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GIFTS >Best of the Best English Retailer
BELLEVUE, WA - If the platitude about the three most important - elements of real estate - location, location, location - can be applied to equine retail, Olson's Tack Shop has captured a trifecta.
The store is located in the shadow of Microsoft's massive corporate headquarters, up the road from Bridle Trails State Park and off one of the area's busiest highways.
A number of the store's top customers are Microsoft employees, according to Michael E. Akers, president. Besides the 30,000 employees, the company attracts thousands of contractors, who also become customers.
The 482-acre park, known for its 28 miles of trails and equestrian shows, brings thousands more customers through the door during the year.
This past year, Olson's and Mills Horse and Tack were merged to better serve the growing customer base.
Akers purchased the Olson's portion of the store three years ago, after serving as manager under the previous owners for seven years. Up the road two miles sat Mills Horse and Tack.
"We never had any rivalries really, our mutual goal was to see a super tack shop for the area," Akers said.
After a year of negotiation, the deal was closed earlier this year and a grand opening was held in March. The store consists of 4,000 square feet with five full-time employees and eight part-timers.
The new store is quite a change for Akers, who began his tack shop career in the basement of the original Olson home.
Akers started working in 1994 as a part-time inventory specialist while attending college. He later worked at Nordstrom's. But his interest in horses and riding made the position at Olson's a perfect fit.
Although the Olson's clientele is perhaps slightly above average in annual income, visitors shouldn't be confused by all the BMWs in the parking lot. The store shares its parking spaces with a neighboring BMW mechanic.
"We try to carry something in all different price points, but we'll never have something in the lowest end just for the sake of having something cheap on the rack," said Akers.
The store attempts to stock what customers and their trainers are requesting and tries to work with vendors who understand their philosophy of customer service. This past year, Akers went through the entire store and revaluated margins on all of his products to assure that prices remained competitive.
Akers is also active in the horse community, including supporting a plan to build a Washington State Horse Park in nearby Cle Elum, Wash. Nearly $4 million is expected from the state's Legislature to build the facility.
Marketing has also become a major focus over the past year. The company retained a marketing consultant to help shape its message and position the store in the marketplace.
"It's horribly expensive, but I would have to say it's money well spent," Akers said.
The marketing efforts have brought a greater level of cohesion between the various facets of the business, from the store shelves to the Web site. A photo shoot last year resulted in a number of images that have now become part of Olson's branding-they're used as art on the Web site and appear on giant posters in the store, as well as on the front of promotional mailings.
"The idea of the images is to take you to a place and to make you think about where you are," Akers said.
The images feature footwear, the store's biggest-selling category. Sportswear and horse health products are close behind. Since the merger, Akers said the store has expanded its horse health section by 30 percent.
The store also boasts one of the largest assortments of the United Kingdom-based Joules street wear line in the United States.
"It's flying out the door," Akers said.
Akers has been attending trade shows in the United States for several years, but has recently added both SPOGA in Germany and BETA in the United Kingdom to his itinerary. He researches new companies and their products online as well.
"I also look to see who's sponsoring the large horse shows because our customers will be exposed to their products," Akers said.
Gift shows are also an important source for products that occasionally find their way to the Olson's doorstep.
Akers said he plans to continue building the business and may consider another store or perhaps a larger one down the road. He would also like to get back into riding, something he gave up to become a retailer.
"I don't mind the sacrifice because I know I'm building a good business, but I'll always have a love for horses."
Olson's Tack Grand Opening
BELLEVUE, WA - Olson's Tack Shop would like to announce the grand opening of its new Bellevue location which will be held March 10-11. Area equestrian enthusiasts are invited to attend the celebration, which will commence with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 10.
The weekend's events will also include visits from representatives from the industry's top equestrian brands. Representatives from Adeptus, Charles Owen, Dansko, Essex, Eurofit, GPA, Grand Prix, Herm Sprenger, Joules, Kerrits, Mikmar, Passier, Pessoa, Pikeur, Rambo, Toklat, and Tailored Sportsman will be on-hand during the weekend. These elite sales representatives will be available to answer questions and educate customers about their wide array of product offerings and new innovations.
During the event, equestrians will find grand opening specials throughout the store including discounts of up to 75%. All customers in attendance will be encouraged to enter a drawing to win a $500 Olson's shopping spree.
The event will also provide customers with the opportunity to learn more about the on-going effort to establish the Washington State Horse Park in Cle Elum, Washington. This endeavor seeks to create a venue for Washington state residents to enjoy horse activities, spanning competitive events as well as recreational trail riding. Customers will have the opportunity to learn more about how they can help make this visionary goal into a reality.
David Doutrich of Pegasus Training and Rehabilitation will also be available to educate customers about the numerous therapeutic rehabilitation opportunities available to area horse owners. Located in Redmond, Washington, Pegasus Training and Rehabilitation is home to state of the art medical technologies and therapies which are now providing injured horses a better opportunity for full recovery from injury and a return to health.
The new store, located 2105 140th Ave NE, has been renovated to accommodate the Pacific Northwest's largest selection of English tack, riding apparel, and horse care supplies. "We are looking forward to providing local equestrians with the most complete shop and best customer service in the Pacific Northwest," said Michael Akers, president of Olson Mills. "We believe that previous Mills Horse and Tack customers and Olson's Tack Shop customers will be delighted with the new store and equestrian retailing experience we will be offering."
For more information including hours and directions go to www.olsonstack.com or call 877.654.9453.
Olson's Tack Shop donates proceeds of sales and creates relief fund for equine survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Olson's Tack Shop has donated a portion of all proceeds generated from their recent blanket sale to benefit animal survivors of Hurricane Katrina. In addition to this, customers have generously donated funds that will be used to help with the relief effort. Thank you for your support.
