By Starr Miller FLORENCE, Ky. — Sometimes, a difference of view and talent is a recipe for incredible success. Such is the case for Florence Antique Mall owners — and husband and wife team — Mike and Colleen Detzel, who celebrated 20 years of business earlier this month. Their unparalleled success is due, in great part, to the chemistry between the duo. Mike is, by career standards, a businessman. And Colleen offers what Mike refers to as simply, “herself.” “My wife is hands down the heart and soul of the Florence Antique Mall,” he said. “My wife is the creative brain and she is great at it. I am the background guy – and it works for us, and it’s certainly worked for our business.” Their individual approach isn’t the only thing helping the success of the mall; they have a very clear vision of their business plan, one that they composed more than 20 years ago. While they have stayed focused on the game plan, they also attribute their success to their ability to bend and adapt to the ever-changing conditions of the antique and collectibles atmosphere. To date, they utilize the platforms offered via social media, and they maintain a presence on the tried-and-true exposure that has worked in the past. Marrying exposure on Facebook and Instragram with print advertising and radio have created the perfect combination. They continue to cultivate relationships with their ’traditional’ customers, and they draw a ’new generation’ crowd. “I would say one of our biggest successes is that we have followed the idea of adapting ourselves to our customer’s wants and needs, and we understand that business – and outreach to existing and new customers – is not the same as it was 20 years ago. We have people who are in high school or college, and they are looking for a 100 year old desk. Clearly, as a new generation has come along and they have a desire for different types of things than a buyer 10 years prior. I would say that every 10 years there seems to be a shift as a whole in the customer base.” The physical location of the Florence Antique Mall storefront can’t be ignored when considering their success. Their location near Cincinnati means they are centrally located to a large population of the United States. “That’s been a big key to our ongoing success. We have a wonderful physical location off a massive interstate and we are centralized, and then combined with our social media presence, it’s helped put us on the map. We also have a very diverse base of dealers and close to 250 dealers now in our mall,” Mike said. “Some remain focused on one or two areas in a traditional way, like sewing or quilts…but we also have people who are more diverse in what they do, and some are trendy, staying on what is most current.” The Florence Antique Mall also draws business with road signs; they are a designated Kentucky state attraction. By covering all of those outlets, the combination is one of great success. “Truthfully, the more traditional things, they do still work but you also can’t ignore the social media offerings as a business owner this day and age. It’s absolutely necessary – and it’s a great tool to reach potential customers.” In celebration of their two decades of successful business, the Florence Antique Mall will be giving away gift certificates throughout their anniversary month in August. On Aug. 1 – the exact day that the Detzel’s opened their doors – customers were lined up throughout the store, visual proof to the couple that they are definitely doing something right. “We had a storewide sale, and people were lined up for as far as we could see – it honestly was a very busy day, but it was also a reiteration that we are onto something. And that is really gratifying. That’s the real test – what do people think out there and how are they responding to what we are doing? To see that many customers – to have more sales in one day during our celebration day than we could do in a week and a half…that’s affirmation that we are on the right track.” You can see more about the Florence Antique Mall on their Facebook page, which is updated regularly. They also have a website www.florenceantiquemall.com or you can call (859) 371-0600. |