2009 Young Retailer of the Year Honoree
BRIAN YOUNG
Risky Business
Taking a risk is part of Brian Young’s standard vocabulary when he talks about the last five years at Prattsville Agway PRO Hardware in Prattsville, N.Y. In fact, he seems to have a near obsession with plowing head-on into the challenges of running a small-town hardware store, and he’s been coming out on top. Sales have increased 50 percent in five years, with more growth in sight for the future.
Of course, working in a hardware store wasn’t always Young’s idea of an exciting career. He had his sights set on a lucrative job in finance. Then he returned home after college and began helping his mother and father work through some rough economic times in the family’s hardware store. Suddenly, his attitude towards the business completely changed. He quickly discovered there were more challenges to running his own business than he could ever hope for in a big-city office. He also discovered he couldn’t pull himself away from it.
“I think the hardware industry is a fabulous industry to be in,” says Young. “There are tremendous opportunities across the board. It was the challenge of being a hardware retailer that attracted my attention. It became an obsession with me how to grow this business. How could I increase sales in a town of 500?”
Young began by making some important changes to the business. Up to that point, the store had been trying to source hardware products through individual vendors. Realizing the inefficiencies of that method of buying, he partnered with a wholesaler, Toledo-based Bostwick-Braun, and then set about creating more well-rounded departments.
Increasing inventory in his core categories allowed Young to stabilize some of the store’s weaker departments. He also took the opportunity to invest in new fixtures, planograms and lighting. That alone helped him increase sales. Then he took a big risk in making a major investment in a paint department. “Fifteen years ago, we couldn’t give away a gallon of paint,” he says. But Young believed the demographic in the town was changing in his favor, so he convinced his father to make a major investment in what, up to now, had been a dry department. Sales exploded, and paint is now one of the store’s strongest sellers.
Young also had another idea about his customers. People would shop a place that generated enthusiasm created a shopping experience where they could browse, not just pick up their merchandise and leave. The idea fleshed itself out in the loft of the store. While the space was previously unused, Young invested in a remodel of the 200-square-foot area and filled it with sporting goods and clothing. Once again, sales jumped and customers consider it a destination.
Young admits he doesn’t come up with all of his ideas on his own. He believes there it’s important for any retailer to seek the advice of others. “There’s always someone smarter and more successful than you,” he says. “Surround yourself with those people and ask what’s working for them.”
All of that’s just the beginning. Last year, Young officially succeeded his father as owner of the business. But even with the store growing stronger every year, he’s not about to ease back and enjoy the ride. He wants to test the limits of what’s possible, and this time it’s adding a second location. For Brian, it’s just business as usual.