Mountain Brook businesses up for Retailer of the Year
Four businesses in Mountain Brook have been nominated for the Alabama Retailer of the Year award sponsored by the Alabama Retail Association. B. Prince in Lane Parke, The Cook Store in Mountain Brook Village, Village Dermatology and Crestline Bagel were all nominated for the award.
“I am thrilled and honored to be nominated as an Alabama Retailer of the Year,” said Wesley Lassen, owner of The Cook Store. “The Cook Store has been in business since 1975, and I’m the third owner and have had it for 20 years.”
To qualify for a nomination, the business must have operated for a minimum of five years. Those considered as a retail business have to collect state and local sales tax. Honorees are selected in four categories based on annual sales volume: less than $1 million, $1 million to $5 million, $5 million to $20 million and more than $20 million.
A common theme among brick-and-mortar nominees is delivering a customer friendly experience for anyone who walks through their door.
“Our reputation is embracing. We welcome and don’t pressure,” said Bezshan Dolatabadi, owner of B.Prince. “Our customers feel comfortable and recognized.”
Dolatabadi said that if a new item comes in and looks like a certain customer’s style, they will hold the item and put their name on it.
“Our customers are more like friends. They hang out in the store even if they’re not shopping,” Dolatabadi said.
Lassen, of The Cook Store, also agrees on the importance of customer service. She said it has helped her stay in business and thrive for so long.
“In the day of brick and mortars going out of business, I am glad to say my business is thriving and I hope will be around for many more years,” Lassen said. “Our main focus is to always make sure the customer is happy and taken care of. Sometimes that means not making a sale. The customer might have what they need and just not know it.”
The Cook Store also uses social media to reach new customers and engage with their current base. While they don’t have an online store where customers can shop, posts on Instagram and Facebook have resulted in lots of sales.
“Social media is the e-commerce shopping avenue for The Cook Store,” Lassen said. “Instagram and Facebook are incredible tools to show off our products and make sales.”
Dolatabadi said that B.Prince is also using social media and an online presence to engage with customers. They send out email blasts and post photos of new products. Dolatabadi plans to launch an online store to help create a gateway for new customers.
“[The future] only looks better and better,” he said.
On the other end of retailers, Village Dermatology was excited to receive a nomination for Retailer of the Year.
“We are so excited to be nominated for Alabama Retailer of the Year,” said Dr. Jenny Sobera, owner of Village Dermatology and Skin for Life Boutique. “Every product has been carefully curated by our thought-leading dermatologists to ensure our patients have access to the best skin care products available on the market today.”
Crestline Bagel was not immediately available for comment for this story.
The Retailer of the Year finalists will be released in mid-August. Honorees and their nominators will be invited to an awards luncheon in Birmingham.