Feature F Exploring New Avenues of Product Placement in Rochester By Maura Keller
possible. We created a new website focused on making the ordering process easier for our customers to have the product shipped to their door. Our website grew over 500% in 2020. We also operated a local in-town delivery service, where we hand delivered to over 200 doors each Friday.” During this time, Kolb got a second job at Rochester Trader Joes where he witnessed customers loading their grocery carts with necessities and comforts during the pandemic stay-at-home orders. “At the same time, I happened to answer a phone call from our West Circle
Seamus Kolb, Owner of Carroll’s Corn, had to get creative when COVID-19 impacted how he served his customers.
I n today’s competitive marketplace, small businesses must compete to survive. And while some business owners have thrown that small business ideation to the side by changing their product lines, renaming their companies, or merging with other entities, others businesses are attempting to balance their evolution and growth by bringing unique products to market, while staying in the small business mindset. In 2020, small businesses faced one of the biggest challenges they had ever seen, and Carroll’s Corn, located in the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester, was no different. As businesses began closing their doors, the team at Carroll’s Corn knew they had to be creative if they were going to survive. Founded by Pat Carroll in February 1993, Carroll’s Corn has been providing gourmet popcorn, including their ever-popular Triple Mix, to Rochester for nearly 30 years. “Although we were never forced to close our doors, our opportunity to serve our customers within our store was brought to a halt,” says Seamus Kolb, owner of Carroll’s Corn. “Customers were, however, ready to support small businesses in any way
Hy-Vee. Initially, their bakery manager was interested in using a small order of our Regular Buttered Popcorn for a snack mix in their bakery,” Kolb says. Kolb quickly shifted their conversation to a potential wholesale/retail relationship, where Hy-Vee would take Carroll’s Corn’s bestselling Triple Mix and put it on their shelves. “Fortunately, they were willing to give it a shot,” Kolb says. Their first order of 30 small party bags ($10.00 each retail) sold out within the first hour of being on the shelves. They ordered more that same day, but it did not last the weekend. By the following week, Carroll’s Corn was filling orders of over 200 units daily, and by the following month, they were in all four Rochester Hy-Vee locations. In addition, Carroll’s Corn has expanded its retail relationships to include locations such as Scheels All Sports in Rochester, The Rochester Honker’s Baseball, Deer Creek Speedway, Mayo Clinic Gift Shop, and many more. Jen Ellingsen, assistant store leader at Scheels, works directly with some local vendors like Carroll’s Corn. “We, as a company, understand the importance of having local vendor partnerships, as they create a novelty specific to that Scheels store and the
| Advantage Magazine 6
August 2021
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