Episode 7: Cindy Purnell’s Retail Journey and Commitment to Personalized Customer Service
"No matter what job you're in, whether it's retail or whether it's insurance or whether it is, you've got to have fun in your business. And when you quit having fun, it's time to get out." - Cindy Purnell
In this episode, host Terresa Zimmerman sits down with Cindy Purnell, owner of Post and Rail Men's Shop in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. With a retail career spanning over five decades, Cindy brings a wealth of experience and insights to the conversation. Her story is one of adaptability, community involvement, and a deep passion for personalized customer service.
Key points in this episode:
-Post and Rail Men's Shop has been a fixture in Ligonier for 50 years, celebrating its anniversary in November 2024.
-The store specializes in classic, traditional men's clothing with a casual twist, catering to the "horsey town" vibe of Ligonier.
-Cindy discusses the challenges and joys of running a small-town retail business, including:
Balancing tradition with the need to attract younger customers
The importance of community involvement and chamber of commerce membership
Using technology (QuickBooks Point of Sale) to inform buying decisions
Adapting to challenges like COVID-19 through Facebook live sales
-The challenges of staffing and succession planning for small businesses
-The importance of maintaining a store's identity while adapting to change
-Why "Main Street matters" - the value of personalized service and community connections in retail
Featured in this episode:
Cindy Purnell owner of Post and Rail Men’s Shop
Website
Post and Rail Men’s Shop Facebook
Post and Rail Men’s Shop Instagram
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FULL TRANSCRIPT
Cindy Purnell:
No matter what job you're in, whether it's retail or whether it's insurance or whether it is, you've got to have fun in your business. And when you quit having fun, it's time to get out.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Personally, I know that I appreciate reports, and it's shocking to me that not everybody comes to the trade shows with their reports because it's just so helpful.
Cindy Purnell:
I'd rather lose a sale. or guide him to something else where I can, you know, get him to something that looks better on him than have him walk out with something because he's advertising my shop too.
Terresa Zimmerman:
This episode of Main Street Matters is brought to you by Wood Underwear, Marchesi Jin Frati neckwear, and Inspiro Tequila. I'm your host, Terresa Zimmerman. Welcome to Main Street Matters. I am so pleased to be joined by Cindy Purnell, owner of Post and Rail Men's Shop in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Cindy, welcome. Thanks for getting up this morning so early.
Cindy Purnell:
You're welcome, Teresa. I am an early riser and not normally getting up for like podcasts and whatever, but it's kind of exciting. And in fact, it's really exciting. I appreciate being asked. Thank you.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Absolutely. Absolutely. So I've known you forever. Our viewers and listeners do not. Maybe you can start just by telling us a little bit about Post and Real Men's Shop.
Cindy Purnell:
Okay. Well, the Post and Real Men's Shop basically started Back in the late fifties, early sixties and November of 1974, my husband purchased the business. So you can do the math. That's 50 years. November 1st will be 50 years, which is kind of exciting. I've been involved since we got married, um, for like 30 years. So we, we met in. 1990, started dating, and then we got married in 1995. So I've been part of the business since then. The store is primarily, it's a men's store. We carry classic, traditional clothing, like sport jackets. We carry sweaters. We carry sports shirts, dress shirts. It's relatively more of a relaxed atmosphere in Ligonier. We don't have courthouses and stuff like that that we have. We cater to a lot of attorneys or whatever, so it's a little bit more casual. We carry Tommy Bahama. We carry Johnny O. We carry wood underwear. We carry Viola, accessories, pretty much we try to outfit the man in the way he would like to look.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Cindy, has the store always been more casual? Has that always been the case?
Cindy Purnell:
I believe it has been. Like I said, we're not really a suit-oriented. We do sell sport jackets. We have three or four nice country clubs around here where they require jackets. They come to me for sport jackets if they need that. So yeah, it's, it's, it's pretty, it's pretty laid back, laid back. It's, it's a horsey town. Uh, we have fox hunting. Um, we, yeah, it's, it's really kind of neat. So, um, in fact, funny story, the post and rail men's shop is the official name of this store. And I've gotten phone calls wanting to know whether or not I carry, you know, cowboy boots or whether or not I have things for like post and rail fences. because of the name. It just kind of fits in with, there's a lot of post and rail fences around here.
Terresa Zimmerman:
So that's- Yeah, hardware or westernware.
