Coldwater Optimism – Sandpoint, ID company has become known across United States

The success of Coldwater Creek’s retail stores gives the company hope for major expansion in the future.

SANDPOINT — As beginnings go, it’s almost humble — a simple dream, hatched around the kitchen table.

By CAROLINE LOBSINGER
Hagadone News Network

http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2004/04/06/business/bus01.txt

But the success achieved by Sandpoint-based Coldwater Creek is anything but modest. In the 20 years since Dennis and Ann Pence started a catalog company from their home, Coldwater Creek has become a household name around the country.

"Physically, we’re little more than a stone’s throw from where the founders started the company," said David Gunter, director of corporate communications for the company. "Philosophically, we’re even closer."

Since 1984, the company has steadily grown, and since going public in 1997, growth has been "phenomenal," Gunter said.

"I don’t think that anyone could imagine in their wildest dreams that the company would grow to become what it is today," he added.

From catalogs and telephone sales, the company opened stores at The Cedar Street Bridge. Then Coldwater Creek added an online presence in 1999 with a Web site and, soon after, a focus on retail stores in key markets around the country.

Now retail stores "really are the company’s primary focus," Gunter said.

"Now we’ve got the team in place, our store models are tested, the economic outlook is reasonably good and we’re on the threshold of creating a premiere, national women’s apparel brand," he said.

While the company has plans to continue its retail expansion, officials are not looking to replicate its unique Sandpoint store. Two different types of stores — 5,500 square feet and 3,500 square feet — are considered when looking at future growth.

That flexibility allows Coldwater Creek officials to explore markets "virtually throughout the country," Gunter said.

As a result, Coldwater Creek will open stores near such urban centers as Baltimore, Md., to serve the 375,000 customers living within an easy drive, as well as smaller stores such as the one near Billings, Mont.

"We look at this and see both as really exciting opportunities," Gunter said. "There are compelling reasons to be in a market like Billings, as well as a major metropolitan area like Baltimore."

While the company keeps its stores well supplied, it can’t provide everything found in its catalogs. However, officials have a solution for customers unable to find items on which they have their heart set.

"Odds are, we will have a large percentage of items that she came in looking for, but there’s a chance there are some items we might not have in stock," Gunter said. "However, we are able to walk over to our Web kiosk, place the order for her right then on the Internet and ship the item to her home free of charge to arrive within a day or two.