i just read a great article from the december issue of inc magazine titled “saving broadway books: a story about blogs, books, burritos, and a son who wouldn’t let his mother’s business fail” (it’s not online currently). it’s a great story which is even more important in these economic times.
like most locally owned bookstores, broadway books, located in portland, oregon, has seen it’s fair share of trying times with the proliferation of larger chains and online sellers such as amazon.com. in december of 2008, owner roberta dyer was worried that sales were going to be so low that the future of her store was uncertain. a phone conversation with her son, aaron, sparked an unexpected change. aaron sensed the despair in his mother’s voice and decided to do something about it. he typed a plea for help on his blog, everydaydude and linked it on twitter. he wrote that when he returned home the next january he would buy a burrito for everyone that spent $50 or more at broadway books. incidentally, the post went viral after being retweeted and emailed among friends. a simple request from aaron made for an exceptional month of sales. most importantly, it provided a reminder to everyone in the area how important local businesses are to the economy.
i love everything about this story. i love hearing about entrepreneurs and how they fight through the tough times. i love how the change in behavior was inspired by a blog post and twitter. i love how the local community continues to support the cause of broadway books even after the media frenzy died down.
i love all of this because i’m struggling through many of the same issues. the local stores we sell to are feeling pressure by larger bookstores and chains. the local bookstores in columbus are as much of a tradition as dotting the “i”. when was the last time you went to an OSU game and didn’t stop in either conrad’s or college traditions? how important are these stores to you? what would happen if they had to close? would you eventually accept buying from barnes & noble or wal-mart or footballfanatics.com? did you notice when long’s bookstore was bouth out? you may not realize it, but these local stores (buckeye room, buckeye corner and house of lala included) are feeling the crunch. every time i call in about an invoice, if they don’t tell me straight out, i can hear it in their voice, “times are not easy. sales aren’t what they should be”.
i hate hearing the pain in their voices. i know they are being honest with me. just this year, one of my favorite buckeye stores, gridirons sports in findlay, ohio, was forced to close due to this pressure. gridirons was owned by some of the nicest, hardest working people i’ve ever met. and i’m in the same situation as them. we’re just the little guy. larger websites with larger advertising budgets drown out our website so most people searching don’t find us in a google search. we have to compete for stores’ attention with unfamiliar, more expensive products. we have to hope that the customer will realize the value of our shirt on the shelves and not judge it by it’s price tag.
at jupmode.com we’re selling premium t-shirts. i know we’re not making shirts for every fan out there. most ohio state, toledo, or bowling green fans aren’t too thrilled about spending over $20 on a t-shirt when they can just as easily find a suitable buckeyes, rockets, or falcons shirt for $10 or $15. it’s difficult to explain the difference is worth the shirt. we think we have the most original and comfortable collegiate t-shirts available. our shirts provide more than just a university mascot or faded logo. look at our new helmet stripe design or our shoulder wrap tee or our buckeye candy v-neck or our undefeated national champs t-shirt. for cripes sakes we invented the jim tressel t-shirt! i know it was our idea, but i don’t know of a more novel t-shirt. it’s a shirt pieced together with a red body and white sleeves and has a tie silkscreened on. it’s what the tuxedo t-shirt would look like if the creator had any idea on how to get it done.
those of you familiar homage clothing can attest to the benefits of spending a little more for something that you truly love. everyone that buys a shirt from homage has the same response: it’s the softest, coolest shirt they own. homage is a columbus, ohio based company using american made t-shirts and local printers. i wear my homage shirts more than any other shirts in my wardrobe. they’re comfortable, fit well, and they’re cool. and, homage supports a lot of great causes – they made the club trillion shirts that benefit a kid again, a columbus charity.
the point is, it’s important for us to stimulate the local economy. chances are buying from larger chains will not do that. besides, when was the last time you bought something from one of these stores and really enjoyed it? i mean, loved it. like it was instantly your favorite shirt or jacket or hat. i’m willing to bet never.
naturally, i believe companies like ours, and many others out there, are what will provide our economy with a much needed boost. we are creating and maintaining jobs within the US every step along the way. we are putting money back in to support local jobs: from buying the shirts domestically to having them printed in ohio to having them sold in your local stores.
i guarantee you there is not another company out there that is happier to have your business, appreciation and support than JUPMODE. we will always do our best to make you look good.
