Interesting story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune over the weekend about Kowalski’s, the St. Paul-based upscale independent retailer, has expanded its fleet with five Minneapolis units that it acquired earlier this year.
In each of these stores, Kowalski’s is pursuing its traditional approach to retailing -- focusing on perishables, customer service and quality, and not trying to compete with the price-oriented formats that tend to dominate the landscape.
In each of these stores, Kowalski’s is pursuing its traditional approach to retailing -- focusing on perishables, customer service and quality, and not trying to compete with the price-oriented formats that tend to dominate the landscape.
- KC's View:
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The Star Tribune reports, quite correctly, that it is the stores that are neither upscale nor low-priced that are really getting squeezed these days…though it remains difficult even for the good upscale operators to make it
We’ve hade a chance to visit with the folks at Kowalski’s a couple of years ago, and learned that this is a company that thrives on breaking the mold, being different – and then working to develop an economic structure that will support both. It’s also a company that works assiduously to create solutions for shoppers by offering them an environment of ideas.
Interesting company, interesting approach.
