TreeHouse says goodbye to Austin
A little over a week after Tree House CEO and co-founder Jason Ballard discussed on a national stage how his company found its direction and path to success, the eco-friendly specialty retailer said it will close its original, flagship store in Austin, Texas.
Out of the gates, Tree House billed itself as the green alternative to The Home Depot. But the company quickly got its clock cleaned by the real Home Depot, according to Ballard who delivered the story at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas earlier this month.
Ballard said Tree House nearly went bankrupt until it found another business direction dedicated to service as opposed to a brick and mortar format strictly carrying green products.
Since opening the Austin location in 2011, Tree House has expanded with openings in Dallas and Plano. But the new locations have shifted their focus to a service strategy as opposed to selling goods. The Austin location never made the complete transition to the new format and continued to sell products in addition to offering services.
According to a statement from Tree House, the Austin store will close within 90 days and the company will move its corporate offices closer to its Dallas location. Retail sales and the completion of project installations will continue until the closing.
But a presence in Austin many not be over. The company said, “We love Austin and will be exploring other Austin locations that fit our growth strategy.”
Ballard gave no hints that the Austin store might close while speaking at the National Hardware Show on May 9. Instead he noted that additional expansion could be on the horizon as Tree House focuses on becoming a self-sustainable company while providing green services for home owners.
The CEO also told retailers at the National Hardware Show to find their own “superpower”, or personal strength that separates them from competing retailers.
Apparently, Austin became Tree House’s kryptonite.
Out of the gates, Tree House billed itself as the green alternative to The Home Depot. But the company quickly got its clock cleaned by the real Home Depot, according to Ballard who delivered the story at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas earlier this month.
Ballard said Tree House nearly went bankrupt until it found another business direction dedicated to service as opposed to a brick and mortar format strictly carrying green products.
Since opening the Austin location in 2011, Tree House has expanded with openings in Dallas and Plano. But the new locations have shifted their focus to a service strategy as opposed to selling goods. The Austin location never made the complete transition to the new format and continued to sell products in addition to offering services.
According to a statement from Tree House, the Austin store will close within 90 days and the company will move its corporate offices closer to its Dallas location. Retail sales and the completion of project installations will continue until the closing.
But a presence in Austin many not be over. The company said, “We love Austin and will be exploring other Austin locations that fit our growth strategy.”
Ballard gave no hints that the Austin store might close while speaking at the National Hardware Show on May 9. Instead he noted that additional expansion could be on the horizon as Tree House focuses on becoming a self-sustainable company while providing green services for home owners.
The CEO also told retailers at the National Hardware Show to find their own “superpower”, or personal strength that separates them from competing retailers.
Apparently, Austin became Tree House’s kryptonite.