As one that has been familiar with the business in all it's locations from 1986 through now, I am confident I have a very good idea of what others may want to know about this business.
It has started out in a 10 X 10 ft room, and existed for some five years in a 5,500 Sq Ft. Shopping Center only to retract into survival mode as jobs leave the area and with them much of the customer base for this type of business.
This shop is a full service old fashioned Army Navy Surplus and then it has a Custom Sewing N Repairs operation inside to boot....speaking of which, yes it does carry many styles from child to big-foot sizes. Oh yes this shop has a little something for the Adults, Children, Youth and Big and Tall as Extra small. Professional to grunge wear....All the stuff you expect in an Army Navy Surplus shop and a lot more. Yes Dog Tags are made in the shop too, right there while you watch.
What is truly amazing is that the business is still in business after 22 years in continuous operation. That and that shop continues to be able to satisfy an ever diversified customer base. taking two to three times what the space should be otherwise be able to hold, so customers can still see the stock, try things on and move around.
But equally amazing is the commitment to customer service the shop continues to demonstrate in the day to day and season to season operation, as the economic climate changes as does the clientèle.
The business continues to find ways to meet or beat the competition even if it comes from INTERNET or published catalogs.
As one of the last family owned and operated shops of it's type and The last custom made to order Sewn Goods Shop, doing job shop work of many, many items "in shop" and doing so to many types of repairs and modifications to existing products as you watch.
It is no wonder other start ups over the years, have failed and this one continues to exist...even in "survival mode" it is still here; waiting for the economy and the jobs to come back to the greater Muncie, and ECI area.
The owners don't make any excuse for the pricing...it is indeed a match price system; competing on a basis of exact item, size and color from any other source.
They don't try to go broke trying to be the cheapest...in fact they sometimes pay more to get better quality, and then there is the Value Added Services, such as Cutting into shorts or short sleeves, or hemming to fit, and any latent defects repairs or replacement free of any additional charge. The shop policy is to stand behind what is offered.
Easy payment allows use of Debit Cards as Credit; and don't charge extra fees.
The shop has posted some suppliers to the shop web site; who will do drop-shipping to a personal address at whatever the supplier will charge for the service; and the shop charges no additional surcharge for that service.
The shop even has many of the shops "suppliers full color catalogs" on the Info Web Site. Yes this is a shop trying to do whatever is available to it to do; to reach and keep the clients, coming back for more.
It is not yet Handicap accessable...but they go out of their way to help in any way they can; and do get a lot of handicap folks who use their sewing services.
Lets see did I forget anything? Oh yeah...teams and prepaid orders; teams of three or more get 10% off total purchases, teams of Six or more get 20% total purchases.
And folks they do special orders for on Non-Stocked or out of stocked items get 10% off pre-paid orders and shipping is usually only two or three business days.
Of course the shop does carry used as well as New and made to specification for the marketplace Military and Military type items.
And one last big thing; there is no public bathroom....save the second spruce on the left....so go before you go shopping. read more
