After 38 years of building a business it's now time to move on. John's Variety & Pets has been a major part of my life for the last 10 years and the catalyst for my love of entrepreneurship. We are now faced with the decision to move on or to re-build our store. We are not ready to throw in the towel just yet. The biggest hurdle won't be packing up the store, finding a building or pulling off such a move but rather rebuilding the history in the walls.
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Store Front: 2281 Commerce Blvd, Mound Mn |
Excuse me, for those of you not familiar with
John' Variety & Pets ( JVP ) it was previously a Ben Franklin. Pets, sewing needles, fabric, toys, seasonal, stationary, health and beauty, framing, home goods are only a small sample of what you can find on the shelves at JVP. As the saying goes "If you can't find it at John's You just don't need it." Early in 2011 a big box store, Walgreens, put in an initial offer to purchase the property. After almost 8 months of negotiating and waiting for city approval the project is somewhat underway.
How does one craft a new location with the same nostalgic feel as the former location? Can You? It's questionable. I often ponder the future of the stores' integrity. Will this move damage the stores image or strengthen it?
The building is set to be torn down sometime late this year. I will continue to post updates on the sale of the store, learning points and anything worth sharing.
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