Trout & Grouse and Fly & Field
Hooray, it’s April! It’s officially spring, and with spring comes warm weather, green trees, flowers and outdoor activities. With these thoughts fresh in our minds, we chose CMC client and sister stores, Trout & Grouse (T&G) and Fly & Field (F&F) as our spotlight client of the month. Both are fly fishing and upland hunting shops located in Northfield and Glen Ellyn, respectively. T&G and F&F carry products for everyone from the most experienced world traveler to beginners who are looking for a new hobby.
How are the stores managed?
Store managers are fly fishing experts and are free to run their stores in a state of controlled independence. They are freed up from most operational tasks by a general manager who takes care of all of the nuts and bolts of the operation, including placing inventory orders, performing accounting functions, marketing and advertising. To keep everything running smoothly, the store managers meet periodically with the general manager to discuss inventory, sales and future endeavors.
What do T&G and F&F focus on?
Customer service is their top priority. They do everything for their customers, holding their hands while picking out tackle to giving instruction and assisting with travel arrangements. Every aspect of customer service is geared toward building customer loyalty. Repeat and referral business now accounts for over 80% of the companies’ business, so their emphasis on loyalty is definitely paying off.
Since they know who 80% of their customers are the stores profile them based on past purchases and preferences. These profiles are used to plan inventory, and the stores maintain an accurate database, which is kept active with mailings and a quarterly newsletter. Another great outcome of customer loyalty is that through word-of-mouth, customers have helped the stores gain recognition as the best shops in the Midwest and among the top 10 in the nation
