Shop Talk: The Red Headed Witches
Spotlight On: Cape Coral, Florida
Journey from a seasonal-only retail shop to a year-round success story
“Never give up on your dreams.”
That’s what Crissy Barchers tells herself every day, and it is the No. 1 lesson that she would like to share with other retailers.
Why? Because it’s that very principle that got her to where she is today — a retail storeowner who shares success with her best friend and business partner, Jennifer DuVall.
“I believe in the law of attraction,” Barchers said. “Like attracts like and if you can remain positive, success will come to you. It may take you longer than you would like it to, but eventually success will come.”
That time is now for Barchers and DuVall.
The Road to Success
The Red Headed Witches opened the Halloween season of 2008 as a seasonal-only store in Fort Myers, Florida. It was small and housed only 1,200 square feet of product. Competition proved to be tough; it was clear that changes needed to be made.
“After the first season, we decided to move the store to our hometown of Cape Coral, which was just miles away,” Barchers said. The new location offered a bigger and better storefront.
The best friend team moved in and out of three Cape Coral locations over the course of four Halloween seasons until finally deciding to “take the plunge” and become a year-round costume store.
“Of course the building we wanted had a big part in the decision,” Barchers said. “We couldn’t pass up a vacant, old funeral home — what a perfect building for such a store!
“We signed a long-term lease, did some remodeling and by early September 2012, ours doors were opened for year-round business.”
The funeral home measures 7,000 square feet, of which about 3,500 square feet has been turned into retail space. Barchers said the building is anything but typical.
“During the Halloween season, we take advantage of the large grassy area out front and transform it into a pumpkin patch where families can purchase pumpkins and take pictures,” she said. “Inside, we have created a more fun atmosphere using bright green and purple paint on the walls.”
The front half of the store is large and open — dozens of packaged costumes fit for all ages and sizes can be found.
As you make your way to the back of the store, you’ll find accessories, wigs, masks and more. The Red Headed Witches supports different displays showcasing various decade themes and includes an entire wall dedicated to pirate attire.
For Barchers and DuVall, it’s about more than in-store sales. The duo works very hard to keep up with community events and happenings and is always willing to help.
“We held a fundraiser here last fall to benefit our Special Effects Artists’ daughter who had a battle with severe scoliosis,” Barchers said. “The fundraiser brought together WWF and WWE (wrestling) superstars in a battle to raise money for her.”
She said the store has also partnered with local groups involved in The Relay For Life and often sets up booths at local events, such as Jingle Paws in the Park to benefit the adoption of unwanted pets.
“Being involved in the community really makes us feel like we belong here and the community has welcomed us,” she said.
Unique is Key
“From the minute you pull into our parking lot, you get a feel of character and uniqueness,” Barchers said. “We definitely don’t look like your average chain store.”
Take the “Zombie Boutique,” for instance. A whole section of the store is dedicated to zombies, and once inside the boutique, you will find “one-of-a-kind” costume pieces that have already been “zombie-fied.”
The store also has a special effects make-up artist on hand during the Halloween season. The artist is available year-round by appointment. Barchers said he does “everything from latex appliances to airbrush body paint and even face painting.”
The people at The Red Headed Witches do it all — costumes, make-up, accessories, you name it. But what sells best? What are the Cape Coral customers asking for?
“Throughout the year, our best sellers revolve around decade-themed costumes and accessories,” Barchers said. “The Roaring ’20s has proven to be a big hit over the years. Once stock has diminished from the busy Halloween season, I replenish the store with a larger variety of accessories.
“People come in 12 months out of the year in search of a specific part or piece and we strive to have what they are looking for,” she continued. “The key is to offer a variety of accessories. We find that by ordering just a few of everything, we can meet the needs of a larger number of customers. Quality not quantity when it comes to ordering the merchandise.”
The store’s ordering process is quite unique, too.
“We don’t use a computerized system when it comes to inventory,” Barchers said. “I am extremely visual and can still tell you how many of a certain item I ordered three years ago and how long it took to sell them.”
It’s different, but it appears to be working. And Barchers plans to follow it when preparing for Halloween 2014. What’s on the menu?
“Halloween 2014 will be another massive year for superheroes,” she said. The popularity just continues to grow and so has the inventory choices from the manufactures.”
Let’s not forget about zombies!
“They’re an un-dying breed,” Barchers said. “With Zombicon, an annual festival bringing in 10,000 to 20,000 people to our area in October, we really stock up on the blood, prosthetics and make-up.”
If the store’s offerings aren’t considered unique, the customer service definitely is.
“We pride ourselves on our superb customer service,” Barchers said. “Everyone who enters the store is greeted with a genuinely happy-to-see-you smiling face. We are knowledgeable of all of our products and love helping the customers piece together their ideas.”
When priority is placed on uniqueness and customer service, the possibilities really are endless — profits are almost guaranteed for the women behind The Red Headed Witches.
Originally posted Wednesday, May. 21, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment