Eddie’s Energy Bars Blog

My energy bars are sold in smaller mom and pop stores across the county (and of course online. You can order some here). I want to keep it that way because I believe in maintaining a healthy relationship with the store owners and employees that I deal with on a weekly, and sometimes bi-weekly basis.

For example, I sadly had to withdraw my products from Jacque’s in Huntington today. I just was not covering cost, and the store demographic was not exactly what I expected. I went into Jacque’s in the beginning not off of a recommendation from a customer, but because the parking lot at Beaudry’s was full (so was Jaque’s at the time). It should have hit me that full parking spaces mean lots of customers, but of course it didn’t. I had heard that a lot of hikers stop at Jacque’s to fill up before they trek up Camel’s Hump, so I went in and sold my bars there.

Not until I decided to sell my bars at Beaudry’s–twenty feet across the street–did I notice that sales just were not as great as they should be. So, today, I withdrew from Jacque’s, but don’t worry Huntingtonians! I am still selling at Beaudry’s, but they sell out fast, so make sure to grab yours while they are still fresh from my oven!

Anyway, what I wanted to stress was the relationship between myself and the store owner, a very important one at that. The demeanor of employees in these two stores is completely different. In Jacque’s, they could have cared less whether my energy bars sold or not, but in Beaudry’s, the owners were pushing them like crazy, to they point where they have a huge stash in their freezer now so they don’t run out. I talk to the owners of Beaudry’s every week, and ask them how things are going. I just didn’t feel that with Jacque’s, and if the relationship doesn’t feel right, sales won’t do well.

It is the friendly and personal staff that makes everyone feel comfortable. Just today, over at Sweet Clover Market in Essex, I was chatting with the employees there. They wanted to know how I was doing, when I go back to school, etc. They really valued me, and what I was trying to accomplish as a (very) young entrepreneur. That right there is exactly the reason I price my bars for them: they treat me with respect, and want to see me succeed.

The food business is certainly a challenging one, but if you maintain a great relationship with your vendors and retailers you will be in great shape for start-up success.

Michael Adams, Owner
Eddie’s Energy Bars