YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY

Springfield, MO

Log in Subscribe

Susie Farbin and Diana Hicks, owners
Susie Farbin and Diana Hicks, owners

2014 Dynamic Dozen No. 3: MaMa Jean's Natural Foods Market LLC

Posted online
Riding a wave of interest, awareness and social change in America’s food culture, MaMa Jean’s Natural Foods Market LLC has posted impressive recent growth of 58.9 percent during the past three years.

In the Show-Me State and across the country, local foods equate to big business. According to the independent National Grocer’s Association, Missouri’s natural foods market racked up $5.2 billion in sales, distributing direct wages of more than $1 billion across 35,000 statewide employees.

Nearly a year after opening their third and largest location in Springfield, co-owners Susie Farbin and Diana Hicks say the new store has had some of the projected effects, and others that were less expected.

“It takes about two full years to fully see the impact of a new store,” says Farbin. “We expected a 15 to 20 percent drop in sales at our Campbell store and 20 to 30 percent at Republic Road, but instead it’s been more like 15 percent total at both places.”

The lack of sales drag on the other locations has combined with robust traffic at the East Sunshine store to push 2013 revenue to nearly $17 million – a 35 percent increase over 2012 and nearly a 60 percent jump since 2011.

With added business comes the need for additional personnel. Closing out 2013 with a 57 percent year-over-year staffing increase, the company has since hired 21 additional employees in 2014, bringing the total to 162 and representing a 39-month increase of 93 percent.

The additional staff necessitated a step forward in some business practices. Last year, the company created general manager and grocery manager positions, and now holds regular staff meetings. The emphasis on communication is having a ripple effect on their customer experience, Hicks says.

“People can buy groceries anywhere,” she says. “But our team members are are super-knowledgeable about our products. That’s not something everyone can offer.”

Beyond increasing retail space and tapping unmet East Springfield demand, the Sunshine location also delivered much-needed storage space and logistical capacity. With a traditional loading dock and warehouse setup, the extra 5,000 square feet has facilitated more bulk purchasing from brokers and volume discounts.

Hicks, a former marketer at O’Reilly Automotive Inc., looks to the company’s social media presence to illustrate customer trends and attitudes. Although not a traditional growth metric, she points out ‘likes’ of the company’s Facebook page have increased to 13,746 since 2011, representing a 110 percent increase in message reach.

While the likes-to-sales conversion is still an indirect variable, another MaMa Jean’s engagement number provides harder proof of their marketing success. Since 2012, the number of customer loyalty cardholders – who receive cumulative sales-based rebates and special discounts – has increased by 16 percent to 36,200.

Though still growing into its new space, Farbin and Hicks say with a new management structure and added capacity, the future is wide open.

“You have to act like something new is coming and plan for that,” Farbin says of potential changes in the market. “Always strive to be better and have the philosophy of ‘never get comfortable.’”[[In-content Ad]]

Comments

No comments on this story |
Please log in to add your comment
Editors' Pick
From the Ground Up: Republic Intermediate School

The Republic School District is on track to open its Intermediate School for fifth- and sixth-grade students for the 2025-26 academic year.

Most Read
Update cookies preferences