What makes us better then the Big Box stores

Sammy

True Grumbler
Joined
Apr 25, 2001
Posts
63
Loc
Canada
Lets start a topic on why we are better then the big box stores. Maybe if we remind ourselves what makes us better then it will help all of us smaller shops with our marketing. These large store have the money and the research to out do the "Mom and Pop" store, but we have passion.
 
If we're talking from a business standpoint and the amount of business is the deciding factor, I would argue if we are better.

If you want to win (be it sports, business, or anything else)you look at what you do wrong and the winners do right? Yes, I think they are winning.
 
Passion in the frame shop? Oh, my! :eek: :D (Only when the soaps are on!
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Now this is why I started this topic, if we all have this type of attiude toward our shops then now wonder these big box stores are able to take over the market shares, we are better then these big box store and with a positive attiude and passion for what we are doing then us smaller store will shine above any cookie cutter big box store. Here are some of what I came up with, we have a faster turn around for work, most smaller stores do their own framing, most of us don't over inflat our prices to give the customer the impression that we are giving them a great sale price. We forget sometimes what us smaller shops have to offer that these big box store can't so let's remind each other of the good thing not whine about the negative.
 
Ok, I apologize!
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I believe what we offer is a dedication and pride in our trade/work that their salespeople don't possess. We also build a relationship with our clients that goes beyond just taking their money! ;)
 
Mark Bluestone did a fantastic presentation at last years WCAFS called "Attack of the Big Boxes". I came away feeling much less intimidated by them. He showed them (and taught us how to show them) a great deal of respect but he also put their business into perspective. Veeery interesting.
 
Sammy if we make a list of 2,667,342 reasons why we think we are better, does that steal a single customer from the big guys? Why aren't the cusotmers responding to all these great offerings? I mean the customers don't see the difference right now. If you read the reports you will see that customers are equally satisfied with them and us. So how does patting our self on the back help?

I'm not trying to be negative. I'm trying to be helpful. But this is your thread and I'll respect it.

Carry on.
 
In all my years of reping, and just talking to other framers, not one of the framers at a BB ever said that they were persuing a "career", it was just a job. And a low paying one at that.

So Sue, there is your passion. With or without the soaps. (Next time you turn on the soaps, wonder where all the work is that would keep you from watching ANY TV.)

BB's have the $$ to buy box goods, but so do we. As someone pointed out to me recently that the box pricing ("buying right") profits go down the toilet to pay for all of those people at the top that have ZERO to do with the work getting done.

We ARE more nimble. We can do that quickie on Dec 21st.

We aren't 6 miles away, we are in your neighborhood. They aren't. And by the way, how is the little Soccor starrr?

Ok. I hit the easy ones. You guys can fill in the rest.
 
Sammy,
Though I understand what you say and whole heartedly agree that the vast majority of the independent framers are "better" than the "BBs" you can not deny that they have taken an enourmous bite out of the already small slice of the picture framing pie. They are unquestionably getting better and better at what they do and will continue to make our lives difficult.

Or will they?

I have to beleive that the pain the independent framer is feeling will end soon. (Because we will all be dead!) No. Seriously. I see this current buying trend as a generational one. The next group of young adults will buy differently. The American consumer is becoming more and more savvy and will ultimately begin to understand the retail smoke and mirrors game that is being played everywhere, not just in the framing business. Does anyone really beleive that they got a car at the "Employee Disount" that all the dealers were offering? Come-On!

So with that said. I offer you this. We are "better" than the BB's because we have to be. If we weren't we would ALL be gone by now. We are competing without the huge marketing dollars. Take those $$ away from the BBS and they are dead. They are relying on finding new customers all the time. Get them one time maybe two and then go find another one.

I have seen the BBs from the inside. It aint all rosy there either. I have news for everyone here. Don't for a minute think that most of the individual BB shops do much more in sales volume than your's does. In most cases, they are not doing much more than another local framer would do. So we ALL need to get over it and focus on what we do best. Trust me, the BBs are not thinking about the 1, 5, or 50 other framers in town. They are focused on what they do and they do it.

