bottom Line
Smaller stores have a distinct advantage when you start moving up the quality ladder to mid–range or higher end products. Smaller stores also present the latest trends and will typically have access to a larger selection of products, name brands, and styles. So in general, next time you are looking to remodel or build, look to your locally owned showrooms to provide expertise, knowledge, quality product selection and a commitment to customer service not available with the typical Big Box option.
