My family recently went on Spring Break. We drove from Connecticut down to Bethany Beach, Delaware. We had never been there and we had decided, for us, it was still too early to board a plane; so, we took I95 south down to Delaware. It was a beautiful area, absolutely gorgeous! The beaches were unspoiled and pristine and the people were super nice.
Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC
As an entrepreneur and retail strategist, I love getting to know retail brands. And, as many of you know that follow me, I love walking the store floors. See my previous blog here about loving to walk store floors and casino floors; and, their similarities. Even on vacation, I was aware of the retail brands in the area. I was intrigued and surprised by the number of retail brands that were unknown to me.
Here are some of the brands in the southeastern tip of Delaware that were new to me and appeared to be good retail operators:
Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC
andThat!
andThat! is part of the Christmas Tree Shops and has fun finds for home décor and seasonal items that are affordable. After visiting them I could feel/see the resemblance to the Christmas Tree Shops. They have stores located in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Virginia and New Jersey.
Image Credit: GiantFood.com
Giant
Giant, a food retailer with 150 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. This food retailer reminds me of my big regional player Stop & Shop even down to the colors in the logo.
Image Credit: Redner’s Warehouse Markets
Redner’s Warehouse Markets
Redner’s Warehouse Market is 100% employee-owned retail food company with 64 locations throughout Pennsylvania. The parking lot was packed here; so, it must be a regional favorite!
Image Credit: Supermarket News
Weis Markets
Weis Markets, a food retailer based in Pennsylvania with 196 stores Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Delaware. These stores are beautiful!
It is great to experience strong regional players. We all have them and sometimes forget that the places we shop, particularly the food retailers, are not necessarily national chains. As you travel this summer, make it a point to check out retail brands that you are not familiar with from your area. Pick a store, take a break and go in and walk the floor. I know you will enjoy the experience!
Cheers to a great summer!
Sonya Ruff Jarvis is an entrepreneur and founder of Jarvis Consultants, LLC, a marketing, events and branding firm that helps businesses create innovative approaches to navigate the world of marketing. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 25 years and is the founder of the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. Follow Sonya on Twitter @jarvisconsult and @eretailersummit or contact her directly at sonya@jarvisconsultants.com.