Martin gets on the Good foot
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PROPRIETOR of The Good Store, Marshall Martin, has a simple business philosophy – sell products people genuinely need that actually work.
And his strategy is working; since opening at Albany Highway in Victoria Park in August 2006, The Good Store has doubled its turnover every year and last year was named ‘champion, gift services’ at the Australian Small Business Champion Awards.
Mr Martin said he opened the shop, which stocks an eclectic mix of hard-to-find kitchen gadgets, vintage toys, grooming products and unique home wares, because he was frustrated with stores that sold low-quality products.
“I started it because I was a grumpy bloke, and I thought ‘how come I can’t just go to a shop and buy good presents?’” Mr Marshall told WA Business News.
“Surely you don’t have to have Versace and Luis Vuitton written all over stuff to make sure it actually works?
“That was the abiding thing; things should work properly, allied with another one, which is that things should actually do something worthwhile.”
Mr Martin said his best-selling item in The Good Store’s first year was an imported potato peeler, while this year’s top seller is clothes pegs that don’t leave pinch marks on clothes.
But it’s not just the unique and useful stock that makes The Good Store different.
Mr Martin’s approach to retailing is somewhat old fashioned; he greets his customers personally, offers tea or coffee, but most importantly, listens to them.
“Your larger retailers will have a suggestion box at the doorway, and they are left wondering why they don’t actually get any decent suggestions,” Mr Martin said.
“That’s always the angle of small business, because you’re there under the customer’s nose and you can actually hear what they’re saying, you’re talking to them and you’re asking what’s not here that should be, and they’ll tell you.
“It doesn’t matter how powerful Coles Myer is, you’re always a chance because you’re much more flexible, and certainly you’ve got much more opportunity to find out what customers really want.”