Keith's Perspective
Twenty-five years! Where have they gone? So quickly time passes. Reflection on these 25 years is a good thing. It gives perspective.
One thing I am happy to note is that some things have remained unchanged in 25 years. First among these is that we have never strayed from our core business concept: Great Deals, Great Brands. Throughout our history, we have saved our customers more than $3.25 billion. In these days of tight house-hold budgets, we are meeting an important need: Stretching our customers' dollars!
On the other hand, there have certainly been a lot of remarkable changes. From one employee (me) to 650. From a small 500 square foot office to 500,000 square feet. From 16 brands to 2,000+. From 44 products for sale to tens of thousands. From no customers to several million.
Twenty-five years of relationship building is at the heart of any success we have achieved. Our relationships are built through service and trust. It is about serving our customers, our brand partners, and our employees, and then seeing those bonds develop and grow over time.
We are thankful for every customer we have earned the right to serve in our 25-year history. I meet people everywhere I travel whose eyes light up when they hear the words: Sierra Trading Post, and they proceed to tell me a story about their experience with our company. Every day we receive emails and letters from valued customers. One long-time customer recently wrote how he began buying from us nearly 25 years ago during his "broke" college days, and over the years, we have outfitted his family in outstanding gear and clothing, saving him literally thousands of dollars. Then there was the woman who thanked me for helping her to buy brands she could never have afforded otherwise. I can't help but smile when I hear comments like these.
A few weeks ago at a trade show, I met the owner of a company who has been selling us closeouts for more than five years. He told me that we were one of his "secret weapons in business." The fact that he can count on us to buy his closeouts gives him the confidence to take risks on his new product line every year, and his success in selling these new products has allowed his business to grow and prosper. We are not just a customer to him, but an important part of the success of his business! Stories like this are behind every one of the 2,000+ brands we carry. That is why we can offer our customers the Best Brands in the World. You will not find our collection of brands all in one place anywhere in the world – not on any website, not in any retail store, not in any huge national chain, and not in any giant outlet mall.
Relationships with our wonderful employees are extremely important to Bobbi and me. Over the past few weeks, we have received an extraordinary number of heart-felt "thank-you" messages from our STP crew. One person thanked us for: "who you are, what you stand for and for giving me a position, not just a job." Every one of these messages has warmed our hearts, and made us very thankful for each and every person that has chosen to work here.
This year marks the 25th year Bobbi and I have shared in business, and it also marks the 45th year we have shared together in marriage. The time has flown. There have been great times and not-so-great times. We have grown through the difficulties, and our business life and life together is stronger and more exciting than ever.
Bobbi and I would also like to take this opportunity to thank God for His gift of Sierra Trading Post. He has certainly provided very real guidance and help always.
We wouldn't be the company we are today without the support of our customers, the commitment of our brand partners, and the day-in and day-out devotion of our employees to upholding our "We Believe" promises. Here's to a great 25 years and many more to come!
Sincerely,
Keith Richardson
Chairman, CEO and Founder
Owners Keith and Bobbi Richardson with their beloved German Shorthaired Pointers.
(Dogs from left to right) Hellie, Greta, Flirt and Paree.
