RETAIL & LEISURE
ARIZONA CLOTHING BOUTIQUES, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
Top 10 ECO-CHIC CONSIGNMENTS, INC. 4025 N. 44th St., Phoenix, 85018 // 602-952-9616 // mysisterscloset.com AZ EMPLOYEES 200 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ann Siner, founder and CEO BUFFALO EXCHANGE P.O. Box 40488, Tucson, 85717 // 520-622-2711 // buffaloexchange.com AZ EMPLOYEES 150 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Kerstin Block, president BRAND X T-SHIRTS 414 S. Mill Ave., Suite 106, Tempe, 85281 // 480-200-2833 // brandxtshirts. com AZ EMPLOYEES 23 PRINCIPAL Charles Goffnett, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Alyssa Shirley, director of everything FRANCES 10 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85013 // 602-279-5467 // francesvintage.com AZ EMPLOYEES 8 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Georganne Bryant, owner HUB CLOTHING 5213 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85012 // 602-277-4822 // hubclothing.com AZ EMPLOYEES 5 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jennifer Mumford Hodge, owner
RESALE FASHION PIONEER
KERSTIN BLOCK FOUNDER BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND
84
“I got into this business because I am addicted to secondhand shopping,” admits Kerstin Block. Like other discriminating thrift shoppers, she spent hours sorting through acres of merchandise in giant Goodwill stores. But she couldn’t help wondering whether a boutique-style store might appeal to customers who prized fashion over a good deal. In 1974, Block and her husband Spencer opened the first Buffalo Exchange in Tucson—a 450-square-foot store with clothing racks made of old bicycle rims that put a fresh spin on resale shopping by offering only quality, fashionable items in a fun atmosphere. It was a hit. Today resale fashionistas buy, sell and trade secondhand clothing at five Buffalo Exchange outposts in Arizona, part of a nationwide network of 48 stores in 17 states. For more than four decades, success has hinged on hiring the right people. “We are always looking for the diamond in the rough,” Block says. “We look for people who have the ability to look at clothing and ascertain if this is something we can sell in the store or not.” She believes in hiring young people and training them in all aspects of the retail business—from cashiering to merchandising. Employees are empowered to curate their store’s inventory of designer, everyday, vintage and
one-of-a-kind items. Another routine business challenge is picking plum locations for Buffalo Exchange stores. Accessibility and convenience are always key, of course, but each location is as unique as its merchandise. When Block risked opening a store in downtown Tucson, it backfired. As soon as the store opened, the city began construction for a streetcar. “I thought we would be able to establish ourselves before this happened, but they hopped right to it and tore up the street,” she says. The recipient of a number of entrepreneurship awards, Block draws inspiration and business lessons from many different quarters, including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, where she served on the board. “That was a great experience for me,” she says. “It took me out of my business and gave me the opportunity to work with some other people who were really smart. Even though it’s a not-for-profit, it’s still a business, faced with a lot of the same choices about hiring and making enough money.” Away from Buffalo Exchange, Block tends a restaurant and a bed and breakfast her husband established on Tucson’s west side. “Those businesses are more of a hobby for me,” she says. “We get tourists from all over the world. It’s a lot of fun.”
CHA-CHA CHIC, LLC 20823 N. Cave Creek Road, Suite 104, Phoenix, 85024 // 623-363-9377 // cha-chachic.com AZ EMPLOYEES 4 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cathy Garcia, president CLOTHES MINDED 4910 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 104, Phoenix, 85048 // 480-621-5322 // clothesmindedaz.com AZ EMPLOYEES 4 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kim Kendall, owner and operator FED BY THREADS USA 345 E. Congress St., Suite 145, Tucson, 85701 // 520-396-4304 // fedbythreads.com AZ EMPLOYEES 3 PRINCIPAL Alok Appadurai, founder and CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Carleen Kopacek, store manager KNEE DEEP DENIM 24 W. Camelback Road, Suite A450, Phoenix, 85013 // 602-502-6074 // kneedeepdenim.com AZ EMPLOYEES 3 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN RaeAnn Luksza, owner BOUTIQUE A GO~GO 3709 E. Sunnyside Drive, Phoenix, 85028 // 602-531-4933 // not applicable AZ EMPLOYEES 1 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Amy Falkenberg, owner
WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016
Retail&Leisure_Master.indd 84
5/17/16 5:49 PM