My prediction is this: it is only a matter of time before one of two things happens. Either one of them will finaly figure out how to do it right and crush the rest of them or many of them will get out of this business all together because the Operational structure needed to support it becomes too heavy. In the end I think there will be two or three major players and the independents.

For whom there will always be customers.
 
We can remember our customer's name.

If we can't, we can fake it with a good POS. ("Could I have your phone number please? Thank you, Marge, and how's Bill doing after that unfortunate encounter with a chainsaw?")
 
Harry very well said, I do agree with you with most of your points but I keep hearing these big box store are not affecting us, and that they do add a value to our industry. I do agree there is a place for store like these they are helping us by interducing new people to custom framing and after they have learned a bit about framing they then go else were. At that point it is up to each smaller shop to take over and continue educating these new customer. This is why I decied to post a topic like this we all need to be reminded why we are better and what we do have to offer, So reminding each other our positive things about our smaller shops will help to keep our minds from drifting to the helpless state "Why try the customer think we are all the same" I also asked this question because I sat down this afternoon and started a list of why we are better and it took me longer then I thought it would. I have heard some very good reasons why we are better and the next time I'm setting up my marketing I'm going to keep all this in mind so I can pass all this positive reasons why my shop is better then the BB store down the street that is now offering 50% off and most customer fall for this marketing skeem, but like Harry said the population is becoming smart to these new tricks so why not hurry the poblic up.
 
We can purchase by the box,some of us do, now and then. They can purchase by the container(s) and they do, all of the time. We can not compete with them on price, not a chance.

We can compete with them by offering unique products, having hard to find items for sale.

Quality? They are doing better than some of us a lot more often than they used to.

Design? Think we should be better than them, but are we?

Best thing you can do is run your own shop, don't worry about them. Why? You can't do much about them, so why obsess about it?

John
 
The simple fact that you need to list the positives about being a small custom framer versus being a BB, tells about independent framers’ fragile position and struggle for surviving.
Framers’ do what they always did and even more than that. Yet, the younger BB players are in offensive and keep on growing since their very beginnings. They must be doing something right and that’s obviously not about quality, turn over time, smiles and expertise (all those being little framers’ stronghold). In my opinion when you are loosing, you must be looking after your weaknesses first because they are the major factors in your going south. Unfortunately you prefer look at a list of individual framers’ qualities as if they were little known but likely to be appreciated and sought after by the consumers, have the consumers only known those rare qualities of yours. Fact is that those consumers that bring their business to the BB’s can’t care less about your proven qualities. They are not buying your package but they do buy BB’s. What’s so attractive about BB’s way of doing business should be on your list, not what’s precious in your opinion about the way you do same framing business as BB’s.

Now, it’s generally accepted that from the edge of the field things look differently and mistakes are more prominent than for the players themselves. This is why we seem to always have better advices in store for others than for ourselves, and this is also why we relay on counselors when passing through difficult moments. Further more, I need say that individual framers don’t master same set of qualities, don’t share same goals and don’t even have one precise business policy and attitude. Looking for commonalities and hope for one generic success policy is the second large mistake I’ve seen being made in here. You may be using same tools and suppliers, but as individual framers you are individually facing and addressing specific problems with more or less success.

Your list of self-reassuring qualities, reminds me of my first attempts at selling my frames in America. But that’s a different story. Anyway, try for a change do a list of BB’s strong qualities because they, along with your weaknesses, are eating up your future as we speak. Good luck.

John,

You just said taht
"We can compete with them by offering unique products, having hard to find items for sale".

I wonder how is that possible when from the East Coast to the West Coast every one of you are talking LM23456, LJ0987654 and can perform same job using same mterials from same suppliers within the same ballpark price?
Actually this type of "globalisation" is what made you vulnerable to BB's in the first place, in my opinion. Individual framers' area of uniqueness is narrow and getting narrower.
You didn't mean to say that buying and selling my hard to find frames, is helpful against BB's. Or did you?
 
"We can purchase by the box,some of us do, now and then. They can purchase by the container(s) and they do, all of the time. We can not compete with them on price, not a chance."

I wished we could agree on if these guys are cheap or expensive? Are they playing pricing games? Is it just perception? Does anybody even know?

