The Country Way seamlessly blends a rich history with passion and knowledge to become an institution in its city.
By Kavita Sabharwal / Photography by Andreane Fraser
When Brenda Frey purchased The Country Way, it already had a storied history. Founded in Sault Ste. Marie in 1974 by Glen Sheppard, the store was seen as an answer to the community’s need for a place to buy supplements and whole foods, and as a way to educate his customers on nutrition and health.
Frey purchased the store in 1997 with a friend. In 1999, she bought her colleague out, becoming the full owner of the store. What followed seemed like kismet; Frey used her past experience as a material attendant handling ordering and receiving to transition into her new role as the owner at The Country Way, as she was not very familiar with the products. Then Tammy Watts came on board in 2004, after earning certifications as a natural health practitioner, counselor and sports nutritionist.
“It’s worked out really well because Tammy is the very knowledgeable, educated, certified person and I’m the one that knows the ordering, pricing and that sort of thing,” says Frey. “The team, it works super.”
An expanding selection
When Frey purchased the store, The Country Way had only a single shelf of supplements. “It’s incredible how much we’ve grown,” says Frey. “I remember when I bought the store 17 years ago, the inventory was very minimal and we’ve probably quadrupled it because I get what the customers want.”
Among the store’s hottest products are functional foods, organics and protein, according to Frey. “Quality food choices, high quality supplements and plant-based supplements are what people are interested in now,” she says.
The 1,400 square-foot space is full-service, carrying everything from locally-grown organic fruits and vegetables from June to October, to cleaning supplies, pet food, health and beauty aids, vitamins and supplements. The retailer also built an attached 420 square-foot gym run by a personal trainer on a one-on-one basis, which has been operating for five years.
Even with new competition cropping up in the surrounding region in the form of four other health stores and a selection of independent grocers, the store has become an institution for the community.
“I think in our marketplace, we’re the destination store. Without a doubt,” says Frey.
That reputation of being the local destination for natural health products and supplements is hard-earned, due to the owners working hard to accommodate their customers by offering services such as free home delivery to seniors who can’t otherwise make the trip, carrying out bags to a vehicle, and offering consultations on nutrition and wellness based on personal circumstances.
They also visit with the practitioners they choose, such as naturopaths, chiropractors and an osteopath. Frey and Watts then recommend them to customers based on their strengths. Practitioners are also given a discount to use at the store.
The Country Way has experienced a demographic shift recently. Where its customers were often older in previous years, now the owners find they are reaching people in their 20s more often, however most of its clients still fall between the range of 35 to 65 years of age.
The owners describe their customers as highly educated people, such as doctors, lawyers, government workers and teachers with moderate to upper income levels of $50,000 to $100,000 and up. As the region grows to accommodate a new demographic, the store accommodates that change by also catering to younger clients, such as college and university students and young families that are invested in their health.
“We are blessed that our customers give us as much as we give them. You might hear this from other stores, but we truthfully do treat our customers like family,” says Watts. “We laugh with them, we cry with them. They literally are our friends. It really is a rewarding business to be in.”
“We work really hard at getting to know our customers,” Frey adds. “We get to know their names, get to know their families. I tell my employees, treat them with kindness because they are going to come back if you give them the utmost respect and customer service.”
The owners are currently in the building stage of opening a second location on Great Northern Road in Sault Ste. Marie, with the hope that it will be ready for its grand opening in May of this year. The idea of a second location has been in the planning stage for years. After speaking with an investor and discussing goals for the store, it seems the plan will be coming to fruition sooner rather than later. The new location’s client base will vary from its current location, with several doctors, nurses, practitioners and gyms in the newly built region.
“That’s our focus right now, to make sure we have a strong team and the support of the community to move forward,” says Watts.
The store, as a member of the Health First Network, takes part in 12 fliers on an annual basis. It also uses marketing strategies planned out between the store and its vendors, and is currently advertising on CTV on a 52-week plan. The store also announces any special events, such as talks featuring special guests, using radio advertisements.
For its digital marketing, the company has employed a grassroots web company called LOCAL 2 for the past four years. It handles some of the store’s web presence, however Watts and Carol, the company’s business manager, post on the store’s Facebook and Twitter pages. On the company’s Facebook page, customers can find exercises, recipes and natural home remedies, among other posts.
Next up for the team is the idea of expanding outside of Sault Ste. Marie, which the owners hope to achieve at some point in the near future. Frey and Watts are also in talks to open an e-commerce site.
Education is key
The Country Way’s 10 employees are well trained for their work with customers. What is most important to Frey is an employee with tremendous customer service, who fits in with the rest of the team. The owners are willing to take on the rest using the tools at their disposal.