Cindy Purnell:
Right. Exactly. So that's kind of like where, you know, it came from.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Was the name of the shop Post and Rail before your husband picked it up? Did he change it to that or did he keep the name?
Cindy Purnell:
He basically kept that name. It started, the Post and Rail started as a lady, it was a husband and wife. She had obviously the ladies and it was Post and Rail Inc. The husband decided one day that he wanted to open up a men's store and then became Post and Rail Men's Shop, the little offshoot. So, yes, it's been Post and Rail Men's Shop for over over over 50 years. It's shortened to Post and Rail because it's just easier. And I don't have a problem with that, because actually we do carry in addition to the men's clothing, we do have a little bit of stuff for the ladies. We carry Vera Bradley. Um, and we also carry, uh, just recently we started with Brighton Jewelry. So it works out really well because some guy will come in, he'll want to be outfitting himself or whatever. And he'll look over and I'll say, Oh my God, you've got Vera Bradley. My wife's birthday is tomorrow. I've got to get somebody. So it works out, you know, kind of neat that way.
Terresa Zimmerman:
So that's almost opposite of, you know, 90% of retail, which is mostly women's and they have just a tiny bit of men's for a gift.
Cindy Purnell:
Right. Exactly, Teresa. So that's why I feel a little bit of a niche in the area. I try very hard. This is one thing that I really try very hard to do or not to do, I guess, is to, I like to stay in my own lane. If somebody comes to me and says, you know, would you like to carry You know, Joseph Rubicon dresses or what? No, that's that's not me or the street, the store down the street carries it. So I try very hard to do that. I try to stay true to myself.
Terresa Zimmerman:
And it sounds like true to Post and Rail. Maybe you can describe a little bit about what that means. What what what makes Post and Rail Men's Store different from maybe other men's stores or maybe just even unique in Ligonier?
Cindy Purnell:
Well, it's like I said, it's very traditional and classy. We still have men that want to wear and will only wear button down shirts. We have a few spread collars. It's casual. I've tried other things. I've tried like going or we both have tried before my husband passed away, we would try different things like contemporary items for the younger man or whatever, and it just doesn't work in our store. It would end up in the back room, in the clearance room. You just have to say, OK, fine, this is where I'm going. I'm going to be, as I said, true to the post and rail. And people come in and a lot of people will come in and they'll say, well, you just don't see stores like this anymore, which really makes me, you know, makes me feel good because I'm very particular in how I merchandise my clothing and and how I buy.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Well, it's hard to not get distracted by, you know, all the shiny lights, so to speak, out there because, you know, there's. so much stuff you could buy. And I'm sure you get advice all the time about, oh, you should carry this, you should carry that. And I know personally, I know I've done it. Everybody's coming at you, all the reps and everybody, all the brands saying, we've decorated your store. So what, what helps you determine what actually would fit great or not? Cause it sounds like you're open to experiment. So, you know, where, when do you like reach out of your maybe normal custom, you know,
Cindy Purnell:
comfort zone to experiment a little bit. I think I need to start doing that a little bit more, Teresa. And I've questioned myself and in my buying, mainly because my customer base is an older clientele. It's, you know, it's probably 60. I don't have that 35 to 55 customer and I better start getting that or this store won't be around much longer because my customer base is dying off. They're wonderful people, but at the same time, I do have to upgrade a little bit, get that trimmer cut in that shirt. So yes, I'm open, but I also want to be the post and rail.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah, sure. Yeah, I said it, post and rail. I know, look, you shortened it yourself. Yes. Well, you've been part of the business, you said, for 30 years. So what were you doing for 30 years? How did you decide to become part of the business?
Cindy Purnell:
Well, I was working at Kauffman's, which was a major department store in downtown Pittsburgh. And I worked there for like, well, I, when I left, I was, had been there for like 25 years before that I was there for, I was at Joseph Horn Company. That's where I, when I left college, I went to Joseph Horn Company, which was downtown Pittsburgh as well. Four years later, I walked up the street to Kauffman's. stayed there for 25 years. In the meantime, in 1990, I met David. As I said, we started dating, and then we got married in 1995. And I was commuting back and forth, and the hour and a half commute back and forth got to be old real fast. So I can remember David said something to me about, he said, you know, he was thinking about selling the shop and I was thinking about leaving Kaufman's and I said, you know what, we both can't be out of a job at the same time. So I won, I got to leave, we kept the shop and I came here and I started with him. I've kind of, in a way, Teresa, have had retail in my blood, so to speak. My mother's father owned a restaurant and he also owned a grocery store. And my father's father, interestingly enough, owned a men's clothing store called Homer's Clothing, which was my maiden name. So I've kind of had it in my blood. So, you know, that was that. And when... Destiny.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Can't fight destiny.
