Outdoor Insight

s /UTDOOR )NSIGHT s *ULY outdoorinsightmag.com E very time Kittery Trading Post reaches its ambi- tious goal of sales of $1000 per square foot, it be- gins its expansion plans. Well, it's time to get the blueprints out because the next big move can't be too far away for this single-store outdoor specialty landmark in Maine. With 2016 sales of more than $58 million from 70,000-square feet of selling space (out of a total of 120,000-square-feet that includes offices and warehousing), Kittery Trading Post is once again dusting off an expansion strategy that has allowed it to keep pace with growing national and Internet competition in perhaps the most challenging years in its 79-year history. Not that all of the outside noise from the competition overly concerns a company that has built a reputation as the go-to destination for anyone enjoying the Great Outdoors in the Northeast. Simply put, it sticks to what it does best. "We have no single competitor that has the same entire product mix as the Kittery Trading Post," points out Dave Labbe, senior VP–finance and administration, who admits that Kittery certainly does have "hundreds of different retail stores and Internet sites that compete head on against many of our product categories on a daily basis." But the iconic New England retailer does battle with all of this competition by overwhelming customers with depth of product and wealth of service. Customers make the pilgrimage up to Maine because the store carries more than 250,000 soft good items and more than 80,000 hard good items, represent- ing over 2000 brands. "If we decide to be in a product category, we go big and have everything for that activity," Labbe understates. Apparel and footwear sales will exceed 45 per- cent of its business in 2017. That percentage has traditionally been closer to 40 percent, but market changes have altered the product mix significantly. Kittery Trading Post still boasts the largest gun showroom on the East Coast and all shooting sports products account for roughly 30 percent of sales. The remaining 25 percent is filled by fishing, camping, water sports, winter sports, cycle and gifts. Interestingly, Kittery Trading Post spends less than two percent of sales on advertising and promotions. "Simply put, we compete by having the best brands and customer service," Labbe explains. "Our manufacturers and their reps love that we pay our bills and showcase their products in our unique store and our customers love our products and the advice our employees give them. Then they tell their friends, the best form of advertising ever created." Kittery Trading Post has been able to consistently supply this level of service by staying a One-Store Wonder and it has no plans to change that. In fact, Labbe sees the singular focus as a advantage in an often-disperse retail environment. "The uniqueness of being a one-store retailer is actually our biggest strength," he says. "A one-location store gives you a sig- nificant control advantage over inventory, product assortment, customer service and, most importantly, the ability to constantly try new things without the significant risk of investment. "The new things are why we are still successful after 79 years and we are constantly tweaking and improving," he adds. While it aims for that magic $1000-per-square-foot mark in the not-too-distant future, Kittery is dipping its toes further into e-commerce. While it has had a fairly robust Internet site, it has primarily served to drive traffic to the brick-and- mortar store and e-commerce sales still account for less than four percent of sales. Labbe expects that number to change soon as Kittery has made a significant investment to move its Internet platform to Demandware, which launched on May 1. "I expect this business channel to grow leaps and bounds in the next few years," he says. Until then, Kittery Trading Post will remain a true wonder with only one retail location. "The one store will remain one store," Labbe says, without hesitation. "The family-owned business goals are to continue to provide our customers with the best products and service, treat our employees fairly and make a profit. We have success- fully done that for 79 years, so why change?" O 20 17 KITTERY TRADING POST SINGLED OUT BULLET POINTS Kittery Trading Post employs an average of 325 people, with that growing to 375 employess during its peak season. Kittery Trading Post is open 363 days of the year — it closes on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. A destination store from points north and south, Kittery Trading Post is approximately a one- hour drive from Boston MA, Portland, ME, and Manchester, NH. TRAIL MIX Headquarters Kittery, ME Stores One and Only One Website kitterytradingpost.com 2016 Sales $58 million+ Kittery Trading Post remains a One-Store Wonder in outdoor specialty. Caption here and be never more than one line long Kittery Trading Post boasts the largest gun showroom on the East Coast.

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