CREATING MALLS WITHOUT WALLS; WISEBUYS MOVES INTO SMALL-TOWN STORES VACATED BY AMES.(Business)
From: The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY) Date: August 7, 2005
Byline: Bob Niedt Staff writer
The founders of WiseBuys Stores Inc. built a successful formula out of the ashes of a failed corporate giant.
WiseBuys ventured into small North Country towns vacated when Ames Departments Stores imploded. Its formula: Head into the Ames shells, create "malls without walls" and cater strictly to that community.
Only it's become so successful, said WiseBuys president Joseph LaChausse (pronounced "la show"), people from towns farther away are traveling to find the bargains.
"What we're doing is bringing businesses and franchises that would not necessarily go to a smaller market to that market," said LaChausse, touring the Pulaski store Thursday.
WiseBuys has teamed with KB Toys, Radio Shack and Payless Shoesource to create stores within the stores. Within the stores, KB Toys is called KB Toys at WiseBuys.
The Canton store has partnered with a national franchise called CardSmart to bring in greeting cards at 50 percent off. That will roll into the other WiseBuys.
"We've also added a destination shop for Carhartt apparel," said LaChausse. "It's definitely a distinct department, with all the signage and display material. Carhartt is a very strong brand that is fashion and function and definitely fits our market."
While the prices are low, don't call WiseBuys a discount store, said LaChausse.
"It's value pricing," said LaChausse. "We have the famous names, some of which we can't use in advertising, but the values are so strong that even with high gas prices, people will drive from, say, Oswego to Pulaski because they're saving a phenomenal amount of money, specifically with back-to-school."
CAPTION(S):
C.W. McKeen/Staff photographer
WISEBUYS STORES INC. CEO Joseph LaChausse poses in his store in Pulaski. He moved in after Ames closed.
GRAPHIC: WiseBuys Stores Inc.
Business: Value-driven department stores
Home town: Gouverneur
Phone: 287-1122
Chief executive: Joseph LaChausse
Web site: Under development
Number of stores: Five.
Locations: Canton and Gouverneur (opened 2003) and Pulaski, Tupper Lake and Hamilton (opened 2004).
Sales: Private. Executives say they've seen double-digit comparable-store sales every year.
Number of employees: 160
The Post-Standard.
ALL POSTED BY AMERICAN_PSYCHO IS EITHER FACT OR OPINION.
