Question about your competition

[DTWDSM]

I am in a mall and am the only custom framer/art store in our mall but Lisa's question about her next door tennants made me curious.

How close is your nearest competition and what is the relationship like with them? Are any of you in a strip mall with another custom framer or in a shopping community with a competitor? If so do customers go door to door comparing prices? Is there a shop that tries to undercut your prices because the customer is shopping in the nieghborhood?

I know that a relationship between framers can be good when they are a mile away or so but what about when competitors are within a "stones throw"?

Just Curious

 

[Ron Eggers]

When I was forced to move two years ago by some community development, I moved two doors down from a gallery/frameshop. I knew the owner and talked to him before I signed the lease. We decided it couldn't hurt either of us.

As it turns out, it's been very good. My neighbor does things very differently than I do and they know it. They send me customers for shadowboxes, collage mats and other specialties they don't want to deal with. I'm sure I send them customers who can't/won't pay my prices. We have almost no overlap in our selection of frames or mats. They are a gallery with a frameshop in the basement. I am a frameshop with still more frameshop in the basement.

It would probably be an entirely different story if I were that close to a shop more similar to mine. But even a shop who did a similar type of framing would have a different personality, possibly a different selection of materials, maybe a different design style.

I don't see competition from other framers as being nearly the problem that competition from all the other higher-profile luxery retailers might be.

 

[Jim Miller]

Most shopping centers are managed/leased by folks who understand exclusivity. They won't normally put competitors in the same location on purpose. Also, some tenants (like me) insist on adding an exclusivity provision to the lease agreement.

That said, I would enjoy having a cluster of frame shops within walking distance. It would create a framing nucleus. All of us would see more traffic, and each of us would develop a specific identity. I like nothing better than to talk to a potential client who has just talked to four or five other framers.

Consider that gas stations, fast food & chain restaurants, hotels, and pharmacies all come in clusters. They feed off one another.

 

[fttom]

I'm in one of those truly weird positions. Because of Hubby's job, I have to be portable. I, therefore, have one of those(oh, horrors) garage shops, and I also work part-time in a frame shop in a chain store. My boss there is real understanding, and realizes that I've got more experience than anyone else around here (over 20years), and can do things that we can't do in the Store. We do nuts and bolts framing in the Store, and all of the tough stuff gets referred to me in my home shop. It all works out for everyone, and keeps a lot of customers happy. They can get good prices from the chain, when we have sales on that I can't match in my shop, but they get my expertiese with the really tough jobs, with my prices in my Shop. It's really a win-win all round. Of course, it would really be nice if there were more framing jobs here. We are rural, west of Atanta, and folks here just don't get what custom framing is all about. Gets you into some really interesting discussions at times.

Susan

 

[AnneL]

My nearest competitor is about 10 miles away in a smaller town near us. They are a semi retired couple in their 70s who have a frame shop in part of their home. He worked in art store before he retired. I consider George and Louise to be my friends and mentors. We are often seen in the grocery store or at WPPFA meetings catching up on the local gossip and the latest local framing news.

 

[John Gornall]

I moved to my current location 17 plus years ago. A few months later a frameshop opened in the block to my left. My business went up. A few years later another shop opened in the block to my right. My business went up. A little later another shop opened a little further to my left. My business went up. One lasted 2 years and closed. My business went down. Another went under shortly after. My business went down. Now I have 3 shops scattered around mine and it's comfortable. I'd like to be right in the middle of about 5 shops close together. Competitive, yes. Attracting lots of customers, yes. And I would fight and get most of the business. That's what small business is all about.

 

[jframe]

There are at least 7 frame shops within a mile of the store. Three of those are within a block and a half. I can't see that it has hurt business. It probably does help.

Just before Christmans last year a woman picked up a poster from one of the other shops after it had been there 4 weeks. It was a gift and alll she wanted was a black metal frame. We got it to her in 3 days. Bingo, We have a new customer. Guess what? She is a TV anchor woman and her husband is a radio personality. She referred 3 of her coworkers to us. During the Olympics she came to the store with a TV crew and did a story for the news about our owner and a poster he framed for the Olympics using the Wizard.

 

[gemsmom]

When I opened my doors, there was a do-it-yourself shop, a LeeWards, and another framer, all in close proximity to where I chose to open. I managed to grow my business I am sure, because we all offered something different. Right now, I am the only one left of that group. What I have now for competition close by are a home-based framer, and a photographer who frames in his studio.

Price shoppers? I used to gladly loan my samples until it happened that alot more people than usual were requesting them, and not leaving orders when they returned them. A woman told me another framer told her if she found something she liked elsewhere, to bring it to him and he would give her a better deal. She is in business and thought his methods were underhanded and never returned o him. I have really nice merchandise, he is low-end. I am his nearest competition, so I am sure he was sending them to me.

You will get price issues in this business. Whenever I have questioned people on what they thought the job would cost if they thought the price quoted too high, I found their expectations were far too low. Just the other day a man thought his collectors poster would be $150.00 for preservation framing.

 

[Reynard]

I opened up on my own in the new shop in february this year.A month later a guy who i knew fairly well set up shop in a better location just down the street from me.He set himself up as an experienced framer....maybe six months at it in his his garage.I have had seventeen years as a professional framer.I have been exceptionally busy since moving there and am picking up lots of new business.I have no idea what the other guy is up to...I do know he hasn,t hurt me at all like he was planning to do.

There ar six framers including me in our local area.

I would use only one of them if I was unable to frame myself.The rest are not really up to the task in my opinion.