Junkman's Daughter's Brother Collects More Customers With Visa
Back to TestimonialsA college town fixture
Home to the University of Georgia, the vibrant city of Athens, Georgia offers a diverse mix of bustling nightlife, one-of-a-kind shops, and local color. No establishment better captures the unique flavor of this college town than Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother, a retailer of posters, t-shirts, costumes, vintage clothing, and other eclectic gifts.
Expanding as its reputation grows
“We carry a lot of fun, funky items,” said Mark Gavron, who opened up Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother nearly 20 years ago. “Most of our customers are college kids from the University of Georgia, but we get visitors from all over the place. One time, we even had rock stars Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love stop by to purchase a string of baby-doll lights.”
Over the years, news of the whimsical store spread throughout the area by word of mouth, and Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother grew from a small storefront to a 15,000 square foot operation. “We might have a countercultural flavor to our store, but we’re a serious business,” said Gavron. “I have customers to take care of and books to balance at the end of the month, just like any other business. That’s where Visa provides a huge advantage.”
Convenience for the customer base
As a Visa Acceptor, Gavron is able to make his business available to a wide variety of customers. “Being a cash-only operation might have worked for us 20 years ago,” said Gavron, “but it just wouldn’t be practical in this day and age.”
“It’s simply a matter of giving the customers what they want,” continued Gavron. “As a merchant, I need to be attuned to the wants and needs of my customer base - and for the most part, college students prefer the convenience of having a credit or debit card in their wallet rather than carrying around large amounts of cash and making constant trips to the ATM. While 35 percent of my transactions are on credit or debit cards, probably 55 percent of actual sales dollars are on cards. Obviously, I’d be missing out on a significant amount of business if I didn’t accept Visa.”
Streamlined operations for the merchant
In addition to benefiting the customer, Visa’s sophisticated electronic payment systems make life easier behind the scenes for Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother. “With the popularity of Visa Credit and Visa Debit cards, I don’t have to process nearly as many checks as I did in the old days,” said Gavron. “That means less bad checks to sort out at the end of the month - there aren’t as many unpleasant surprises.”
Additionally, Gavron uses his own Visa card to make purchases for the store. “A primary challenge for someone in my line of business is keeping a fresh, up-to-date mix of merchandise,” said Gavron. “The definition of what’s ‘cool’ can change from month to month. As a result, I’m dealing with new vendors all the time. Using my Visa card to make purchases greatly speeds up the process. The vendors trust the Visa brand, so I don’t get bogged down with submitting a credit report or a references list to every new vendor I open an account with.”
Innovative promotions to drive business
Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother has also reaped benefits from its relationship with Visa through innovative marketing promotions like the Visa Olympic Hometown Tour. Immediately following the 2004 Summer Olympics, Visa Gold Medal athletes returned to their hometowns and held autograph signing sessions at the locations of their favorite hometown merchants. “I was really honored to be selected as a participating location,” said Gavron. “Moreover, the event definitely helped expose the store to new audiences. There were lots of people who wouldn’t necessarily have sought out the store on their own, but came in because they wanted to meet an Olympic athlete in person.”
A smooth ride for the adventure
Thanks to Visa’s suite of products and services, Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother has been able to offer a superior level of service to its customers while ensuring its business runs as efficiently as possible. “We like to say that shopping at Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother is an adventure,” said Gavron. “But running a small business is an adventure too. Luckily, Visa helps out with both.”
