One need not read or watch too much of the news to understand thechallenges that exist at retail. And to be certain, it was a challenging year for most brick-and-mortar retailers with an estimated 6,700 store closings in the U.S. alone. But against that dismal backdrop stands the humbled swagger of the local underdog – the Ace retailer. While much of the retail world was whacked in the head with declining transactions, employee terminations and store closings, you extended four streaks that I find to be both impressive and critical to our future. Ace retailers have now enjoyed:
• Five years in a row of increased customer traffic
• Six years in a row of net new store growth
• Eight years in a row of increased same-store sales and same-store gross profit
• Eleven years being ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores” by J.D. Power*