Following the June 18 grand opening of his company’s new retail location, Barry Lipsett, president and owner of Sharon, Massachusetts-based Charles River Apparel, has issued a statement to clarify the company’s decision to open the store.
“The intention for our retail store is not to compete with distributors,” Lipsett explained, addressing questions raised by some distributors about The Store @ Charles River Apparel. “We do not sell at wholesale prices in the store,” he added.
The complete statement from Lipsett is reprinted below.
An Open Letter to the Industry:
As many of you have recently read, Charles River Apparel has opened a retail store in our current facility in Sharon, MA. The intention for our retail store is not to compete with distributors; it is to sell single pieces of Charles River Apparel logo’d items to enhance our brand name in the local area. Our store has a small footprint and is located right in our Distribution Center. We have a limited selection of branded Charles River Apparel styles and we charge full retail prices (double the entry level distributor price). We do not sell at wholesale prices in the store.
I understand that distributors may have questions about our store and I want to convey that there is no cause for concern. We have a store advisory board that is made up of local distributors who have helped guide us in the branded logo selection, assortment, pricing, etc. They have joined forces with us to increase the recognition of our products thus, making it easier for them to sell Charles River Apparel.
I encourage any distributor that has questions or comments to contact me directly at [email protected] or 800-225-0550 ext. 307.
Sincerely,
Barry Lipsett
President & Owner
Charles River Apparel
