|
 |
Changes For Coldwater
Creek
Sandpoint
area residents take a
special pride in knowing
that Coldwater Creek’s
world headquarters is
right in their midst. In
fact, this
catalog-turned retail
mogul was born and
raised here, and went on
to make it big. Starting
with mainly women’s
apparel, it’s branched
into jewelry,
accessories and gifts.
“I like their jewelry,” said customer Randy
Bews. “It’s classy, but
it’s hippie-classy. It’s
got that earthy feel to
it. A lot of stones, a
lot of natural woods and
leather. I like to think
of it as Bohemian bling
bling.”
Coldwater Creek’s success has been meteoric. Starting out as a mail-order
company in 1984, “The
Creek” was operated out
of the home of founders
Dennis and Ann Pence. A
short four years later
they opened their first
retail outlet on the
Cedar Street Bridge;
and, as the public went
crazy for their
products, in 1995 they
leased the entire
building’s 15,000 square
feet.
|
  |
|
|
Straddling Sand Creek
made Coldwater the only
retail store in America
to reside on a bridge.
After conquering the
Cedar Street Bridge, the
company set out to
conquer the country; it
now boasts locations in
48 states.
But with growth, comes change.
After 22 years of near constant expansion, Coldwater’s flagship store has
moved across the
street. For several
months, major
renovations to the
beautiful, old brick
building on Sandpoint’s
historic First Avenue
blocked traffic in one
lane. Cranes were
brought in to lower
steel girders and other
building supplies
through the roof, and a
steady stream of workers
labored constantly to
totally re-make the
interior.
A slightly smaller space than the almost cavernous Cedar Street Bridge,
Coldwater’s new hometown
location totals 9,300
square feet and includes
an upstairs wine bar.
“We thought it was an appropriate time to move into a store that
represented more closely
what we’re doing across
the country, while still
keeping
the amenities and
attributes we’re known
for here in Sandpoint,”
said David Gunter,
Divisional Vice
President of Corporate
Communications &
Investor Relations.
|
|
|
“The bridge was a great home for us for a lot of years, but at this point
in our evolution, it’s
much more space than we
need. I think folks are
really going to like the
new location.”
That evolution got a jump start when Coldwater Creek’s management found
the retail stores
were incredibly popular.
Taking the hint, they
shifted the company’s
focus from catalog- and
Internet-based sales to
building a major retail
chain. Although
customers can still
order from catalogs and
the Web site, retail
stores are expanding
across the United
States.
“We have approximately 185 stores now and we’ll hit the holiday season at
239 locations,” Gunter
says. “In 2006 alone,
we’ll add 65 new stores,
so that’s a pretty fast
growth mode.”
That number will more than double in the next few years, with 450 to 500
new stores opening
around the nation.
Check out the new Coldwater Creek store at 311 First Avenue in Sandpoint.
To request a catalog, call 1-800-510-2808 or
go online to
www.coldwatercreek.com
|
 |