Cindy Purnell:
No, it's just, you know, and I interviewed with Procter & Gamble, I interviewed with airlines, you know, to be an airline. It's just, this just kind of intrigued me. It's a very, it's a, no two days are alike in retailing. No two days are alike.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah. And since you have taken over the store, you said your husband passed away, and I knew that. How has the store changed? I'm sure you've put your own stamp on it. What have you done to, I mean, you've already been very clear, you're trying to keep it post and rail, but I'm sure your own touch on it has made just even slight changes.
Cindy Purnell:
I think probably the biggest stamp that I put on this shop was when I first started with David in the store, he was not necessarily aggressive in his buying. Let's put it to you that way. He had may have had, you know, maybe five or six dress shirts. We get customers where we get people to come in on the weekend and they'll come in for a party or a wedding and they forgot their dress shirt. And they come to us and well, David will say, I'm sorry, I don't have your size, but I can order it. Well, they're not ready to order. So I put dress shirts in and I put stock in. He would get merchandise in in the fall and it would be sweaters and he would put them out and I loved him to death, but he would have them put out and leave them in the plastic bags. I said, no, no, no, no. Customers like to touch and feel. Exactly. So, so I guess that is kind of my, I haven't really changed the content, so to speak. It's still just been casual, traditional, traditional, you know, clothing.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah. Tell us more about your customer. I mean, I know just from knowing you for a little bit that the town of Ligonier seems, I mean, for me, the stories, it seems like it's a tight community. Is your customer drawn from your community? Do you get those out-of-towners, tourists?
Cindy Purnell:
We definitely get an out-of-town base. We have people coming from New York, St. Louis, California, Texas. We do have our local customers that come in as well. patronize us and they like to support the small stores. I could tell you some funny stories about some of the out of town guests because they don't come here that often. And I'll have a customer that would come in and she would walk in the door and she would visit Rolling Rock and she would be here like once every three or four months and she would walk in. And, you know, I pride myself in somewhat trying to know customers' names. I think it's very important. to know their name, but God, you can't remember everybody. She would walk in the door and she would say, hi, and I won't say her name. And she would just take take it off me off the hook because I would know her name. So they became friends of mine. And it's like I said, it's just we draw from we try to draw from, you know, obviously the local people. In fact, I was sitting here waiting before we were going to start the session here. And people were out walking, you know, walking their dogs and whatever. And it makes me feel good because a lot of them stopped and looked in the window. Um, so yeah, so that's kind of where we are.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah. And I know you're super involved in the community.
Cindy Purnell:
Yes, I am to the point where sometimes, you know, it's a little bit, I've, I've, you know, pulled back a little bit, but my major, uh love is the um ice fest which is in january and you know let's face it people don't like cold i love it when it's cold i don't like this hot hot weather so i am you know i've been the chairman of the ice fest for over um my gosh it's probably going on 15 16 years and it's it just has been growing and growing and growing it's just it's an event where people come in and um You know, in January, people are like, they got cabin fever, they need something to do. So this town is just crawling with people. So that's, I am a member of the Chamber of Commerce, I will always be a member of the Chamber of Congress. I think that's very important. And I was Way, not way back when, but maybe 10, 15 years ago, I was involved a lot. I was on the board. I was the president of the board. But I've pulled back. I mean, I'm not as young as I used to be. And, you know, so it just, you just have to learn to like pull back a little bit and start to take care of yourself.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Absolutely. You and I have tried to practice that little word with two letters, N-O, right? It's hard. Exactly. Yes. Hard to say that word. Yes. So you mentioned that the Chamber of Commerce has been important and you'll always be a member. What are you getting out of that? What's Post and Rail Men's Shop getting out of that?
