Vacation shopping 101 - Reny's - Brief Article - Editorial

With the kids back in school and the first day of fall less than a week away, summer vacation is now a distant memory. But take a moment to think back to the summer of '01. If you're like most retail professionals, you probably see yourself spending at least part of your vacation as an undercover retail critic each time you stepped in a store. Was the floor well merchandised? Were the prices competitive? Did you get service with a smile? In short, would you shop there again on your next vacation?

At a retailer called Reny's, on the northern edge of Midcoast Maine, an area fondly referred to as the heart of "Vacationland," the answer to those questions and others is an emphatic yes. And the reason is simple. On all of the points that make the shopping experience great--selection, price, service and convenience--Reny's is like its motto suggests: A Maine Adventure.

From its humble beginnings in 1949 as the only general merchandiser in Damariscotta, a sleepy seaside village some 50 miles northeast of Portland, Reny's, which takes its name from its founder, R.H. Reny, has grown to a modest 13 stores in 12 cities. And while that's not exactly a growth curve that puts it on par with other storied startups from places like Rogers, Ark., what Reny's lacks in size it makes up for in just about everything else.

Who else offers Back-to-School deals like name brand jeans at $9.99? Or oversized, high-thread count bath towels at two for $8.00? The fact is, Reny's buyers, of which R.H. Reny is still an active member, know a thing or two about crafting prices to drive in-store traffic. For as good as Reny's prices are in apparel and home goods, they're even better in the all-important area of basic household necessities. Take cooking spray at $0.99 per can, of which customers never buy just one! Even drinking glasses and other kitchen commodities are priced so low they move as fast as bread and milk.

In fact, Reny's stores have earned themselves such a solid reputation for commodity items that there's a saying in Midcoast Maine that goes: "If Reny's doesn't have it, I don't need it!"

What consumers do need--and expect--however, is a great shopping experience. And here again, Reny's delivers. From inviting seasonal assortments that flow out the door and onto the sidewalk to wooden fixtures reminiscent of the general-store era, shopping at Reny's is both fun and efficient.

At its flagship location in Damariscotta, the 4,000-sq.-ft. selling space is served by four registers where cashiers treat every sale like it's their last and managers pay much more than lip service to the concept of three-in-a-line. And it's this attention to service--when combined with name brand goods and discount prices--that keeps Reny's customers among the most loyal in all of Maine.

For all its unique features, though, Reny's is far from unique in the world of retailing. In fact, small town retailers like Reny's exist in markets across the country. And while they are highly unlikely to steal market share from anyone, and are far from a threat to the big-box tier, Reny's and its small-scale kin are the types of retailers that have a lot more lessons to offer mass than meets the eye.

So the next time you're on vacation in a town like Damariscotta, don't think of the local general merchandiser as a low-tier, second-rate chain with which you have nothing in common. Think instead of a place like Reny's as an incubator of retailing perfection, where service is more than a motto on a poster, and where every last detail should be a learning experience that can only serve to make you better.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group