Star Uniforms Launches The Dickies Shoppe With Much Success, But Is Concept Right For You?

By Jackie Rosselli

Joe Talkington, owner of Star Uniforms, is somewhat of a risk-taker by industry standards. In his never ending quest to attract customers, he has conceived a number of marketing efforts, including a talking parrot that will soon greet visitors at his Springfield, IL, location. “It’s our answer to the Wal-Mart greeter,” says Talkington. “With all the competition out there, we’re always looking for interesting, off-beat ways to get people in the store.”

So when Andy Lane, regional sales manager for Dickies medical, approached Talkington about opening The Dickies Shoppe within his three Central Illinois locations, Talkington’s curiosity was peaked. “While I’ve heard of it, the ‘store within a store’ concept is new for the uniform dealer,” notes Talkington.

Rather than displaying similar products from various manufacturers on racks and shelves throughout the store, the Store within a Store concept calls attention to one, specific brand by housing a single manufacturer’s line in one, dedicated space. “Many customers shop by brand nowadays, and this approach enables them to get what they want without having to hunt through the entire store,” says Star’s manager Phyllis Goewey.

“It’s an opportunity to merchandise the way we envision it,” continues Lane, who assisted in the initial setup. “The Dickies medical line is about tops and bottoms, and this gives the customer the chance to view both together. Overall, the presentation is stronger, and that‘s a big plus.”

Why approach Star Uniforms for this project? “They are a very good partner with us, and we have a good relationship,” says Lane. The opportunity to re-merchandise the product in multiple stores was another incentive.

At Star’s Bloomington’s location, 110 square feet has been set aside for the new Dickies Shoppe. “They wanted more,” Goewey quickly adds. Divided from the rest of the store, the Shoppe, housed at the front, has signage suspended from the ceiling and affixed to a wall which quickly alerts visitors to their whereabouts. Brightly colored scrubs with styling options that mimic ready to wear fashion serve as eye candy. “Customers have told us that it’s fun to walk through,” says Goewey.

This approach has other benefits for the customer. “If you are brand shopping, you can get what you want quickly,” adds Goewey. “For many of our younger customers, this is an advantage.”

And while not necessarily the target audience, Goewey reports that the Dickies line has a strong appeal with the youth set. “It’s all about fashion nowadays, and Dickies seems to satisfy the younger customer’s desire to look trendy and hip.”

For Star Uniforms, the advantages are many as well. Dickies helped pay for the signage and marketing, and assisted with the initial setup. “I made some adjustments afterwards,” notes Goewey. While Dickies determined which items would be displayed, Star gets to ship back any merchandise that doesn’t sell within the 45-day evaluation period. “We couldn’t lose,” admits Talkington.

Neither, apparently, could Dickies. The competition in the health apparel market is fierce, and this approach not only strengthens their brand, but sets it apart from the rest. It also works to cement the relationship between manufacturer and dealer. Most importantly, of course, it seems to sell more product.

The numbers thus far reinforce this last point. The Star/Dickies partnership was launched August 1st with much fanfare and promotion. To create buzz, Star offered special pricing on some products and discounted others. For the first half of August, Star sold 480 units of Dickies merchandise, a significant increase from the 323 units it sold for the entire month of July.

At first glance, the store within a store concept appears to be a boon for the dealer. But it is not without some minor pitfalls. “The Shoppe is certainly larger than we expected, “ says Goewey. As previously mentioned, of the 4,000 square foot Bloomington store, 110 square feet is dedicated to Dickies; 200 square feet and 100 square feet make up the Dickies Shoppe at Star’s Springfield and Urbana locations, respectively. “It’s not really a downfall, but it might be a consideration for other dealers,” adds Goewey. “Many simply don’t have the space for this kind of project.”

A certain amount of independence and decision-making is lost in the venture as well. Star had little voice over what merchandise would be included - that judgment was left to Dickies. “We would have liked to be in on the process, since we know our customers best,” says Talkington.

The store’s tone and identity is also called into question. Talkington explains: “We have a separate room, called the Discount Den, where we sell items for $10. It is very popular with customers, and it is what we are known for. By adding the Dickies Shoppe, we are, in essence, creating another identity. Do we want to be known for two things?”

For Goewey, the Star/Dickies partnership has sparked other possibilities. “I’d like to create a holiday shop, with items from various vendors, all in a holiday theme,” she says. “This experience has taught us about the potential of merchandising and space.”

Will the Dickies Shoppe be a mainstay at Star Uniforms? The jury is still out. Each party has agreed to evaluate the results after 45 days before making a final decision.

For now, at least, both the retailer and manufacturer seemed pleased with the partnership. “We really couldn’t lose, ” says Lane. Talkington, too, sees it as a win/win. “Anytime you try something different and unique, people will notice,” he says. The store within a store approach might not be as unique as parrot greeters, but it clearly has customers talking.

Visit both Star Uniforms and Dickies on the web: www.staruniforms-gifts.com; www.dickies.com