Cindy Purnell:
Well, if somebody new comes into town, for example, A lot of times they'll go to the town hall, which is where the chamber is located. And they'll just, you know, I need to know a little bit about the town. I need to know a dentist. I need to know a doctor. What kind of restaurants and stuff. And if you're a member, your name gets mentioned. If you're not a member, you don't get mentioned. And that's fair. I mean, we pay our dues to be promoted. That is and particularly in a small town, Teresa. I mean, let's face it, this town, the borough, which is where the the shop is in the downtown area, is sixteen, seventeen hundred people. Now, when you add the township and it gets a little bit bigger, it's a small, small community and it houses about 50 to 60 other small specialty shops. You know, there's ladies stores, there's jewelry stores, there's gift stores, there's dog stores, there's, you know, we don't carry, you can pretty much get everything you want in Ligonier except for you can't get a freezer or a bed or furniture or something like that.
Terresa Zimmerman:
That sounds like a pretty vibrant retail community for such a small population. It is.
Cindy Purnell:
Yes, it is.
Terresa Zimmerman:
And the town of Ligonier, you guys are all kind of centered, you know, locally so or, you know, centered centrally so that you're all kind of walkable.
Cindy Purnell:
Yes, it's we have the center of the town, which is called the Diamond, which is where our store is located. And then there's East, West, North and South. East and West Main Street is where the majority of the other shops are. few on South Market and a couple on North Market. So it's definitely walkable. It is definitely a walkable town.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, that just tells me you get a lot of local support then if you're that small a town. So to sustain that kind of retail, that's fabulous. That's a big draw. So can we jump a little bit to how you do what you do? You know, what kinds, what do you use technology or process or how do you decide how to buy? Where do you want to start?
Cindy Purnell:
Okay. Well, it's interesting you say, you know, how I do, how I do. I said, sometimes I think, I don't know. I really don't. Well, you do it. Yeah, I do do it and I love doing what I do. I use QuickBooks, Point of Sale, and I don't have, I will say, I probably don't have the most up-to-date version of Point of Sale. But it gives me what I need and I utilize out of that program what I need. In fact, when I go to my buying show, which is one coming up in August, I go and I have my appointments, but I go. with reports as to what I bought, what I sold, what I didn't sell. In fact, I have one vendor who always says to me before I walk into my appointment and she'll say, OK, where's my report card? And so everybody gets a report card. You know, we did well with this. We didn't do well with this. So it guides me into what I do for the next season. Now, sometimes you have to look at that and say, you know, well, maybe we didn't sell it this year. Maybe it was a little bit too early. So you just want to, you know, caution yourself and just think, no, I'm not going to buy that. So I do use my reports a lot. I discuss a lot of business with a lot of times daily or every other day with my Vera Bradley rep. And she'll say, well, what did you have on hand? Well, I can pull it up right there. What do I have on hand? What did I receive? So it's it's it's guided by I hate to say this, but technology. And it's also, you know, got you know, when you go and you look and look at a line And it just somehow jumps out at you. And I know I've been doing this for a long time. I don't even want to think about it. I started in 68. So you can kind of do the math. It's been a long time since I've been in this type of business. And I have a tendency to like lean towards very similar things like tattersalls and sports shirts and checks. So I have to get myself out of that box and say, not everybody wants a check, not everybody wants a Tadazol.
Terresa Zimmerman:
But knowing that about yourself is important because at least you, you know, you're conscious of it and you can act on that. I mean, personally, I know that I appreciate reports and it's shocking to me that not everybody comes to the trade shows with their reports because it's just so helpful.
Cindy Purnell:
I also rely on you, the vendor. I am looking at a line and I'm going to say, okay, Joe, what have you done well with? Is this good? Should I be doing that? Well, I haven't been doing well with that. They work with it every single day. I don't. I know what I kind of think I like, but I am open to somebody that says, Cindy, I don't think you better buy that. It's not right for your store. Most of my vendors know my store. They've either been here or known me long enough. They know what kind of store it is.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah. And most of them know to be, you know, just open about all of that.
Cindy Purnell:
Exactly. Exactly. Um, I, I love my vendors. My vendors are my friends. Um, and like I said, I just kind of, you know, let them guide me along with what I think I want, you know?
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah. Good. Good, good, good. Well, so I'm going to bring you to Facebook because I know that you jumped on Facebook. a few years ago to do in-store sales, like sales on Facebook. You were doing virtual, like, Hey, I've got three of these. How did you decide to do that? And what did that do for you?
