Retailer Web Services Digital Advisor Summer 2018 | Page 5

ON DECK
SURVIVING
POWERFUL
FORCES
AND THRIVING SINCE 1889
G
uy Krisay can’t help but get
nostalgic when he talks about
his business. The building that
houses Krisay’s Appliance &
Bedding in Johnstown, Pa., has survived
three major floods in U.S. history. The first
natural disaster dates back to the 19th
century: Johnstown’s “Great Flood” of
1889 occurred after a dam collapsed due
to heavy rains. When rubble accumulated
at the Stone Bridge (a historic landmark
today), it caught fire and caused the
water to back up. The building that would
eventually become Krisay’s floated
upstream to its present location. The
building’s story of survival is in the annals
of “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!”
It wasn’t until 1979 (and two floods
later) that Krisay and his dad, Steve,
started the appliance business in
the steel, iron and coal mining town.
Maytag was the first brand they sold
with many to follow, including Whirlpool,
KitchenAid, Frigidaire, Speed Queen
and GE. Within five years, the Krisays
opened a warehouse one block away
from the flagship store’s downtown
location. A second location soon
followed in upper Johnstown.
“Time marched on,” said Krisay, “and we
had our best year in business last year.”
He continued, “But with success comes
other issues that make my head spin—
that’s where RWS comes in.”
Here, Krisay, an Appliance Dealers
Cooperative member, shares the history
of working with RWS—from RetailDeck ®
to Socrates—the evolving competitive
landscape and the latest way RWS has
made a difference in the profitability of
the business.
Digital Advisor (DA): How long have
you worked with RWS?
Guy Krisay (GK): A long time, 10 or 12
years. I remember meeting Jennie’s
family (RWS COO Jennie Gilbert) at
a buying fair. That’s where I initially
got the interest in their services
and became a RetailDeck customer.
RetailDeck has always given us an idea
of where our competitors are in terms
of pricing. RetailDeck is important in
terms of our inventory, warehouse and
delivery. It’s been indispensable to
our business over the years. Without
RetailDeck, it would be like trying to
run our business without a computer!
DA: Describe your digital journey.
GK: I’ve gone from wringer washers
to computerizing our business. Back
when we got our computer system in
2000, I remember my dad not wanting
anything to do with it. I had taken a
computer science class in high school,
but that was in the punched card era.
Soon after we signed on for RetailDeck,
we got an RWS website. Today, we’re
on Socrates. It’s easy for our customers
to navigate and see everything from
pricing to rebates and warranties.
DA: How does RWS help with pricing?
GK: Through the years, Jennie has
always been there for me. As our
business has grown and with last year
being our most successful, it’s come
with both rewards and challenges. This
business has become a commodity with
prices changing daily. Jennie understood
what type of pricing structure we needed
to make a profit and stay in business
while remaining competitive.
The pricing formulas RWS has
established allows us to maintain a
level of profitability without a customer
coming to a manag er and questioning
our pricing. We aim to give consumers
the best price every day. We pride
ourselves on servicing everything we
sell. It’s one way we build loyalty as an
independent retailer.
DA: How has the competition changed?
GK: Back when Lowe’s and Home
Depot came to our small town, we did
see a lull in business because they
were new and exciting. But it’s a “self-
service” model with very little guidance.
An advantage for independent retailers
is people don’t have to walk 100 yards
to find someone to help them.
Today, Amazon is a force that’s getting
stronger. Right now, their strength is
in the smaller items, like parts. It puts
pressure on the independents. When we
get calls for part pricing, we hear a lot of,
“I can get that cheaper on Amazon.”
DA: In the growing shadow of Amazon,
how can an independent retailer win?
GK: There’s a lot we can do. We do our
due diligence to confirm a part number
coincides with a model number (a
common mistake consumers make
when ordering parts online) and they’re
ordering the right part to begin with.
I’ve seen non-genuine OEM [Original
Equipment Manufacturer] parts on
Amazon. When a customer buys a
part from us, we can test the old part
and help with simple installation
instructions. We see do-it-yourselfers
come into our store two, three and four
times for help. Our service department
can fix it for them. Our building is a
reminder of survival when powerful
forces come along.
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