BTW John, you could if you want. I've seen it. It just won't happen accidentally.
 
Originally posted by Jay H:

BTW John, you could if you want. I've seen it. It just won't happen accidentally.
You are right but the emerging victor is not anymore going to be the little individual framer that we all knew. He'll look more like BB's or some other creature coming from the future. Is John able and willing to became a framing chain or at least one very large and penny smart operation? That's the question.
 
*** Mark your calendars, once in a lifetime moment *****


Sorry I couldn't resist but here it goes... I agree with Whynot (Cornell), It really does not matter what we think we do better than the Big Boxes. What matters is what the consumer thinks we do better than the Big Boxes, after all aren't they the ones who ultimately pay your bills?

Ok, back to reality... Cornel, the San Jose topic...get over yourself
 
Recently, I have had several customers ask me this question...

Do you do the framing yourself? Is it done right here??


is this fallout from the BB's?? Maybe this will be a deciding separation factor of the BB's and the independents. It is obviously on people's minds
 
We can not compete with them on price, not a chance."
I don't believe this for a minute. Take a piece of art and shop it at the big boxes around you. Then price it out at your shop. Chances are good that even with 50 % off at the other store, your price will be less expensive.

The problem as I see it is that they have the perception that they are much less expensive. And perception is everything. (almost)

One of our most effective window displays was taking three 24 X 36 posters exactly the same and framing them exactly the same. We marked each "M's 50 % off price $XX" "LA's(our local competitor) coupon price $XX", "Our everyday fair price $XX". We had gone out the previous week and priced them at each of the places.

We weren't that much lower but let people know that we don't run bogus sales - just try to give a fair price.

We picked up several new customers from that window. Time to do it again.

What we can't compete with them on is thier purchasing advantage.
 
Originally posted by Baer Charlton:

So Sue, there is your passion. With or without the soaps. (Next time you turn on the soaps, wonder where all the work is that would keep you from watching ANY TV.)
You're kidding, Baer, right? :confused: I was - although I admit the tv or radio stays on in the shop because I can't work without background noise of some kind. But I will say my gut reaction to your comment was I don't want to be that busy! It's only framing; not my life! ;)
 
I just had this conversation yesterday that consumers that have never had anything custom framed see the BB coupons and voluminous advertising and say "Hey that's where to get it done"... they don't take the time to look around.

So one problem is that the little frame shop does not have the resources to combat this kind of advertising campaign but we do have something else. When we provide the quality, service, personal attention to our good loyal customers and they TELL their friends and family and co-workers and we can build a base on referrals for the consumers that want something special and want to be treated special and appreciate the business issues of an independent retailer (of any nature)...

My husband came up with a brainstorm that we want to pursue to promote independent Framers (and retailers for that matter) by having decals, posters, billboards, whatever it takes done by those of us that are small and want to promote ourselves within our communities. To have the local distributors that cater to us promote us as well on their delivery trucks... to make it more visible that we exist so for the consumers that don't have a clue (framing virgins!) - that we are here for them.

I think we can win!! We just have to stick/band together to accomplish this.

Roz
 
Also, to the BB - every sale is just that - another sale. Cha-ching. I, on the other hand, look at it as the building of a relationship with someone who counts on me to create something special for them. The cha-chings are important but not as important as that relationship that brings them.

I love my customers. So many of them are so cool and such interesting and neat people.

As Baer says, "How's the star soccer player doing", and I add "How was your great adventure - I always look forward to see pictures of your next one" etc.
 
Perception is a big key. Make your ad's count. Run ads every week. Spend 5 - 10% on marketing. If every independent spent 5% on ads, we would beat them at their game.

Here's an ad that been working to level the playing field on the perception of them being best price.
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Here's one that reminds people of BB not getting their orders out on time.

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It also helps to be consistant with your message.

framer
 
MaryAnn-That program works effectively for us also. If it does nothing else it gets someone to stop and look and maybe give you a chance to visit with them.
Without it, they often just walk on by

But, I will tell you that we do have great buying opportunities-Most will just not pull the trigger and spend a few bucks. Of course, thekey is to have a promotional plan so that you can Turn that Buying Advantage into a Selling Advantage.

