Don't Mess With Texas Apparel

   Family, hospitality, and hard work - these are the character traits that drive Richard and Carrie Tucker, co-owners of Richmar Fashions in Fort Mill, South Carolina. In business since April Fool’s Day 1981, Richmar Fashions’ 6,300 accounts and 5 percent to 10 percent growth rate per year (25 percent from 1997 to 1998) for the past eighteen years may be an achievement that puts a smile on their faces, but it is no joke.
   Although Richmar carries both branded and non-branded merchandise, the Tuckers prefer to chase items rather than brands. "I don’t buy a brand just to have a brand", Carrie says. "It has to be the right item. Label recognition is wonderful, but if it isn’t the right item, label and price don’t mater. When we started out in business, everything was price, price, price. Today’s customer wants the right item with the best price, the best quality, and, if I can give it to them, the best label.
   To stay informed about what’s happening in the industry, the Tuckers maintain a heavy travel schedule, attending approximately 28 shows per year. In addition to the Off-Price Specialist Show in Las Vegas and their three main shows in Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta, the Tuckers also exhibit at the Denver shows to stay in touch with the western market. Carrie says, "We are on the road a lot, but the shows give us useful feedback on categories. It’s imperative that we keep track of the pulse rate of the industry. That’s been a large part of our success. We are constantly feeling, touching, and reacting to what our customers are saying rather than trying to get the information secondhand."
   The Tuckers are optimistic that the off-price industry will continue to grow and prosper because retailers will always be looking for merchandise that they can make good margin on. But the key to success in the off-price apparel industry, the Tuckers believe, is learning from the successes and mistakes of others in the industry. As Carrie says, "In looking at businesses that have done well and those that haven’t done so well, I believe that timing in every category is the key to success in the off-price industry. We have to be reactive to customers’ needs as well as flexible enough to meet those needs quickly and efficiently."