Acumen Brands Focused on Customer Interaction

Editor’s note:  This article, written by Casey Penn, appears in the latest magazine edition of Talk Business Arkansas, which you can read here.

Why would an incredibly successful online empire launch a brick-and-mortar, human-to-human, hanger-to-shopping bag retail store in the heart of Fayetteville’s historic downtown? Perhaps even self-professed techno-geek innovators crave face-to-face interaction.

Driving customer interaction –virtual and face-to-face – is a key factor in the decisions made by John James, a co-founder of the online startup Acumen Brands, Inc. Just as key, James indicated, is inspiration, and that’s what he hopes the newly opened Acumen’s Country Outfitter brick and mortar store is to local customers and businesspeople.

“We want to inspire local innovators, to show them entrepreneurship is a viable option,” said James.

FIRST, A LITTLE BACKGROUND
The Acumen Brands story – and by extension Country Outfitters – begins in the booming mini-metropolis of Northwest Arkansas. Already known for success in retail, chicken and trucks, the area is also becoming a nationally recognized hotspot for internet startups like Acumen Brands, Inc. The company, clearly edging out of the startup category, now has four years under its belt, a dozen online stores and revenues in the millions.

James, who was previously a practicing physician, and Terry Turpin, a former Thompson Murray (now Saatchi & Saatchi X) executive, founded Acumen in 2009. The two entrepreneurs started with a staff of four people, one product (medical scrubs) and a brilliantly simple idea: create easy online shopping experiences focused on niche product areas.

When their scrubs sold like virtual hotcakes, the company expanded into a variety of other products, including work wear, western gear, and handbags. Acumen struck gold with its eighth online store, CountryOutfitter.com.

Launched in October of 2011, it exceeded first-year revenue expectations in just 60 days. In 10 months, it became the company’s flagship store.

Last year Country Outfitter garnered more than 7 million Facebook followers in just 13 months.

With a staff of 175 people – and 56 robots – Acumen Brands, Inc. supplies its e-commerce sites from a 250,000 square foot building in Fayetteville. The warehouse features the cooler-than-cool Kiva System of robots for product fulfillment. The robots bring the products to the workers, making the workers more efficient and, one could assume, ever so grateful.

FROM VIRTUAL TO ACTUAL – THE STOREFRONT
James and Turpin have founded what is arguably one of the most successful online-only companies in the relatively short history of online-only companies. Still, in July of this year, they made a bold move when they opened the brick-and-mortar Country Outfitter flagship retail store in downtown Fayetteville’s historic downtown, specifically in the building that was the old Fayetteville post office.

Why go from virtual site to actual store? While such a move seems counter-intuitive in today’s full-throttle online world, James and Turpin have proven themselves to be two business savvy guys with a track record of profitable business decisions.

Technology has been a big part of their business success, and Acumen leaders pride themselves on being techno-geek innovators.

“We think and look at the world differently,” said Turpin. “We’re technology geeks: From our algorithms, to our inventory systems, to our Kiva system – we geek-out about technology and how it lets us serve our customers better.”

Still, there’s more to Acumen than its love for technology. Just as important to company strategy, said Turpin, is real-time customer interaction.

“The Country Outfitter flagship store is another place for us to interact with our customers. We love our technology, but real life personal connections bring all our insights data to life in a way that pure numbers never will,” he said. “We have always been committed to supporting local entrepreneurs. The decision to open a brick-and-mortar location is, in part, an extension of that commitment … a way to give back to the local community.”

Acumen founders and leaders give back by sharing e-commerce insights, giving companies a tour of its Kiva System or helping new entrepreneurs in the local ArkChallenge business accelerator program or the Northwest Arkansas Entrepreneurship Alliance.

The future looks bright for this rock star of a company. No doubt, Acumen will go big as it continues to build Country Outfitter as a lifestyle brand that embodies Southern values and everyday adventure. James shares grandiose goals that seem not so largesse in view of his Midas touch successes, “We are creating a multi-billion dollar company, a shining light for Arkansas.”