Growing it small-town
n This year, Geyerman’s Clothing of Pipestone has been expanding northward to Slayton and Dawson locations. Why small towns? It’s a combination of opportunity and customer service, the owners say.By Deb Gau
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The owners of Geyerman's Clothing had a chance to move their business into new locations. But instead of setting their sights on bigger cities in the region, they picked Slayton and Dawson - population 2,000 and 1,500, respectively.
Why small towns? For a lot of reasons, said Geyerman's owner Patty Forseth. There was open retail space and a chance to develop closer relationships with customers. And, Forseth said, there are still plenty of customers.
"We prefer smaller towns to larger towns. You know your customers that way," Forseth said.
"There is business in small towns," she said, but it won't stay strong without new stores moving in.
The opportunity to expand into Slayton and Dawson came in the form of a pair of locally-owned clothing stores that were already planning to close. Forseth said she and co-owner Tammy VanDyke remodeled the first Geyerman's expansion, the men's store in Pipestone, themselves. It was a lot of work, she said, so they kept an eye out for store spaces that would need less preparation.
"And we liked the communities in both (Dawson and Slayton)," Forseth said. "We got a good reception from people."
"It's a good deal," said John Nevins, manager of the Dawson Co-op Credit Union and the president of the Dawson Chamber of Commerce. "There's always that fear in a small town, of having a business close and not come back."
It might not have seemed like a good time to expand business in today's economy. However, Forseth said, opportunity doesn't depend on the economy being good.
"The economy is always going to have its ups and downs," said Forseth.
"But when an opportunity presents itself, you take it. We're not afraid of hard work," Forseth said of herself and VanDyke.
Forseth acknowledged that it isn't always easy for new businesses to get started in a small town, but she thought part of it had more to do with experience than outside factors like the economy.
"I think what helped was experience," she said. Both she and VanDyke had been working in clothing retail for many years before buying Geyerman's, so they had a good idea of what they needed to do. "It's hard for someone without a lot of experience to get into, and that's why we see all these big box stores . . . I'd like to see more independent stores. I don't know, I guess you just have to jump in and learn from someone."
Forseth and VanDyke said they also try to bring something unique to the community, through style and clothing selection. The Slayton location offers women's, infant and men's clothing, but the Dawson store will only have the women's and infant clothing.
"There's already a men's store in Dawson," Forseth said. "We don't want to hurt other businesses."
Business owners in Dawson and Slayton said Geyerman's was a welcome addition to town, especially since it's helping to keep Main Street business alive.
Nevins said he knows there are people in Dawson - including his own daughters - excited to have the store's selection in town. "It's more all-ages," he said.
"It's extremely important to keep the buildings full in the downtown," said Henry Hassman of Hometown Variety in Slayton. "And, it's one more place in Slayton to shop."
"It's another reason for people to come to town," said Sue Isder, owner of the Hut Gift Shoppe in Slayton. "I know the women who come to look in our store, a lot of times they'll be holding a Geyerman's bag."
"We love having them in town," Isder said.
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