It doesn't have to a wide spread effort, but a few carefully selected items that really, really resonate with customers that create that "magical perception" while still protecting your margins

Did you know that Wal-Mart carries over 85,000 SKU's, yet they typically only have around 350 items "on sale"

A few boxes here, a carefully crafted promotion there and you can create a favorable impression.

I know the Shirks have done it

It really is about winning one customer at a time
 
Great ads and website Framer TG. I really like your moulding calculator on your web-site. Good idea.

I totally agree with you, preception is the key to business. Most people see small frame shops as exclusive and expensive. I first started framing in a Big Box store and most of the stuff brought in was movie posters, stock art and kids art. Most of the customers we had always had another local framer for the hard stuff and just came to us for the cheap orders.

Alot of small frames shops are set up only for archival framing. Most stores don't even carry paper mats and cardboard anymore. I see that as a mistake. Sometimes people just want it on the wall.

I don't think Sponge Bob will mind having paper mats and a cardboard backing. He'll end up at Goodwill or a garage sale soon enough anyway.
 
There's alot of good input on this thread


I'll add a couple of observations I've had in the last few weeks.

A customer brought in a frame needing minor repair. A BB declined the job and referred them.
It was only a $70 job, but I appreciated it. No rush on it but it was done in less than a week.

Another customer brougt in a job that they needed in about 6 days. The BB quoted 3 weeks.
Five days later I had another $200 in my pocket.

I know those are just small items, but my business is way up this year and there seems to be a perceived need for my work.

Oh yes, I have advertised in the local paper every week since I opened, I also advertize in every club's newsletter I can connect with. Run ads in a couple of Yellow Page Directories as well. This is giving me a constant stream of new customers in addition to repeat and referred customers. We need all of them to grow the business. ;)
 
I'm a no paper mat zone! only rag and alpha. They just look better 10+ years down the road and give a longer service life. Well worth a few dollars more.


Perception of low cost but great value at a fair price is the total package.

framer
 
It is true, the BBs have the advantage, but are you sure that we are competing for the same market? How much of yourselves are you willing to give to compete?

The BBs stay open til 9:00 Mon-Sat, and 6:00 on Sundays. Are you willing to take on that kind of payroll?


The BBs pay thier framers around $6.50 to $7.50 an hour, they don't care how long it takes to get an order. Are you willing to let an employee waste 3 hours at $10.00 an hour only to print out an estimate?

The BBs don't care about thier customers on a personal level. Are you willing to subject your long time, high rolling clients to waiting in line for two hours while some penny pinching person wants to see what every frame sample looks like agianst her crwss-stitch?


The only way I see to compete with the BBs is to have two shops under different names. Move your main shop to a larger, less expensive location along with all your clients and open a small high traffic store with new employees. Keep your experienced employees at the big store to do the production and help your high dollar clients and let the new store handle the low price, high production clients. The new store should be just big enough to take orders and quick frame orders only. Only adverstise for the new store. Keep the selections simple and inexpensive. I've worked in a BB, the more samples you have the longer each order will take. This store should also be open 9 to 9, Monday thru Saturday. The BB I worked at did most of it's business from 3:00 to 7:30 at night and all day long on Saturday and Sunday. This is the only way I see to cover all the bases and compete with the BBs.

We need to think outside the Big Box.


I'm not going after the BBs, I'm going after the trophy shops this time. Instead of buying Wizard Matt cutter, I'm going to lease a lazar plotter go after corporate presentatoins. Just think of the new markets a lazar plotter can give you. Glass etchings, wood plaques, metal plaques. I want to be the shop that builds display bases, display cases, awards, plaques, as well as archival framing. Once I get this moster off the ground, I'll open some small little frame shop in a high traffic part of town and call it Rick's Discount Framing and blow framing out. Nobody needs to know that Archivst Inc. has anything to do with it. If someone comes to Rick's Discount Framing with something that requires archival treatment, we'll just refer them to Archivist Inc. as a different business more experienced in archival framing.


I'm not sure it will work but that is my business plan in a nut shell. Heres hoping.
 
