Superstores VS
Specialty Stores
Superstores vs. Specialty Stores What’s the difference?
- Carry everything and cater to everyone
- Cater to a certain audience looking for a certain thing
- Really large
- Found in malls, factory outlets, and locally
- One stop shop - Carry everything from groceries, clothes, furniture, books and even electronics. - Cheaper
- More expensive
Chapters is the largest Canadian speciality store that specializes in books. They easily have at least a thousand books inside, and “set the mood” with lounging chairs and a Starbucks inside.
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Costco is a superstore with a section dedicated to books. They have hundreds of books, but not the quantity or variety of Chapters. Regardless, the sales of consumer books sold through nontraditional/superstore outlets has increased, and in 2008, grew by more than $260 million.
Teavana is a speciality store that focuses on and sells high-quality Tea. They have a large variety of teas, and their tea can cost over 40 dollars. They also have their own drink service inside, where you can buy a tea drink for around 4-7 dollars.
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Superstores like Walmart, Real Canadian Superstore and Costco also sell a variety of boxed tea, mainly from Lipton, Tetley and their own brand. The quality isn’t as good, but it is cheaper at around 2-3 dollars for a box of 20 tea bags.
Victoria’s Secret is a popular specialty store, known for their lingerie (and lingerie models!). Typically, their bras sell for $50+, and panties for $10. Every year, Victoria Secret airs their annual fashion show on TV, and are a very recognizable and reputable brand. They are the lead of lingerie.
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Walmart and Costco, superstores, also sell bras and panties. They have a lot of variety and good quality, but still not as much as Victoria Secret. Their bras are 5 times cheaper at less than $10. and a pack of 6 panties is 2 times cheaper than a single Victoria Secret underwear.
The Apple Store specializes in Apple Products, and is owned by Apple Inc. They feature their own “Genius Bar”, where customers receive help in-store configuring their Apple product. They have 415 retail stores in 13 countries, and sell over US$16 billion worth of products per year.
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Walmart sells Apple products like iPods, iPhones and iPads, along with third party accessories. They have a more limited selection, and do not sell Macbooks or Mac desktops. But they do offer cheaper prices or deals, like trading in your iPad for the new iPad Air and getting a $20 discount. Costco used to sell Apple products, but stopped after 2010, in a “mutual agreement”.
Fabricland is a speciality store that sells a huge range of fabrics. It is the biggest chain in Canada, and you can find them in almost every city in Canada. They are inexpensive, and a go-to for designers, crafters and knitters all throughout North America.
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Superstores, like Walmart, often have their own fabric isle. However, selection is limited and poorer quality. In general their prices are cheaper than Fabricland, but are not a reliable source for serious
seamstresses.
“ALDO” specializes in footwear for women and men. Their prices are typically $100+, and they carry a large selection and variety of heels, boot, flats and shoes.
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Walmart has at least 5 isles dedicated to Men’s and Women's footwear. Since their selection is more limited and non-designer, their prices are cheaper but their quality is still comparable.
HMV is a speciality store that mainly sells CDs, along with posters, DVDs, and band merchandise. They have 113 stores in Canada, and in 2006 were awarded “Canadian Music Retailer Of The Year�
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Superstores like Walmart and Costco also sell CDs, and for the same price. This is a case where the superstore’s quality and selection is very comparable to the specialty stores, as they both have a large selection and similar pricing. The major difference is that superstores do not sell band merch or the exclusive merchandise that HMV sells.
Tiffany & Co. is a store that specializes in luxury jewelry. They were founded in 1837, and ever since then they have developed into an exclusive retailer that women drool over. They are very expensive engagement rings costing over $12,000. They reached even higher popularity when the iconic movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was released.
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Costco also sells jewelry for expensive prices, but also very reasonable and cheap prices. They are not seen as an exclusive or even desirable retailer to buy jewelry from, but it is more affordable for the everyday person. Naturally, they have less selection and less diamonds, but they do offer convenience and cheaper prices.
EB Games is a store that specializes in video games. They have one of the largest selections, and is usually one of the first stores to have a newly released video game, with many people standing outside waiting for hours for the new release. They offer a used game section, where prices are cheaper. They also offer you to trade in video games for in-store credit. These elements make them unique, and a specialty store for gaming.
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Walmart features a large section filled with games, gaming systems and gaming accessories. They do not get the newest released video game as soon as EB games, but they do offer cheaper prices on brand new video games. Unlike EB Games, they do not have any special programs that enable customers to get discounts, but they do have a large variety of video games and a lot of sales.
“Robbynz Nest Cakes & Cafe� is a local bakery in Welland that specializes in baked goods. They are more expensive, as they are fresh and are not a big company. There are constantly people in their store, and it is a favourite amongst many people in the city. They serve high quality pastries in a relaxing and causal setting.
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Superstores like Walmart and Costco also have their own bakery in-store. However, food is usually made in bulk and is from frozen or not as high quality as baked goods from a specialty store. However, you can purchase more for a cheaper price and the pastries typically last longer.
The End This e-book indicates a few examples of the differences between Speciality Stores and Superstores, and now you are aware on the pros and cons of shopping from either. My next book in the Marketing Series will be released soon, stay tuned!
By: Brittany Bell