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An active clientele packed with high-profile athletes. Close to $30 million in sales through three well-positioned stores. Consistent year-to-year sales growth. Unrivaled name recognition in key markets.
Any retailer associated with those attributes would be quick to agree that theirs is a truly great company. But, then again, we’re not talking about any retailer. We’re talking about Starpower, the Dallas-based retailer whose principals, David and Daniel Pidgeon, won’t rest until they’ve reached their own definition of “greatness.” “We’ve done a great job with athletes, but we haven’t done that with other groups on a large scale,” said David Pidgeon, CEO. “That needs to happen to become really great.”
Judging by the business initiatives the brothers have executed during the last 12 to 18 months, that may happen sooner rather than later.
Pidgeon’s statement came during one of the rare moments when he wasn’t on his constantly ringing cell phone (ring tone: Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”), closing a new commercial deal with a high-level exec from Chuck E. Cheese’s, scheduling home theater set-ups for several NFL stars, or arranging installation for an “ordinary” customer who took advantage of Starpower’s recent “Buy a 50-inch Pioneer Elite TV and get a Samsung 50-inch FREE!” promotion.
The conversations with the ordinary customers, those who don’t spark immediate name recognition, and the directions Pidgeon gives his employees on caring for them, says a lot about the foundation of the business and where the brothers want to take it.
With its legendary customer service model, Starpower has always worked hard to make each customer feel like a superstar. But it has done such a good job marketing itself as a high-end store catering to the rich and famous that many people think shopping there is beyond their means, the brothers said. Promotions like the “two-for-one” deal, the HD Expo and blanket radio spots, help attract a broader audience. But that’s not enough.
“To be ‘great’ we have to execute on a larger scale and replicate our model in many different markets and to different demographics,” said Daniel Pidgeon, company CFO, who plays more of a behind-the-scenes role to David’s public face.
True to the Pidgeons’ mission of working harder toward greatness, Starpower has launched a handful of initiatives over the last year that is bringing the company closer to that goal. And that doesn’t surprise anyone familiar with the operation.
