Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes by David Bowie might be the official theme song for retail in the new millennium.
Since the mid-90s and even more so since 2007 / 08, change has been constant and adaptation the key to surviving, much less thriving.
Change is often harder for businesses which have been around for a while. When you’ve been in business for years, or even decades, you get used to what you need to do to succeed, can realistically expect it to work. Yet business courses are often filled with examples of businesses once at the top of their category which fall from grace or even disappear because of an unwillingness to respond to market demands or are overtaken by new arrivals with a fresh approach. Failing to respond to changes in the market may well end up being a failure to the entirety of the business.
In a community such as ours, with the advent of the internet and social media, and resulting consumer habit changes, the situation is no different. Even at a community level, retailers which thrive are the ones which adapt and are unafraid to re-invent when and where needed.
My friends John & Robin Siegel at Siegel’s embody that spirit, exemplify it. They've been doing just that for over 32 years on Park Avenue since relocating from Oklahoma, where they owned another retail entity, as well as a restaurant.
There's always stuff at Siegel's you will find nowhere else! Better yet, those are always items designed specifically for their Local clientele. Not just something different, but something different designed just for those who shop there. Their customers know that and keep coming back for more.
When you're already in such a mindset as a business owner, the arrival of Covid 19 is just one more challenge to overcome, not insurmountable.
As masks have now become the fashion accessory of the moment, Siegel's has stepped up with a wide variety of choices you will find only there. Made by their own tailor or sourced specifically from their specifications, many are double-sided, like getting two masks in one. Others are made of dress shirt materials, making them a bit more upscale for a professional work environment. Then, still others are made from fabric celebrating Florida schools from the University of Florida to Florida State to the University of Central Florida right here in Orlando.
"We've been very aggressive giving customers a unique selection of masks," John tells me. "We design and have items produced for us or we source it out." That especially includes collegiate items, of which there is always a wide selection, including clothing, jewelry and other accessories.
Knowing Siegel's offers such a vast array of such products, I assumed they'd stepped up those offerings in the last decade or so. But not so, according to John.
"Always," John says of unique items you will find only at Siegel's. "If we can't find what we want available in the market, we will create it." Persistence means customer satisfaction, means a greater assortment of items desired by customers. It's not easy and it takes time, effort. But in the end it builds loyalty and solidifies a customer base which will return in the future for similar items.
I ask John about specific items Siegel's customers can only get there and he unexpectedly replies, "Well, first of all, they can only get us here." Touche!
It's unexpected, yet it communicates a bottom-line truth about Local businesses like Siegel's. Retailers which endure are the ones which establish a true connection with their customers. That can be style and selection, but in a community such as ours, yes, often times that occurs naturally because of the owners are behind the counter. We know them and in turn they know us, respond to us, seek to meet our desires and expectations.
In person or online, there are often no middlemen or women, but owners interacting directly with those purchasing the products they have sourced or created.
"Our selection is really geared to our customers and the Florida lifestyle," John continues. "What we have put together is only here. There are many unique brands which are only ours, also products we have manufacturers make up for us that we literally select fabric and they design the models we want."
His comments remind me of a truly festive pair of Christmas shorts I picked up last year at Siegel's. Made by a national wholesaler, you could only find the shorts at Siegel's. Chinos were available everywhere with that adorable Santa stitching, but you could get the shorts ONLY at Siegel's. That's the sort of customizing which keeps customers wondering what's next.
In that spirit of ever evolving, for the first time ever you can now shop Siegel's on Park Avenue online at www.SiegelClothing.com.
Basics, favorites and a selection of the items you will only find there, know that as you shop there is always more when shop them in the store on Park Avenue.
Technology is wonderful and I am admittedly a fan. But Local treasures like Siegel's are best when you enjoy them face to face.
Even when wearing a mask.