I remember about 10 years ago getting a call from one of our long-time vendors. It’s a call I won’t forget. We had a relationship with this family-owned company for 20+ years and they too were enjoying the growth of our business. They have a beautiful product collection and one that we feature often because it works so beautifully with our elfa system.
As we’ve grown, we often see other retailers that try to emulate what we offer, which typically means trying to carry some of the same products that we do. So, a large retailer approached this vendor and really had been courting them for a while to sell their product. They knew the potential volume could be more than what it was with our company…and understandably, that would be enticing.
But after the two owners really talked it through, they made a conscious decision to not sell to this retailer. They knew that we would continue to support their line and present their collection of goods in a way that no one else has or would. I remember him calling me that day to tell me the news. He followed it up with a beautiful letter sharing their heartfelt belief in the continued partnership and relationship they have with us.
This collection of products is one of our most classic collections and we recently re-merchandised the collection in the store and saw huge increases! So, now even more of our customers are seeing these products and enjoying the simplicity of the design of this classic collection – they love the product as much as we do!
It’s my favorite part about working for The Container Store – having the opportunity to develop mutually-beneficial, long-standing relationships like this one that make me proud of how we conduct ourselves in business.
— Brooke, Senior Buying Director, 16 years