I gave a talk this week to a group of 25 women who asked me to come to their monthly meeting and speak about framing, what's involved, protecting art, etc.

Bottom line: as a group they have felt intimidated for years about framing in general because they are uncomfortable walking in to a store and knowing next to zip about the product they want to buy...one that doesn't have a price tag until they make choices and get a quote. It's not shopping, it's interactive, and they feel its a one-sided equation where the seller holds the cards.

Creating a comfortable environment where people are relaxed about exploring what can be done for them is a key advantage available to an independent framing business.

Advertising, quality, price, etc. all have their place. A reputation for putting customers at ease is essential to getting them through the door as repeat customers and creating that invaluable word-of-mouth referral.
 
Alot of small frames shops are set up only for archival framing. Most stores don't even carry paper mats and cardboard anymore. I see that as a mistake.
Cardboard can be vile stuff, given some time.

For us, the decision to stick with Conservation Clear as a default glass and non paper mats was mostly one of liability. We figured by using the best methods known at the time, it may discourage future claims. Most big boxes have done away with clear glass and paper mats for this reason. The secondary reason was to save space. We have a very small 900sf shop.

We figure using the higher grade mats adds about a dollar to the cost of each order. (if you factor in the scrap and fallouts that will probably end up in 3 pieces eventually) Enough people have come in to have items re-matted from other shops (with yellow paper bevels), and we've decided that we don't want our customers doing the same some day with a competitor - being too shy to bring it to our attention. For the small difference in price, I think its a good investment for our clients future satisfaction.

Just sharing a different perspective.

Mike
 
Now let remember my first post it wasn't how can we compete with the big box stores it was what makes us better, knowing why we are better will help us educate the public in our marketing. We competing isn't a oppsion for most of us because 1 we don't want to become like what Rick has pointed out, and 2 We are after a different market but as few of us have pointed out these big box stores are helping us in a indirect way, since only 9-15% of the population use frame shop just for the reasoning that Jack pointed out people are intimidated from frameshops. So from all this great info we have gathered here on this post I'm going to take it and now put it to use on marketing to the public why my store is their next move to having their faming done with me and not with the BB store down the street. I don't worry about the BB store I just want to use them as a tool to help me with my company.
 
I am sure that all the high expertise, personal touch, care and love that you mentioned in here were also tailors and cabinet makers' best arguments before they went extinct and people fell for shopping at the mall. Framers keep looking at themselves and find nothing wrong with them, ofering better and more of the same, instead of focusing on the NEEDS and PERCEPTIONS that your current and potential costumers really harbor.

Today’s consumers are much different from yesterday when all forms of commerce were having their clients being constantly attended and closely watched, entertained in small chats about kids and ailing relatives, and stores' reputation was build on word of mouth.
More than fifty years ago it would have been unconceivable to change your wardrobe without asking and getting help from an army of expert tailors, shoe makers and their assistants. We don’t need them anymore. Not because we move about undressed and bare footed, quite the contrary, but because the way we dress and buy dresses had meantime changed dramatically. Would you, for instance, stop shopping for your clothes at the mall if you were only better educated about what custom made dressing is all about and how much better is and altogether feels to be dressed by XY Couture House? Not even if they remember your pet's name? I see...

You may not be ready to admit it, but what if your clients deserted you for a number of reasons the last of which being that they were insufficiently educated about custom framing?
 
Hmmmmm interesting point WhyNot I'm going to have to tell my uncle who has worked all his life as a shoe maker that he, should have closed his door way back when, malls started to sell shoes, and that all his personnal service he gave all his customer over the past 40 years wasn't going to help him become weatlhy, which it has.
 
I can't believe I am doing this again...

Sammy you are missing Whynot's point here. It's a different world now. I am sure that your uncle does well but his trade is not like it used to be. There are frames that do well and will always do well but there are probably more that will not do well over time.

Our advantage as independants is also the disadvantage of the independant...Change.

As an independant we are able to change what we are doing much easier than a large corporation, no meetings with different levels of maagement across the country and no major financial investment needed. But then again this is a disadvantage because most think that they do not need to change, they can give what they think is fair pricing, they think that they are giving the best quality, and they think that they are giving the customers exactly what they want. Yet they never ask and never try something new.