Cindy Purnell:
Well, it started basically in during COVID. And I think a lot of people bring up COVID and whatever, and I'm kind of tired of talking about it, but COVID taught us a lot. It really did. It brought us some good things and some other things like, for example, what we're doing right now. Pennsylvania or our area was shut down for two months. And I get a little emotional about some of these, but you know, two months of not having your front door open is kind of hard. So I thought, okay, Cindy, what are you going to do? Um, so I started videos and it primarily was in the Vera Bradley line. Cause that was easier to like cater to the women that like to shop men, you know, They'll come in on a Friday because they need something that night. But I also did a few, what I want to say, out the back door sales. I would make arrangements. Somebody would call. I need such and such and such and such. I'd say, OK, fine, you can't come in the front door. come to the back door and, you know, so I did business. I also got a lot of things done in this shop. I was painting and cleaning up and organizing and whatever for two months, but that was a tough period. But I proceeded with that afterwards. And the good thing about when you're doing a video or something is my fellow employee was holding the camera and I would go, okay, cut that, cut that out. In fact, one time I did it so many times, I had about six, what I call bloopers. I put it on Facebook. I got more hits than I did on the actual one.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Bloopers are awesome. I love bloopers.
Cindy Purnell:
Yeah. So, um, that is, that was kind of like how I got started Teresa in the face.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Do you still, do you still do some Facebook sales videos and selling online?
Cindy Purnell:
I do. I haven't done it as much as, uh, I just haven't had the time. I'm also, um, short of help. Um, my one employee retired in January. Um, and like I said, you know, we're a small store. So I don't have a major, you know, employee base or whatever. In fact, right now, I am chief cook and bottle washer, um, all of it. And, you know, looking for somebody wants to, you know, work. Um, yeah.
Terresa Zimmerman:
That was a huge issue for retail, um, hospitality too, but you know, for sure for retail. And what do you, what are you doing to try to fix that for yourself?
Cindy Purnell:
Well, I've been kind of doing it like word of mouth more or less because, um, I haven't gone to the Facebook ads or whatever, and to try to do that. And I'm getting to the point now where things have not necessarily, I've got a couple of people in mind that have come to me that say they want to help out for like a couple of days and they're like friends slash, but I think they're sincere. And if I can get that, that's going to, that's going to help me a lot. Um, yeah. And I don't know. We'll see what happens. I mean, it's in the upper guy's hands right now as to who he's going to send me.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Has staffing always been an issue, hiring people? Or do you think it's just a particular issue right now?
Cindy Purnell:
I think it's primarily right now, and I think it's been that way for the last probably five years or so. I hate to say it, but since COVID, it's easy to sit in front of a desk, sit at your desk in your pajama bottoms and go to work. So it's been an issue. It has been an issue, and particularly, I think, in small stores. I would imagine the department stores. Well, I shouldn't say that because the department stores don't have a lot of help either. Yeah.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah. I think I think it's tough all around. Yes. Right. Yeah. You know, some of some of what has been mentioned to me is, you know, people understanding a career trajectory or what what do they personally get out of, you know, being, you know, working in a small retail store. I mean, I love when I get to do events in stores. And I think I would love it every day. You clearly love it. So what what is maybe you can just talk a little bit about, you know, all the benefits that you feel from it.
Cindy Purnell:
There are a lot of benefits to owning your own business. There are also a lot of downsides to owning your own business because you pretty much, you know, do it all. You you do the buying, you do the selling, you pay the bills, you dust the racks, you sweep the floors, right? You pretty much do all of that. And I have people that will come in and they'll say, God, I'd love to own this store. And then I'll talk, I'll be talking to them and, you know, they're looking for a job or whatever. And that's I like a store like this. This is great. So they come in and they start talking and I give them a list about, you know, of the things that have to be done. Well, you know, let me let me think about this or whatever. And, you know, they're not saying after that. Right. Right. They don't. There's a lot more than opening up a store, thinking you can just open up a store and open the door and do a lot of business. It's a lot of work. involved in it. And I don't mind that. I've always been, you know, my, I was growing up. I always had a good work ethic. My father was a dairy farmer and, you know, we just, we worked for everything that we got.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Um, nothing. And then from a, from a staff perspective in the store, I mean, you have to, you have to love people. You have to love the merchandise that you're offering people.
