For Judie and Tom Cronin, the value within their store — Cronin’s Porch & Patio in Fort Myers, Florida — is twofold: They offer a wide variety of price points, which means they have something for most everyone; and they have been in business for close to four decades, which means that whatever happens, chances are that they have been through it before.
“We started selling patio furniture 37 years ago and we have had it up to four stores, but we are at one store now,” says Judie Cronin.
She says that she has found that no matter the challenges, the tried-and-true still works best. The priority today, as it has always been, is to have inventory in stock and be able to deliver it quickly.
The good news is that the store is in sunny Florida, so the season is virtually year-round. The bad news is that sunny Florida sometimes has hurricanes, which can be a challenge beyond brief power outages and minor repairs.
“Our biggest challenge this year has been the hurricane, as people lost their homes and are still waiting for reconstruction,” says Cronin.
And if there’s a slowdown, Cronin says, she has a strategy: “Pray a lot!”
Selling it
Overall, Cronin’s Porch & Patio is about the outdoors, as its mission is to get those in Southwest Florida out of their homes and into their own outdoor tropical paradise. From a marketing standpoint, visitors to its website are introduced to the different lines that are offered — and are promised a consultation with a sales consultant who will teach them about different kinds of woods and metals, materials and warranties.
Unlike many, Cronin’s not only tells you what they have, but they give advice on what customers could do with it in their own homes. The website gives potential customers a starting point before coming to the store, urging them to take an eclectic approach by finding something interesting to add to what they already have as a focal point, perhaps adding a bar with bar stools to create ambience. Maybe they could create an outdoor space from scratch with name-brand cast aluminum, or resin wicker with aluminum frames or easy-care extruded aluminum. Or maybe they have a preference for cottage, Mediterranean or traditional styles. If they do, they can find it in Cronin’s showrooms.
Cronin says that what they offer is what has worked in the past, with the final call going to herself and her husband.
These days, the store depends on word of mouth, Google and Facebook to get the word out, with customer benefits to include quality products, friendliness of staff and good customer service.
“If people have a problem, they don’t get any help from the big-box stores,” says Cronin.
Any advice for struggling casual retailers?
“Choose the correct products, have good service and work hard,” she says.
