It’s tough to open a retail business right now because of problems associated with the supply chain.
Let’s say you are opening a shoe store. Well, you can’t open a shoe store if your shoes are in a cargo container on a ship anchored outside of the port of Los Angeles. Even if it gets unloaded, there’s no guarantee that a truck or train will be able to deliver them halfway across the country in a timely manner.
That’s what Erik Bartlett, the owner of the new Bartlett’s Shoe Store at 303 S. Main St., is experiencing right now. He opened his downtown shoe store on Monday. This store, with its uncluttered and open atmosphere, is so cool. It elevates the experience of shoe shopping to a new level. What Bartlett wants to do is identify the niche his store will fill to meet the needs of Joplin’s shoe consumers. It’s more difficult to do that when your shoe choices are limited.
“The supply is tough right now. We have 30% to 40% of our inventory,” Bartlett said. “As a new store, we are in a test phase to learn where we will fit in the local market. This test phase will be more difficult because of the supply chain problems.”
Deliveries are routinely pushed back 60 to 90 days. Sometimes, it’s six to 10 months. Sometimes, they don’t come at all.
The shoe store features a seasonal nook for clothing and accessories that would complement a new pair of shoes. That seasonal nook right now features a display of quilted jackets by The North Face. The jackets arrived, but the North Face boots that go with them did not.
“You get what you get, and you’re happy to get it,” he said.
Bartlett knows how important the test phase can be to the success of a shoe store. Eleven years ago, he opened his first downtown shoe store, Runaround Running and Fitness, 422 S. Main St., by identifying a specific need in the market and filling it. The new store will feature all kinds of men’s, women’s and children’s shoes, from work boots to dress shoes to comfort shoes and sandals.
It helps that Bartlett has taken a minimalist approach to the design of this store. The shoes, including brands like Birkenstock, Ecco, Keen and Lems, are displayed on pedestals like works of art. You won’t see racks of shoes in boxes. The store’s open atmosphere is by design and will not change as the store’s inventory increases.
This building, which has been extensively remodeled, previously housed an architectural firm, a Social Security office and a gas company.
Bartlett said he purchased the property because of its available parking. You can park on Main Street and walk in the front door in a matter of seconds. It’s so convenient.
Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Bartlett said a grand opening will be held next year when problems with the supply chain are expected to ease.
But market analysts say it is likely the supply chain problem, which is jacking up prices for consumers and slowing the global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic now ongoing for nearly two years, will get worse before it gets better. Don’t forget — consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, and that activity will reach its zenith over the next five weeks.
So, if you find a pair of shoes or anything else that fits, I would suggest you buy them while you can get them.
So impressive
For the longest time, the Main Street exterior of one of the oldest business buildings in downtown Joplin was covered so that workers could give the structure a face-lift. The reveal has made the wait worth it. This is an excellent example of historic restoration.
This property, located at 216 S. Main St., will be the new home of Clevenger Financial and Béljoy, a jewelry business. Lane Clevenger, a financial adviser, and his wife, Abby, who operates Béljoy, will be moving into the property by the end of the year, if all goes as planned. The storefront has space for another business.
The history of this building goes way back. A historic marker that was placed near the entrance to the storefront years ago said it was the “Oldest Business Building in West Joplin.” It could date back to 1877.
The makeover features new period-correct windows on the second floor that accentuate the brickwork on the building’s Main Street side. It’s simple, but impressive.
This storefront is located north of the Frosted Cakerie and Bearded Lady Coffee Roasters.