Cindy Purnell:
Yes. The customer will come in. And he'll be looking for like a sport jacket. So I help him with his sport jackets and he'll try it on. I'll say, do you think you know what your size? I have no clue. So I kind of take a look at him and I said, well, you look like you're about a 42 rag. So let's try this on. He tries it on and it doesn't look right on him. He thinks it looks good or whatever. And I'll say to him, Jim, that does not look good on you and I won't sell it to you. I just want to sell something that I think doesn't look right on the customer or the pants don't fit him or the shirt is too big. I'd rather lose a sale or guide him to something else where I can get him to something that looks better on him than have him walk out with something because he's advertising my shop too.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah, well, I know you love that interaction because I get calls from you when you have fun stories like that. Recently, when you had to tell a guy who wasn't an XL but a double X, that's a little challenging.
Cindy Purnell:
I know. You know him well enough that you can talk to him honestly, and I have to do that. They'll say, okay, I want a shirt. Okay, let's get a sweater to go with it or Let's get a tie to go with this shirt. And this is a sport jacket that I'm wearing. I love to, I love to wear, or I love to put neckties, neckwear, match up a jacket with that. I have a lot of fun in doing that because a lot of people will just say, well, I think I need a solid. I was like, you need a little bit of a print or a little bit of a paisley or something to like, you know, zap it up a little bit. So yes, I do enjoy, I do, I interact with my customers in the men's side. I interact them with the Vera Bradley as well as the Brighton. Cause it's amazing what people don't know.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah. Yeah. But, you know, being able to be that close to your vendors, you know, the stories of the clothing that you're selling and then being able to pair that with the, your customer stories that you know, that's, that's awesome. That's magic.
Cindy Purnell:
Well, yes, it is. And I hope the magic continues because, you know, like I said, in November 1st, we're going to be 50 years old with David owning it. And I'm planning on a celebration and some fun stuff and some giveaways and things like that. But 50 years is a lot to be proud of. It really is.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Absolutely. And you're just getting started. Yeah.
Cindy Purnell:
Yeah, and I'm not ashamed to say this, but at 78 years old, I'm still somewhat going strong and I want this store to continue. I really do. And that is probably the challenge. I may be jumping ahead to a question or that you may be asking me.
Terresa Zimmerman:
No, we talked about succession. Succession is a big deal for so many stores across, I mean, all retail stores. It is.
Cindy Purnell:
Independent. This store, like I said, has been around for 50 years. It was before that. It was around before that as well. And it's kind of known to Ligonier and the type of store it is. And I don't want to see that go away. I really don't. Um, I'm don't have children, so I have nobody that is going to like, um, you know, carry, uh, carry it on for me. Um, I'm hoping that somebody maybe just, you know, may pick up the phone and call me or walk in the door and say, you know, I'd really be interested in owning this store. And I hope that happens. Um, what I hope is if they do. and they like the store and they want to buy it, that they continue the tradition of the type of store it is. Now, I know we all have to change somewhat and we have to go a little bit more contemporary and whatever, but I don't want it to be. Yeah, I want it to be the Post and Real. I want it to be the Post and Real Men's Shop. Now, if that's going to happen, who knows? That's, you know, that's.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Well, it's one of the, it is one of the hard things when you sell, um, that you do lose the control of what happens to it after that. Right. So, you know, you're, it's kind of like letting go of your baby. I mean, you've been involved for 30 years and it's, you know, got the legacy before that. It is one of those big challenges for anybody selling any business. It's like, okay, it's, I gotta, I gotta hand off my baby and hope it's in the best hands.
Cindy Purnell:
And you just said a word to kind of, you know, precedes me, I guess, and that's control. I am somewhat of a controlling person in my business. I like the way certain pants are put on the shelf, or shirts, or how they're hung, or the tags. I don't like to see the tags hanging out. They're all tucked in the shirt or whatever. People will come in and say, well, this is not marked. How much is this? I'll say, well, yes, it is. So I pull out the tag. And just to me, I'm somewhat of a control I'm somewhat of a control freak, and I'm actually very proud of that because I think, maybe not control freak being proud of, but I'm proud of the fact that what I present to the customer is what I want them to see in this store.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah. Yeah, that's clear. Yep. Well, on the succession, I mean, are you doing anything proactive about it or you're just, I mean, it's just on your mind right now?
Cindy Purnell:
Pretty much just on my mind. Yeah, you know, that that is a real hard question to answer Teresa, because I just, you know, I don't know what's going to happen down the road. Yes, I have started thinking about what I am going to do, because I got to start to slow down a little bit, but that's that's going to be very hard for me. Very hard.
