Entrepreneur finds success
in customer-service approach
Linda Lucente, the storeÂ’s owner, sits down at the long kitchen table in the back of the store and cranes her neck to get a closer view of HollisterÂ’s last stitch.
“You’re going to go back through the same loop, and pull the tab,” Lucente says in a calming voice.
Just like magic, the last stitch goes through, and another lesson is over. But Hollister is in no rush to leave, instead, she sits down on one of the storeÂ’s comfortable chairs and practices some more.
At JenningStreet Yarns, at 217 S. Jennings Ave. on the city’s near south side, the quaint store takes on an uncanny resemblance to home – plaid loveseats for customers to recline and knit in are perched at the center of the store, and open chests filled with yarn from around the world line the “color wall.” Felted wool purses in fuchsia, teal, black and smoky brown cover one of the chairs. An explosion of colors in cashmere, mohair, merino, cotton, wool and silk brim over the tops of baskets and shelves.
ItÂ’s a far cry from what the store looked like three-and-a-half years ago, when Lucente purchased it. At the time, the store had been open just three months, and had a sparse selection of inventory. The customer base was at just 87. Since then, the business has grown to more than 2,000 customers. Despite ongoing construction on Rosedale Street and Lancaster Avenue, which essentially isolate the 1,100-square-foot shop, Lucente said there is a core customer base of 700.
Perhaps itÂ’s the storeÂ’s emphasis on customer service that draws people in.
Hollister found out about JenningStreet Yarns from a co-worker, and said the attention she gets is unsurpassed.
“You could buy yarns at Michaels or Jo-Ann Fabrics, and you could probably buy it cheaper. But you get such love and attention here,” Hollister said.
And itÂ’s what sets the shop apart from competition, like The Knitting Nook in North Richland Hills and Yarns Ewenique on Camp Bowie Boulevard, Lucente says. Even though just Lucente and co-manager Rick Brinkman operate the store, sheÂ’ll do just about anything to help a customer.
“We all carry yarn. The big thing that sets us apart is customer service. As for helping someone fix a project, I always have time for them; I always help them when they come in the store,” Lucente said.
‘A scary proposition’
Just four years ago, Lucente was working as a dispatcher at Twin Cities Contracting in Arlington. When Twin Cities folded, Lucente was out of a job. She then found out the owner of the Jennings Avenue yarn store, where she had been teaching, was thinking of selling the store.
Lucente made a drastic career move.
“I had to make a decision on what I was going to do with my life, and that’s when I took my 401(k) and put it in here. That was a scary proposition,” she said.
But Lucente, who has knitted since age 7, crocheted since 8, and has taught knitting classes for more than 30 years, made the transition naturally.
Immediately, she added a full slate of classes. Currently, the store offers two group classes each Saturday, and one-on-one classes by appointment for $10 per hour.
Lucente has also added high-profile designers to the storeÂ’s workshop offerings. Slated for the coming year include Sally Melville, who has written The Knit Stitch and The Purl Stitch, and Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer.
Lucente stresses that one of the keys to a yarn storeÂ’s success is proper buying, which is a calculated process.
She researches what is happening in the industry, and what colors and trends will be popular for the upcoming season. Right now, sheÂ’s already buying inventory for the spring.
“If we don’t make the right decision, we have to put it in a bin at 50 percent off,” she said.
At JenningStreet Yarns, itÂ’s all in a dayÂ’s work.
“It’s wonderful to get up and come to something every day that you truly love,” Lucente said. “Knowing what I’ve done in the past, and having days where I had to meet deadlines, this is wonderful. This is my passion. This is my baby.”
Contact Eure at jeure@bizpress.net
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