Stein mart how many stores

Stein achieved moderate success with this somewhat revolutionary concept, which rose in popularity throughout the country. However, the company remained a one-store operation in Greenville until Jay Stein took over operations in and began to pursue a plan of expansion. While traditional department stores serve as anchors in shopping malls and offer moderate to upscale merchandise at full price, discount clothiers generally offer brand-name merchandise in an informal atmosphere.

Following the end of the Korean War, the production of retail goods began to meet or exceed consumer demand, resulting in a buyer's market.

While yielding lower margins per item than department stores, discount retailers made up the difference by selling large quantities of merchandise rapidly. Stein Mart straddled both concepts by offering customers the same ambience as a regular department store with discounted prices.

In doing so, it helped to define "off-pricers" as a new category in retail. Stein Mart targeted customers who shopped department stores on a regular basis, inducing them to purchase Stein Mart goods by offering discounts of 25 to 60 percent off of department store prices. By the late s, Stein Mart was the leading retailer of clothing for the family in the Mississippi Delta.

When Stein Mart expanded its original Greenville store during this time, several affluent women from the Greenville area offered to act as sales assistants during the store's liquidation sale of some designer clothing. At that time, Jay Stein noticed the women, "boutique ladies" as they came to be known, were able to provide an extraordinary level of service; they were knowledgeable on these more expensive brands given their own purchasing power and sophisticated taste.

Thus, when Stein Mart expanded into Memphis in , Stein and his wife developed a designer boutique within the store and sought out local shopping mavens to operate it. Stein was quoted in American Demographics as saying, "The boutique ladies are our secret weapon. Boutique ladies would consult with in-store clothing buyers to stock stores and ensure that Stein Mart kept abreast of trends. These women also tipped off friends and acquaintances when key new shipments arrived, ensuring that the merchandise would sell quickly.

Furthermore, when entering a new location, Stein Mart sought references for possible "boutique ladies" from its ranks in other areas. The position became a status symbol in some Stein Mart locations, placing interested local women on waiting lists. In addition to the boutique ladies, Stein Mart stores also employed personal shoppers, referred to by the company as "agenda consultants. Under Jay Stein, Stein Mart pursued a steady expansion program, growing from three stores in to 40 stores in and to stores by the end of The chain first tackled new markets in the Southeast, establishing stores in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.

In determining the prime locations for new Stein Mart stores, management targeted cities with populations of , or more and relied on demographic research regarding income, education, and occupation to help predict whether a community might support a discounter of designer merchandise. In the s, Stein Marts generally served as anchor stores in neighborhood shopping centers.

To enhance its image as an upscale clothier, Stein Mart initiated several marketing concepts, including store ambience, quality merchandise, and its "boutique ladies. This airplane-shaped bag is selling for more than some actual planes. See Nike's new 'hands-free' shoe. Here's where your 'free' online returns actually end up. Ever receive a package you didn't order? It could be a scam. This gym is actually opening studios during the pandemic. Macy's unveils holiday window display with gratitude theme.

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