Business off to a good start for the season

Published 8:21 am Monday, December 13, 2010

Brian Williams, owner of Trailhead Mercantile on Main Street in Niles, has found success through social networking and conversing with his customers in the first few months of business.

Holiday shoppers are not the only consumers to spend their dollars inside retail stores this season.

For the avid sportsman, there is plenty of hunting and fishing to take advantage of in these winter months and one new Niles business is doing its best to keep its target customers well stocked.

Since opening up Trailhead Mercantile on Main Street, Brian Williams has been developing his customer base through conversation — both over the counter and in the virtual world via Facebook to keep customers coming through his doors.

“My main customer base is hunters and fishermen,” Williams said. “Right now, we are wrapping up — muzzle loading and late archery season for deer is still going on. We’re gearing up for ice (fishing) season.”

Trailhead Mercantile is somewhat of an extension of the family business. Williams’ father operates Trails and Sports in Vandalia.

Inside Trailhead Mercantile is a little bit of everything, including clothing and footwear, lures, equipment and even gift items.

Around the holiday season, niche businesses like Williams’ can sometimes see business slow. But Williams said he has a little something for everyone inside, including decorative items, mugs and vintage collector signs.

“They’re just $10 a pop,” he said. “You can usually find one that fits somebody on your gift list.”
Williams also has a registry he offers all year for his customers to build at the store.

“Hunters, and hunters’ wives will tell you this, they’re really hard to buy for,” Williams said. “I noticed a couple of other downtown businesses doing this, where guys can come in and write a gift list, a registry basically, so when their wives come in,” finding the perfect gift is made easier.

A tour of the shop’s Facebook page shows Williams as an avid poster, letting followers know about promotions and posting videos and pictures.

Word of mouth has helped get him off to a good start, he said, but when it comes to social networking, “you connect with your customer better. They don’t read a piece of paper and see a deal.

“You’re connecting with them on a personal level and having a conversation with them,” Williams said. “Then they tell their friends that.”

Customers even use the virtual space to let Williams know when they’re in need of a particular item — something he says adds to the store’s overall success.

“I love when that happens,” he said. “Because being as small as I am, I can’t carry the stock that, say, a Cabella’s or Bass Pro Shop can do.”

For more information, look for Trailhead Mercantile on Facebook.