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Our web sales are abysmal, but we remain committed and hopeful that not only will our web sales grow, but that our presence online helps drive footsteps into our stores," Quinlan explains. In 2008, the Loveland store was the first to offer all of Jax's product categories under one roof. In 2010, the Lafayette store was the fifth blended- category store to open, but in 2013 it was sepaarted into two — the blended store was converted to Jax Outdoor Gear, and a sixth store was opened, Jax Ranch & Home in Lafayette. Jax Mercantile's product assortment has changed quite a bit over the years, evolving from just military surplus, to first including camping, then clothing and footwear, to the addition of fishing and hunting, optics, books and maps, and finally kitchen and gift. "We had a footwear buyer who came from Nordstrom and he always told me the cornerstone of any good depart- ment store is footwear," Quinlan says. "While he might have been a little biased, he indeed built our footwear departments into one of our strongest categories. "Our clothing departments are very strong along with camping," he adds. "Really every category we have is important. While the soft lines are the bread and butter, we do not believe we could flourish, or really even be the same company, without including the lower margin hard line categories." Quinlan says his buyers for each category work closely together to replenish shelves and also to tailor custom assortments for each store's regional variation. "Brick-and-mortar retail is in a very challenging time and outdoor retail is no exception," Quinlan says. "It is somewhat humbling and a bit foreboding to witness so many long, well-established retailers closing stores. "Our secret sauce is no doubt our people," Quinlan continues. "While we try to be a socially responsible business and get involved in our local communities, at the end of the day it comes down to having a great selection of quality products at fair prices brought to our customers by our local staff who take the time to care. "We all have to face the changing buying habits of our customers. While retailing as we know it is certainly not going away, what our customers value most and how they choose to shop is an evolving landscape," he says. "It's more important than ever that we listen to our customers, work hard collaboratively to please them, and leave every customer with a positive experience of our company. I believe we are well positioned with staff, structure and facilities to do just that." O Jim Quinlan, president of Jax Mercantile, has seen the industry evolve significantly over the past few decades. He says, "Our secret sauce is no doubt our people." 42 • Outdoor Insight • August 2017 outdoorinsightmag.com