“We search for stuff you don’t see in each roadside place,” Ms. Stuckey stated.
Sure classics — rubber alligators and coonskin caps — stay fashionable, as do Mexican blankets and Baja jackets.
“Jesus stuff sells,” Ms. Stuckey stated. “We introduced in strolling sticks not too long ago, and we blew by way of them.” Much less fashionable? “License plate indicators — they’re actually cute, however they aren’t promoting,” she stated. “State merch doesn’t flip as effectively. That stuff is amassing mud. Apart from Texas. Texans love their Texas merch.”
Then there’s a plan to increase Stuckey’s turf by promoting sweet by way of shops like Meals Lion, TravelCenters of America and meals brokers. There was even a seasonal run of a Stuckey’s Pecan Log Roll beer in partnership with an Atlanta-area brewery.
“That’s a part of our technique to broaden the model, and I believe collaborations are the trail to scale,” Ms. Stuckey stated.
Finally, the aim is to leverage road-trip attract to drive sweet gross sales, use sweet earnings to extend manufacturing and, maybe, flip Stuckey’s into the top-of-mind pecan model, like Planters is for peanuts or Diamond for almonds. There would possibly even be a handful of Stuckey’s vacation spot superstores.
For now, Stephanie Stuckey places within the miles and spreads the gospel of highway tripping, discovering pleasure even when the journey results in an Arkansas Stuckey’s with a gap within the roof.
“Right here’s the fascinating factor — this was the second once I realized this firm goes to make it,” she stated. “As a result of even with a gap within the roof, there have been individuals in there. And I checked, and the shop was worthwhile. If a Stuckey’s with a gap within the roof will be worthwhile, the chain will be worthwhile.”
