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JUST TAPPED
regularly and lunch every Tuesday, showcasing the versatility and quality of their products through tasty recipes. As a local business owner herself, Terry believes strongly in supporting Helena’s local businesses, large and small. She and the owner of Dinners Done Right, located at the other end of the same building, have formed a collaboration which bene ts both culinary-oriented businesses. Terry uses gift cards purchased from other local businesses as selling incentives for her employees.
What the people at Just Tapped offer Helena’s customers is a rich and ful lling experience centered around delicious food; they offer samples of their authentic oils and vinegars, they hand out recipe cards and pass on ideas for using their products, and they are delighted to educate their customers about their exceptional products.
Excellent, personalized customer service is a tremendously important contributing factor to the success of Just Tapped. There is no substitute for the experience of walking into a warm, well-ordered store and being welcomed by a friendly person. The Tuesday lunches bring locals in for a delicious meal as well as good conversation and togetherness. Terry knows that she has to compete with online prices; her customers can participate in a rewards program or take advantage of offers sent via email or on their social media sites. Customers outside of Helena can purchase their products directly from their website. But at the end of the day, it’s the authentic quality of her products, along with the focus on taking exceptional
care of her customers, which will continue to bring Helena’s shoppers through the doors of Just Tapped.
the immense online marketplace. His parent company, Hallmark,
is present online through its own website, as well as on Amazon’s marketplace. Customers anywhere can shop either of those websites and potentially have their order lled by inventory that sits in
any of Leslie’s Hallmark stores. Leslie’s Montana Shop has its own website, where customers can make purchases from the store’s unique, comprehensive assortment of Made in Montana products. Currently, between those three avenues, Leslie’s Hallmark receives less than ten percent of its business from online shopping. Dave appreciates all of his customers, and is grateful for those loyal local customers who shop in his stores because they value the local businesses and all the ways in which they give back to the communities they serve.
Terry Cashell
Terry Cashell, owner
of Just Tapped, feels the pinch of the growing online shopping phenomenon. Her store, located on the corner of Cedar and North
Montana, sells gourmet oil and vinegar, along with an array of gourmet spice mixes, ingredients and gifts. They offer cooking classes
LESLIE’S HALLMARK
Dave Simkins
Dave Simkins has been in business for almost forty years, with ve Leslie’s Hallmark stores located throughout Montana. The
evolution of online shopping has forced him to adapt to the new, while maintaining his commitment
to the things that have kept him
in business all these years. He remains committed to providing outstanding customer service in
the local communities where his stores operate; it is important that customers’ expectations are met
by maintaining open hours that
are reasonable and convenient;
his stores are stocked with new
and fresh inventory; and Dave is constantly reaching out to retail groups and networking with vendors to keep his nger on the pulse of what’s new and relevant for the customers that span Montana’s vast retail market.
Dave understands that as a local business owner in Montana, he can never attain the level of technological sophistication that the big retailers have at their disposal, yet he can learn from them and exist in his own way in
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BUSINESS TO BUSINESS CONNECTION