Any employee at the store must complete various certifications offered by manufacturers, such as Genuine Health’s Genuine Genius, Now University and Lorna Vanderhaeghe’s nutrition course, to name a few. Vendors also frequent the store to train store staff on new products.
Employees aren’t the only ones getting an education at The Country Way. The owners go out of their way to ensure their customers know exactly what they’re getting when they choose their products.
The store has held two of its own trade shows, called the Green and Healthy Living Expo, designed to allow customers to mingle with vendors and learn more about a variety of products. This event, which the owners have held twice in the last five years, had them hosting 40 national vendors and 6,000 attendees at a rented venue. Other guests at the event included Sault Ste. Marie’s mayor, as well as local television and radio stations.
It also hosts a variety of big players in the natural health industry, such as Brad King, Sam Graci, Lorna Vanderhaeghe and Julie Daniluk, at talks that occur three or four times a year.
A close-knit community
The Country Way’s methods of including the community in the happenings of the store include holding two customer appreciation days during the year – once in the summer, which features a barbecue held in the store’s parking lot that is attended by several of the store’s vendors and customers, and once in late fall. This year’s fall event featured a talk with Brad King at a local venue.
The Country Way also does talks for the Alzheimer’s Society and the Lung Association, and has held an eight-week vegan and vegetarian cooking class for the Cancer Society.
“Tammy’s had the community come in for a 10-week training course in the gym, working with vendors. We’re always putting something out there so they come back into the store,” says Frey.
The business aspect
Unlike several other health stores out there, The Country Way has no issues with the NPN requirements that were recently enforced. “We’ve known all along that we have great products. When we stock something, it gives them more confidence,” says Frey.
While most customers coming in to the store are not that aware of NPN regulations, Frey and Watts choose to educate every customer coming in about them and why the store carries the products it does.
Rather than experiencing negative effects of the Canadian dollar’s fluctuations, The Country Way has become a resource for Americans as well. “We’re a border town, and there is one health store across the river. Americans actually come here just for our advice,” says Frey, who believes Watts is the reason for that. “When you talk about educating, she takes her style and her knowledge and she takes each member of the staff under her wing and helps them learn to better educate the customers. With her passion, it becomes contagious.”
The store manages its inventory using a local system, which also allows the owners to keep track of its customer loyalty program and special discounts for practitioners, though they are on the hunt for a system that allows them to do more, such as feedback reports and advanced data collection on the customers. Frey also manages inventory the old-fashioned way: by surveying the shelves herself.
In the case of customers with sticky fingers, Frey says that does not happen all that often, though when someone acting suspiciously enters the store, all the available associates come out to watch over the store floor, ensuring inventory remains in place, and capturing any area the surveillance cameras can’t reach.
The Country Way experiences the most sales in the winter, due to sales of immune products such as ones that battle cold and flu, though they don’t experience much of a decline throughout the rest of the year.
“In spring, summer and fall, it’s because we have wonderful clients that continue to shop all year round,” says Frey.
According to Frey, the store sets itself apart from its competition using a few basic principles: “Sincerity, customer service and education,” she says.
The Country Way’s goal is to make the community as healthy as it can be. “We’ve only touched upon three per cent of the community, and now it’s a lot larger. Now we want to focus on the whole area,” says Frey.
When Frey thinks of the future, she sees, “Growth. I see non-GMO being our big focus; carrying really clean products,” she says.
She describes her favourite part of owning the store as coming in and seeing people every day. “I would probably still come here if I were retired, just so I could see the people,” she says.
That love of not only the community, yet also for The Country Way’s clients, is what sets the store apart to become a community institution. It’s also what allows the store, and the members of its team, to become an honorary member of the family.
AT A GLANCE:
Name: The Country Way
Owners: Brenda Frey and Tammy Watts
Location: 79 Brock St., Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Website: thecountryway.ca
Store size: 1,400 sq. ft.
Staff: 10
TOP SELLING PRODUCTS:
Food: Progressive Organic Coconut Oil, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Seeds, Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
Vitamins/Supplements: Vega All in One Protein, Progressive VegEssentials All in One Protein, Genuine Health Fermented Greens, Health First Cal/Mag Supreme, Health First Berry C Vitamin C, Health First Omega First
Personal Care: Kiss My Face Liquid Rock Deodorant, Earth Paste Toothpaste, Now Xyli-White Toothpaste
Miscellaneous: Health First Cayenne, Health First Curcumin Supreme, Natural Factors Ginger
