L.A. Reynolds Garden Showcase has been a member of the retail cooperative Home & Garden Showplace since 1996. Co-owner Ken Long believes this gives the store a competitive advantage against chain stores.
Home & Garden Showplace has 300 members and is a division of TruServ Corp., a cooperative with 10,500 members.
"All H&G stores are on a competitive playing field in terms of pricing with the chain stores," Long said. "It gives us more buying power and better payment conditions. Payment for some items would be 30 days, but because we're members of the cooperative we get 90 days. For items like Miracle-Gro, we can charge the same as Lowe's and The Home Depot."
Cooperative membership neither limits store owners' individuality nor is it a guarantee for success, Long said.
"There is a perception that you're buying a franchise like McDonalds and they're going to tell you how to run your business. That couldn't be further from the truth," Long said. "Our customers are our customers because of who we are. We would still be doing well without Home & Garden Showplace, but the membership definitely adds dollars to the bottom line."
For more: Home & Garden Showplace, 8600 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago, IL 60631; (773) 695-5379; fax (773) 695-7049.
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