If your uncle is making good money making shoes then he has done things right over his career, but there have been many others in his craft that did the exact thing that many framers are now doing, and they are the ones that are no longer around.
 
When I hit the big city (LA) in 1970, I was tempted to go to work learning that trade that would always be highly in demand.

There were thousands of these shops all over Southern CA. The prospects were endless.

But I went back to the dieing trade of framing.

Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like in that high flying world of TV repair.

Sammy, ask your uncle when the "Peak" years in custom shoes were. Then report back. I bet it will surprise not only you, but most of the rest of the Grumble.... Maybe not FramerDave, or William Adair.
 
I don't know when that peak year was in Romania, but I do remember that my father, in the 60’s, was getting all his clothes made by a couple of very friendly tailors (I was thinking we were relatives but we were not, sort of you, framers, being familiar with your best clients), and having all his shoes be made by shoe makers working in so called cooperatives (because privately own shops were already banned). My getting new (next size up) shoes back then would have started with searching city shoe makers’ inventory first because just like today some people were slow to pay for their orders and then their custom made shoes would simply be sold to somebody else.
I bet that not many shoe makers were aware that being able to sell their “ready-mades” was spelling troubled future in store for them. Those shoe makers too were maybe thinking that people have two feet to custom shoe for a life time, their good quality shoes, nice manners and clientele (list) were key to their existence, and word of mouth key to bring the entire (world) neighborhood over to their shops.
Just like Sammy said, the best of them had luckily survived, here and there, and even got rich over a narrow, select segment of buyers, but the rest of them had been washed off by the market’s main stream.
I hate to be sounding the bell in deaf ears, but I can see a day when regular costumers will step in a place full of mat and corner samples with price labels affixed to them, have a nice time selecting with little if any help the right combination to please their eyes, and then pay at the cashier to have those things “packed” and delivered. Phone or click a frame is another such future development. Of course, good quality art would continue to be highly appreciated and consequently framed in specialized places. But we are not being taken by surprise here. High end couture had survived just as high end framing will.
 
A little off-track, but maybe not . . .

Two, no three, locations ago, I was next-door to a typewriter store. The older guy who owned it either saw the writing on the wall or was just ready for retirement, and he sold it to a guy who had worked there most of his adult life.

I asked him if he ever considered the possibility that people wouldn't always be wanting typewriters and he looked at me like I was insane. Besides, he said, he was doing all the repairs for the IBM Selectrics in the schools.

Within a year, he was working another job and the woman who answered the phone kept the place open. Within two years it was closed.

I don't visualize a future where people won't be wanting framed art for their walls, but anyone who can't see the changes in the market is going to be joining the IBM Selectrics.
 
For plywood I go to Home Depot....if I want drywall screws I go to the co-op in town, unless I'm already in HD for plywood. Framing is not separate from those same market realities.

Some customers like doing business with local merchants, know me or my wife, liked my work in the past, feel they get good value for dollars spent, etc. Others don't want to go to a BB because of traffic, parking, the wait factor, limited assistance, its part of a bigger store, whatever. Those are my customers.

The ones who feel good because they got to use a discount coupon, found it convenient to take something for framing while gathering home decorations or scrapbook supplies, or were happy with the last job they had framed at the BB are not my customers.

I can't frame everybody's art, just some people's. My job is to find folks who fit into the first category above and not worry too much about the latter. So far, so good.
 
