Start with a part-time gig after work, buy a store location, build a second store location, add onto it and fill it with an inventory collection diverse enough to keep the revenue rolling in.
Now keep it up. Daily. For more than 50 years.
That’s what Evansville, Indiana-based Bassemiers Fireplace, Patio & Spa has done and it’s still at it and has entered into its second generation of ownership.
Diane Bassemier says that she and her husband, John, started the business out of their home as a part-time appliance repair shop. They grew that, gradually, into a grill, gas lighting and fireplace store, which was housed in a refurbished fire station. Patio furniture and hot tubs followed.
The business eventually built its own store, which was added to, with grills and hot tubs in the addition and hearth and patio remaining in the original building. These days, the business has been mostly turned over to their two sons, but Diane remains involved.
The most important consideration for business this season includes merchandising and product assortment, but lead times stand out as the most important of all.
“They are all important but it would be awesome if the lead times could be much shorter, along with more reliable shipping dates,” says Bassemier. “Lead times have gotten better and some vendors are almost back to normal, but most of our vendors are still struggling to get special orders to us in an efficient and timely manner.”
She says that she has noticed some slowdown in sales, which could be because post-Covid travel has prompted many to spend less on home furnishings — but that it helps to have multiple categories to offer.
“One category may be strong while another one is off,” says Bassemier. “Sales have been slower in furniture for us to date, but other areas are up and very strong.”
Accordingly, the challenge has come from furniture inventories that are higher than they would like at season end, which she attributed to late and incomplete shipments from vendors.
Those challenges have been offset, at least somewhat, by the addition of new products that expand on what Bassemiers already offers, including swim spas, retractable screens, retractable shade pergolas and children’s play and swing sets
Other changes on the horizon include an increased focus on improvement.
“We’re going to get even better at what we do,” says Bassemier. “We will try to improve on customer service, because there is always room for improvement. A lot of it is how you handle things internally and we are always working to achieve higher standards.”
To get the word out about what they have to offer, Bassemier tries to hit most medias other than the newspaper, with much of the effort going toward digital and social media, while staying with radio, TV and some billboards.
“We feel we are a destination store for all the categories that we sell, especially with the addition of our new store next to the existing one,” says Bassemier. “It has enabled us to offer much more in all the categories that we sell. We do plan to do some remodeling in the original store now that the new one has been completed.”
To decide on what manufacturers to carry, Bassemier’s tends to go with the tried and true.
“Most of our manufacturers we have had for many years,” says Bassemier. “We are very loyal to those companies as they have supported us and we have very good relationships with them and their representatives. If we are looking for any new manufacturer, we look for those who support the brick-and-mortar store, we ask fellow retailers if they have experience with them, and of course they must have a quality product.”
Bassemier says she hasn’t seen much competition from full-line stores, which she says is likely because the season is so short that they likely feel that the category isn’t viable for them, but she did say that online retail has become a challenge.
“Some people just shop price and don’t realize the service that we offer that they will not get buying online,” says Bassemier. “We try to let the customer know that we are there for them and because we have been in business so many years, we do have a reputation for being very serviced-oriented. We also try to support the community.” Any advice for struggling casual retailers today?
“Take care of your employees and customers,” says Bassemier. “Treat them as you would want to be treated. You need both to be successful.”