Terresa Zimmerman:
My guess is slow down for you is everybody else's normal. Cause I know all the things you're involved with. Yes.
Cindy Purnell:
I, you know, I wouldn't know what to do if I would just, you know, decide to, you know, to sell the business or close the business, you know, next week. What would I do? I'd have to go home and I'd have to clean the house and I don't want to do that. or I'd have to go shopping and spend money that I don't have. So I keep myself busy, you know.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Or join another committee, right? Or join a, you know, run another program.
Cindy Purnell:
I could find somebody, something to volunteer for, because I'm sure that I would be that way. But right now, Teresa, this is what I like to do.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah, you can tell. It gives you joy. Yes, it does. What else are you kind of seeing in the future? that you're you might think you need to prepare for today and are you preparing for it.
Cindy Purnell:
Who knows what the future holds. It's, you know, we don't but I don't like to think you know, negative. I try not to think negative, but I think this this coming fall, the next maybe, you know, 12 months, I think it's going to be a little bit tougher retail wise. I think we're all seeing that people come and say, how's your business? Well, you know, it's good. It's it's OK. It's not through the roof. I've had some fantastic seasons, fantastic days. You know, I always said, you know, some of the stores are closed on Mondays and I'm not closed. I'm open Monday through Saturday. Sometimes, you know, you just don't know who's going to walk in the door. Sometimes Mondays are my biggest day. It just depends on who walks in the door, but they're not necessarily walking in the door as much as they used to either. I think, you know, the economy is shown that, you know, people need to put food on the table, you know, gas in their car, get to work before they put, you know, a new shirt in their closet or a new sweater or a new Vera Bradley handbag. You know, who knows? So to prepare for that is just being a little bit more It puts the onus on me as far as being a little bit more open or conversational. I guess I'll say conversational with my vendors. I've got this coming in, Jim, and I don't know whether I really need it at this point. Can we cut it back or whatever? Try to nip it in the bud and don't get yourself so overloaded that you just can't see the forest for the trees or you can't pay your bills. Fortunately, I've been able to pay all my bills. And I'm very fortunate in that and I want to continue that.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Is there anything that we have not covered that you want to cover?
Cindy Purnell:
I just think if people, no matter what job you're in, whether it's retail or whether it's insurance or whether it is One of my bosses in Coffman said to me one time, he said, you know, Cindy, you got to have fun in your business. And when you quit having fun, it's time to get out. But you know what, Teresa, I'm still having fun.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Absolutely, absolutely.
Cindy Purnell:
I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna get out for a while. May slow down. May use that word no every once in a while.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Wow, you actually said it. I did. You said that word. I did. All right, progress. So we're coming to a close, but I do have my one question that I ask everybody. Why does Main Street matter?
Cindy Purnell:
I thought about that question. And Main Street matters because of the personal service. interaction with customers. I don't have self-serve. I'm not going to be self-serve. I need to help the customers. And I just think that is truly, truly important. And I will repeat myself when I said earlier that we have people coming in here a lot that say, you just don't see stores like this anymore. I don't want to see that go away. I really don't. I just think it's important. You know, I was, you know, getting here this morning waiting for us to start and my neighbor's store pulled up and and I said, oh, you're here early, too. And they say, yep, you know, you just got to do what you got to do. But, you know, I know everybody in this town. Yeah. I know, you know, obviously a lot of the people that come in and stuff, but for somebody to come in and just say, wow, this store, I love your store. I love how you merchandise. That's a compliment to me. And, you know, Main Street matters because I want more of me around. I want more stores like this that, um, take care of the people out there that don't know what they want.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Yeah. that personal, that personalization and that relationship. I mean, plus Ligonier sounds like you've got such amazing community bonds. Yes, it is. Yeah. Thank you, Cindy. I appreciate you being on.
Cindy Purnell:
Theresa, you are more than welcome. I've enjoyed it. And I just, you know, I've enjoyed it. What can I say? Thank you.
Terresa Zimmerman:
Good, good. I appreciate you. Thank you. Thank you for tuning in to Main Street Matters. Hope you found today's episode insightful and inspiring. I'd love it if you would share Main Street Matters with fellow retail owners or anyone else who loves Main Street. And please subscribe so you know when the next episode drops.