Jack Flynn,

Let's face it. Today, when you get ready for a large job you go to the HD for the convenience of finding every basic thing you need in there, in large quantities and at a much better price than at the hardware store down the street from where you are living; that HD must be very distant and your need too minor or too special in order to go for the hardware store as your first choice. Same is true with food. For food you go to the supermarket, but if you need to buy just a coffee and a pack of cigarettes you go for the familiar face of the grocer conveniently placed around the corner. BB's existence oblige you to either be a very specialized, sort of high end activity, and not all locations are suitable for that purpose, or to become a thrifty framing shop, and then the volume may not be sufficient to support you.
We keep on making no distinction between special and ordinary frames and framing needs. Those are two different species. It's not about people’s education but about their needs and BB's are after answering ordinary needs at a lower price. BB's are not going after the highest or lowest end framing because at their size it's just not efficient to be everything to everybody.
Of course, you can choose to be everything to everybody, as I've seen being the aspiration for most framers here, but BB's proximity will remodel customers' preferences and slowly moving inventory will do yours'. You simply don't want to be a hardware store across a Home Depot and yet be selling the same product. Sammy is right there within the beast's sight. He can't afford to look at the people going to frame with BB's and say “those are not my clients, I don’t need them”. He's going to get what's left from BB's banquet, not the other way around, regardless how many items he puts on his list of why is he a better framer than BB's, for this is not an academic test but real life competition with a giant for the same market. BB's will get better, no question about it. Individual custom framers can get yet better than that. But customers' needs will continue to be two folded: basic (ordinary) and special. JBR is right. You can't compete with BB's at the same table. You are forced by their sheer size to be or become something else, something special. Some grumblers successfully compete with BB's. But they are no longer small independent framers, but large, scientifically built and run framing machines, much closer to become BB’s themselves than anything else. And they turned that corner willingly, long before BB's opened across their street.
 
Jack-Do you see that portion of the market, those who want to shop with you, increasing or decreasing?

Recently, at the WCAF panel dicussion Jim echoed Jay Goltz's contention that we are losing independent framers at the clip (If I remember correctly) of 2,000-3,000 a year.

I think it is a tough strategy to rely upon that market staying with us unless we learn to adapt to the marketplace.

Ron's observation is apropos
 
Bob- I am in a small market. My business is increasing because I am the only full time framer for 50 miles. In addition, I created additional market share by securing the rights to produce a series of reproductions, which I produced and I only sell framed, and that only I sell. Those customers also return with other framing work.

Most recently folks have cut down on trips to bigger towns because of increased fuel costs. Coupons don't look as attractive if it means too much extra gas to drop it off and then go pick it up two weeks later. Prior to fuel increases business grew because it is more convenient to come to me than to drive the long distance...then it was a factor of time.

Half the landowners in the county are weekend residents who live in DC or other large metro areas. They perceive a value because of the lower operating costs I have, so they bring work up with them for me to do. The real estate business here is very healthy, unemployment is 1.5%, and the future outlook is positive.

If there is a norm, say established suburban frame shop that has to endure a BB going up within a quarter of a mile, than my situation certainly does not apply.

My efforts at adapting to the marketplace centered on creating new framing opportunities (the exclusive print series), capitalizing on the preference of part-time residents to support this smaller local economy, and having a small gallery as an attraction for visiting tourists that offers things unavailable elsewhere. The lower-price value end of my business is geared to, and attractive to, a segment of the local population with more limited discretionary income. That is where I make full use of excess matboard, glass, moulding etc. and squeeze as much as a I can out of all materials on hand.

So far it has worked. But I expect I will have to keep coming up with new ideas as the years go by, but that is what I like about being in business. I agree with you about adapting to the marketplace and feel that the solutions will be different depending on location and population.
 
Jack-Good for you. You are doing the right thing. I might add that many, many framers would love to trade places with your situation
 
Jack I really like your point that you made about having to come up with new ideas as each year goes by, because this is something that alot of businesses (not just us in the framing industry) forget, that for a business in today world they need to stay on thier toes to servive and be ready to change with the market trends,and being smaller businesses we have the advantage to do so, were large big box stores they have to plan their changes way in advance. If you were to ask your sales rep's why they feel these store are closing 8 out of 10 times they will tell you that it's because the owner wasn't changing to the new trends. When I heard of stores closing in my city I don't get worried, I just remind myself that it is most likly a store that wasn't taking the old school practices and adapting them to the new way of doing business.
 
Sammy you are now hitting on my point exactly. What if the trend was that people wanted cheaper framing? What if the trend was people not framing the pricey LE prints and framing more posters? What if the trend of waiting 2 weeks for a frame job shifted to 2 days? What if the trend showed people being less and less interested in “quality” and more conscious of a deal? Would you or could you react?

