Kristel Clark, owner of KC Collections, was recently asked about her growing business in Buchanan, VA. She has opened THREE Home Furnishings and Home Décor stores on Main Street – two of them opened downtown in early 2019.
Can you tell us about your professional background and how you became familiar with Buchanan? I drove through Buchanan, VA frequently in route to Roanoke College. I always appreciated the beauty of the quaint town nestled in the gateway to the Shenandoah Valley. Later, I continued my education with a master’s degree from Virginia Tech and made Southwest Roanoke County my home. Along the way, I opened a country home accents shop, Miss-Ellaneous, with my mother in Fairfield, VA in 2005. Buchanan is situated between Fairfield & Roanoke. My trips continued to take me through this historic little town. Over more than two decades of passing through Buchanan, I saw an increasing number of vacant storefronts which saddened me. As I made the decision in 2014 to expand to a larger business, it seemed as though I was drawn back to Buchanan. I saw great potential to help revitalize the town, provide jobs, and bring people to the town. In October 2014, KC Collections, the original store, became a reality.
What do you carry at KC Collections and how did you arrive at having three stores which comprise 17,000 square feet in the small town of Buchanan, VA with a small population? KC Collections is an independent retailer which carries a large selection of quality, handcrafted Amish furniture and home décor items. We bring the furniture “from the Amish farms, through our hands, to your home”. Within one year of being open, we were out of room. As I listened to my customers’ needs, expansion of the business had to happen. We searched for the next three years. Finally, in late August 2018, several business deals were finalized that would allow expansion to downtown Buchanan and help us continue our efforts to revitalize the town.
On January 25, 2019, KC Home Textiles opened at 19785 Main Street. KC Home Textiles offers tabletop, window treatments, bedding, bath, braided rugs & accessories. These categories were all moved from the original store. Customers needed a greater selection and a better way to shop these product categories.
On February 15, 2019, KC Collections II opened at 19762 Main Street. KC Collections II offers additional Amish furniture, Friendship Upholstery Furniture, a large selection of area rugs, and a different variety of home décor.
What makes the customer buying experience unique and draws people from hours away to shop your stores? At the three KC stores, our goal is to provide exceptional customer service. For customers who come to visit us, we strive to personally greet every customer and offer a relaxed environment during their time with us. For customers who reach out by phone or email, the goal is to provide as much assistance as possible because we know time is very valuable and sometimes, it is good to gather a little information before getting in the vehicle to travel. Whether we are helping our customers with furniture or other home accents, our focus is providing thoughtful assistance to them and not on “making the sale”.
You mentioned that you wanted customers to have a relaxed environment. What is done in store to provide this comfortable atmosphere?
We do not have commission-based team members. Therefore, we can really help the customer without being pushy or aggressive. We want customers to come to our stores and feel good during and after their visit whether that results in a sales transaction or not. For us, it is not all about a ringing register.
We offer everyday low prices without the typical furniture store markup. Our furniture does not go on sale because our prices are already “sale prices”. Customers are not forced into buying sets. They can buy one piece at a time and we can always look up the color/stain combination of their last purchase. All furniture is individually everyday low priced.
What is the last thing you would like our readers to know? We invite them to come visit our stores in person. There is no substitute for in-store visits. However, until they can do so, they can visit our website at kccountryhomeaccents.com, “Like” & follow our Facebook Page, KC Collections, and/or visit our Instagram page kc_collectionsva
