Five-store Kitchen Kaboodle in Portland, Oregon has been a full-line, full-price kitchen and furniture retailer for 30 years. It's become a prominent and respected private chain.
But customers increasingly have been buying only the merchandise that's been discounted. And only at the times that suit them the best. Of course, that's the trend everywhere. So what can retailers do?
Effective March 6, Kitchen Kaboodle boldly switched to a 4-day week with everything off price!
Here's part of Kitchen Kaboodle's announcement of their new business model of "Four days, for savings, for you!"
"Shocking? Not really. As a locally-owned business, as your friends and neighbors, we feel a special need to give you what you want, these days more than ever. And who doesn't want the same great Kitchen Kaboodle stuff, at new lower prices? You don't want cheap steak, you want steak, cheap. To get it, just visit us Thursday through Sunday, or stop by anytime on the web. See you Thursday morning!"By going to a 4-day week – closing all Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays – Kitchen Kaboodle is cutting expenses by over 30%. By passing those savings on to customers, all prices on 100% of the merchandise are discounted all Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. And none of their five stores are closing!
As Co-Owner John Whisler says, "We're offering our best merchandise, at the best prices with our best staff on the best days for shopping, all for our best customers. That's retailing for this 'New Normal.'"
See the Kitchen Kaboodle website for more info about their reinvention. For further details, call John Whisler at 503.241.4040.
Full disclosure: Outcalt & Johnson: Retail Strategists, LLC, the Co-Founders of The Retail Owners Institute, developed this reinvention concept for and with the Owners of Kitchen Kaboodle.
2 comments:
Just my opinion but I think they might have missed the point...
The real question is, why were customers inclined only to shop them for discounted merchandise in the first place? Had they built a reputation for it? Was their product mix in need of review? If customers are cherry-picking a store for nothing but markdowns, it should prompt a re-thinking of the stores brand positioning and overall value proposition. I respect the proactive decision to move to a 4 day week but can't help thinking that for those customers who tug on the locked door handle Monday-Wednesday, there will be lost loyalty. Moving downmarket on price is also not without tremendous risks and in terms of advantages for the independent retailer, price-leader tends not to be a winning strategy.
Doug Stephens
I agree with Doug, but the post certainly brings to light one creative way to cut costs. I certainly haven't heard of going to 4 days before. Another way to cut costs is by being super strict with your labor budget with a retail scheduling tool like Hello Scheduling.
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