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For 100 Years, We Haven't
Stopped Giving People A Start

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new customers, regardless of the state
of the economy. "Home sales are still
rising; in fact they've been up since the
first of the year, despite all the talk of
a worsening economy," explains Selik,
27, of Pontiac. As long as people are
buying homes, they will need furni-
ture."
Selik offers customers unique prod-
ucts they can't find elsewhere in the
area, and because the store is family
owned and operated, he says they can
offer personalized service.
Selik's father, Bruce, opened the
store in 1974. "I sold my first mattress
when I was 8," Jeff Selik laughs.
Nowadays, he observes that "weather
has more of an impact on our store
than does the state of the economy."
Hillside offers numerous lines of
imported furniture. Shipments from the
East Coast can be delayed by winter
weather. To combat the problem over
the holidays, a busy time in the furniture
business, Hillside offers customers loaner
pieces so that they will have furniture
they need for entertaining.
"Sometimes a table would come in
without the chairs," says Selik. "We
would still deliver the table, but would
provide customers with loaners until
their order was delivered." He feels this
is one of the features that sets his store
apart from others, making it less suscep-
tible to economic shifts. Selik adds that
if people have a good experience, they
will keep coming back.
Selik hears the talk about an
approaching recession, but in general,
he says, the furniture business is "feast
or famine. There are times I wish we
had twice as many sales people, and
other times we are slower. It all aver-
ages out in the end."
Hillside has taken steps to ensure
that its customers will feel comfortable
making purchases regardless of the
economy. The store recently imple-
mented a finance program that allows
customers to pay one-third down,
with no payments or interest for a
year. "Customers will feel more com-
fortable if they don't have to shell out
everything at once," Selik says.
"Financing has really changed the face
of our business."

Clothing Outlook

Royal Oak resident Denise Kort, 35,
has been managing Connie's

3/23

2001

12

Children's Shop in St. Clair Shores for
years. Kort's parents opened the store
in 1954. Kort feels fortunate that her
business has stayed the same over the
years, regardless of the economy.
She attributes the stability to the
fact that, like Mr. Alan's and Hillside,
Connie's has a niche. "In addition to
the regular children's clothina b shoes
and outerwear we sell, we also sell uni-
forms for the area parochial schools,"
Kort says. "Kids need to wear their
uniforms to school. If the economy
isn't doing as well, people will only
purchase the essentials, but since kids
grow out of their clothing so quickly,
they still need to buy clothes."
Kort has also been fortunate not to
have staffing problems. "I have three
associates who have been with me for
over 10 years," she says. "People tend
to either stay forever, or come and go
very fast." Kort is not slowing her pur-
chases for the store because it is
important to her that Connie's carry
the most up-to-date styles.
Hersh's of West Bloomfield employs
the same theory. Offering women's con-
temporary fashions, it is critical to owner
Harold "Hersh" Rothenberg that the
store offers unique and updated items.
His philosophy: "If I don't have it, I can't
sell it."
Rothenberg has not observed signs of
an economic downturn in his store. His
may be one of only a few retail establish-
ments in town that does not rely on
December holiday sales to boost annual
returns. In fact, says Rothenberg,
December is one of his slower months.
Hersh's specializes in seasonal clothing,
which includes resort-wear and spring
and fall fashions.
He shares Bishop's view that if the
economy is in indeed slowing down,
business owners can take advantage of
that fact to reinvest.
Rothenberg recognizes that the
marketplace is changing. "It used to
be that location was the key to suc-
cess," he says. "Now, service comes
first, followed by your product."
He travels to New York at least six
times a year for shows and to buy
new lines. He understands that his
customers expect to find the latest
American and European fashions.
Recession or not, he needs to provide
a unique product to keep up in the
retail industry. Ei

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