Waters True Value is in its second century of business and still changing.
By Mark Lawton, Knighthouse Media
In 1894, G.E. Waters opened a general store in Manchester, Kan., after operating a hardware store for someone else. “I have an old newspaper ad,” says James “Jim” Waters, who is CEO and president of Waters True Value and the great-great-grandson of G.E. Waters. “It was a back-to-school ad for shoes for 25 cents or something like that.”
Cardiff Seaside Market brings a neighborhood feel with its store,
backed by high-end products.
By Alan Dorich, Knighthouse Media
When guests shop at Cardiff Seaside Market in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif., they feel like it is their own personal store, General Manager Tim Muleady says. “It’s very connected to the community,” he states. “Both of the owners live in the area.”
Fleet Farm invests in a new distribution center and updates its processes to prepare for rapid growth,
opening five to 10 new stores throughout the Midwest every year.
By Janice Hoppe-Spiers, Knighthouse Media
Fleet Farm is so unique in its product offering that its customers created the company’s unofficial motto: “If Fleet Farm doesn’t have it, I don’t need it.” The company has earned that reputation over the past six decades because of its breadth and depth of merchandise that includes everything Midwestern families need for real life.
The Source may be the largest electronics retailer in Canada, but it remains nimble
in response to consumer demands with the strengths of its associates.
By Staci Davidson
The retail industry seems to be in a constant state of flux, and when a retailer’s merchandise focuses on technology and electronics, its line is continuously evolving, as well. The Source understands this well, as Canada’s largest consumer electronics retailer, offering communication, home entertainment, home office and sound products. Its coast-to-coast reach, with stores in virtually every community across the country, is what sets The Source apart in the market. The company realizes the opportunity for growth is immense if it is able to keep the brand relevant in these changing times, and it is doing that in large part with a focus on its team.
Busy Bee is spreading its wings in Florida and Georgia. By Kat Zeman
As queen bee, Elizabeth Waring knows she can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. She watches over her colony with passion and works hard to keep it productive.
“I couldn’t be an effective leader without having an innate passion for every meticulous detail about our Busy Bee brand and the execution of our operations,” says Waring, president and CEO of Busy Bee Convenience Stores. “Everything that we build in and around our brand represents our passion and vision coming to fruition … We want our hives to be the destination for our guests.”
Family owned since 1935, Busy Bee operates a total of 18 convenience stores in Florida and Georgia, where it plans to expand in the next few years. Though it has no immediate plans to franchise, “it’s something that we are open to as we grow,” Waring says.
Work ‘n Gear works hard to help its customers dress for success.
By Kat Zeman, Knighthouse Media
With roughly 40 brick-and-mortar locations throughout the United States, Work ‘n Gear is the largest U.S. retailer specializing in work and healthcare apparel and footwear.
“But at heart, we’re still your neighborhood store,” says Tony DiPaolo, owner and CEO. “We pride ourselves on our personal relationships with our local and regional customers.”
WowWee focuses on continued innovation using state-of-the-art technology
that allows for deeper interactive experiences through play.
Family owned and managed HomeTown Pharmacy is growing its number of locations with a variety of services including specialty prescriptions.
By Russ Gager
In retailing as in wrestling, sometimes you have to get bigger to defend yourself. This was the case for Fred Grice Jr. and his brother Tim, who as small-town pharmacists enjoyed helping people they knew. “The reason that my dad and Uncle Tim formed HomeTown Pharmacy in 1996 was the realization that they didn’t believe they could compete in the future without building more critical mass, to have more buying power with vendors,” says Vice President Jim Grice, son and nephew of the founders. “Our growth has definitely been something we enjoy doing. We like growing our employee base and the communities we serve, but it’s just as much about survival to continue to be a viable player.”
HomeTown Pharmacy has 39 retail locations in Michigan and Indiana, as well as four long-term-care pharmacies, two durable medical equipment centers and four compounding labs. The company has been expanding mainly through acquisitions of existing pharmacies that are looking for those economies of scale or for a company that can relieve them of the healthcare industry’s ever-increasing administrative load.
Retail Merchandiser Magazine
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