That is exactly where I think the industry is going.

Watching our share of the pie getting smaller and smaller and saying “but but but, I sell quality (or personal service, or I’m a local business)” isn’t a good game plan in my opinion.

What did a frameshops advertising sound like 10 years ago? I would suggest that you can go back and re-read half the posts in this thread and you will see the same talking points from that day. Those points aren’t working anymore. Reminds me of a saying “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”
 
Yes Jay but if, you think followng the big box stores in trends is going to keep you in business you might be surprised of the out come. Finding the niche that the big box store are not doing like Jack placing himself in the prefect demographics without the BB store to affect his business, or hitting the niche of framing that BB stores can't do or don't want to do. Is more towards the changing our businesses to the new business trends. Baer I would have loved to had the oppertunity to talk more businesses with my uncle but he passed away 2 years ago.
 
"if, you think following the big box stores in trends is going to keep you in business you might be surprised of the out come."

I'm not just talking about price (remember we're already cheaper then them anyway). I'm not suggesting that we simply sell the cheapest frames in town if that was your impression. We're getting dangerously close to discussing what they do well. We're not going there right?

What is a niche in custom framing? That’s a real question! When I think of niche I think of something that is exclusive and has a very high demand. A niche is never easy to copy. The best niches are very common products packaged in a way that will make you cross the street to pay double i.e. Starbucks.

I think this out fit has found a niche. www.cereality.com These jokers are getting like $4 for a bowl of cereal. And they are all the buzz in the restaurant world right now.

50,000 mouldings, delivery, smiles, a promise of quality, photo restoration, and photo frames isn't a niche nor have they proven to retain the market share. So if we are going to rely on a niche as a lifeboat show me an example, in the framing industry, that has truly set a shop apart and not copied and can ride the coattails of this niche for years. Crap, here comes another saying, “If you can’t beat em, join em”.
 
Originally posted by Jay H:
. We're getting dangerously close to discussing what they [BBs} do well. We're not going there right?
That would be indeed the smartest way to start analyzing such a situation. But no, some custom framers already decided they are being superior to BBs (just not quite sure what makes them better in a loosing context), for which reason, instead of learning about their competitors' edge and their own weaknesses, they prefer looking (positive thinkinking) for loosing party's complete list of assets.

Sammy, don't you agree that custom framer's largest asset is location, location, location? Oh, no, not that one Bob Carter is talking about, but one 20, 30, 50 miles away from any BBs...
 
I do some Mentoring and use a simple exercise that I use to assess the mindset of the person looking for help.

I ask them to list several things: The things that are the greatest strengths of their own operation and that of their best competition; then list those things that are the greatest weaknesses of both.

Some dig deeply and really analyze their position and some offer up the fluff answers we see too often (like on this thread).

Guess which ones benefit the most from the exercise?

Each month in FSB,a group of experts goes into a business that i srtuggling and offer advice. this month the biz is an Art Consulting (dealing with Corporate art, mostly)firm that strayed into Retail.

They signed an agreement to set up in Marshall Field's stores (I think 12 or 13 operations) and it was killing them.

The three advisors were brutal and the most telling criticism came from a woman that gets paid to proffer such advice. She said that these people simply "failed to act or think like a Retailer"

Man, I wish I was smart enough to have thought of that.

Can you imagine someone actually suggested that if you look to those commonly applied successful practices, that we might learn from them?

So, list the three things that you do much more successfully than these BB's.

Then list the three things that they do better than you?

Then, get up,walk around the chair three times and sit down pretending that you are a consumer.

Which list probably will attract your attention the most effectively?
 
There are a lot of good opinions expressed here, but I can't help thinking that "what makes us better than the big box stores" may be a moot point.

That is, no matter how much better we are at frame design and construction; no matter how much better we are at satisfying the customers' real framing needs, no matter how many more samples we display, it is all moot if we can not get them to enter our stores and give us their orders.

The big box stores are better than we are at marketing, advertising, and merchandising. These days, success of a small shop in close proximity to big box stores may depend on how well they compete in those regards.

"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?"
 
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