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Leveraging the underused power of e-commerce and Amazon FBA services in 2015, Coleman Whitsitt created Grivet Outdoors — a retail company reselling shoes on Amazon. Even though it all started as a side hustle, thanks to Coleman’s dedication, it quickly turned into a profitable venture.
In its first year of existence, Grivet Outdoors had closed over $100,000 worth of sales and made a transition from its simple resale model to retail when Coleman managed to strike a deal directly with manufacturers. It was a game-changing move that helped the company grow over 300% every year for the next seven years, as this past year, Grivet Outdoors reached an impressive $65 million in sales.
What’s more impressive is that in a world where everyone said brick-and-mortar stores were a dying breed, Coleman Whitsitt went out and opened four of them. And he’s not done yet — he plans to open several more in the near future. So what’s his secret? Why does he believe in physical stores when everyone else is saying they’re doomed?
According to Coleman Whitsitt, there are certain advantages that physical stores still offer that online shopping can’t match. The most important one — providing customers with a more personal shopping experience which helps cultivate stronger relationships between shop owners and their customers.
“It’s no secret that success in the retail industry depends on your ability to build and grow meaningful relationships with your customer base, and physical stores are still best for that,” says Coleman. “Physical stores allow you to showcase products in a way that you might not be able to do online. It also allows you to offer unique services such as custom shoe fittings and molding unique insoles that we have in our Grivet Outdoors stores.”
In early March, Whitsitt completed the purchase of one of his brand’s competitors by buying Bink’s Outfitters in Nashville, bringing Grivet’s total store count to seven stores.
“Whole Grivet Outdoors brand revolves around a passion for excellence. From delivering quality products to providing unmatched customer service, we all work as a team to make our customers happy and satisfied.”
There you have it. The rise of eCommerce hasn’t stopped Coleman from making waves in the retail world — it’s only made him stronger. His success story is proof that it’s possible to be successful both online and offline by combining traditional business practices with modern technology solutions. Through his innovative approach to commerce, Coleman is showing us all why brick-and-mortar stores still make sense in today’s digital age.
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Photos provided by the author.