Poor George, a lifestyle boutique nestled in Cold Spring, New York, began its journey in 2013 as a vintage pop-up and Etsy shop. Founded by Cadah Goulet after working as a merchandiser for a national retailer, Poor George evolved from a side hustle into a dedicated brick-and-mortar store in 2018. Today, Poor George is a thriving omnichannel retail business with a loyal customer base, both in-store and online.
Poor George’s path to success: Scaling with Square
Starting with Square Point of Sale for in-person sales, Cadah expanded her use of Square products as her business grew. With the addition of a Square Online site, Cadah says she’s been able to increase sales by 20%.1 The website not only drives sales online but also drives additional foot traffic to her store. As the number of Poor George employees expanded, Cadah adopted Square Payroll and HR solutions, simplifying the process of staffing and paying employees.
The challenge: Managing omnichannel growth
As the owner of a growing business, Cadah needed an omnichannel solution that could keep up with all the complex processes of running a business — like managing payments, sales, inventory, and staffing. She also needed her business to cater to the seasonal, tourist-driven market of Cold Spring and be able to reach customers even after the busy seasons.
The solution: The expansive capabilities of Square
Square emerged as a key player in Poor George’s success story. Square for Retail combined with Square Online has proven to be a robust solution for keeping omnichannel operations in sync. Square also provides Cadah a comprehensive suite of tools beyond payment processing, including payroll, HR, marketing, and even loans.2 The reporting tools play a crucial role in effective metric management, offering insights into net sales, customer engagement, conversion rates, and inventory.
Square Online has also played a critical role in helping Poor George maintain customer relationships with seasonal customers, allowing her to extend her store’s reach online and provide a seamless experience for customers even after they return home.
Square grew with me. From in-person sales to hiring employees using payroll and HR tools, Square has been a fundamental part of my business journey. It’s incredibly reliable, smooth, and trustworthy for both in-store and online transactions.”
Cadah Goulet → owner of Poor George
The results: Customer engagement and streamlined operations
The adoption of Square products, especially Square Online, has fueled Poor George’s growth.
Square Online has allowed me to build a repeat customer base, keeping my transitory customers engaged. The customization features, like color-coding and design elements, have helped me express my brand online cohesively.”
Cadah Goulet → owner of Poor George
Cadah says that the ability to offer online gift cards that can be redeemed in-store or online drives thousands of dollars in additional yearly revenue.3 Cadah keeps customers interested with email newsletters that have a 75%4 open rate using the Mailchimp integration with Square.
In addition, Cadah notes that “the most daunting thing as a small business owner when you’re trying to grow is staffing. It was such a relief to have Square in my corner to set up payroll and handle other intimidating aspects.”
Poor George’s future vision: A richer online experience
Looking ahead, Cadah envisions continued growth for Poor George with Square as a key partner. With a focus on nurturing existing customers through reporting insights and marketing tools, Cadah plans to delve deeper into Square Online to enhance the shopping experience on her site. As she expands her business, including a potnetial second location, Cadah will usescalable solutions from Square to keep the flexibility she needs for her future endeavors.
Please note that Poor George was compensated by Square for their participation.
1Comparing total sales in 2019 to 2018, based on self-reported data.
2All loans are issued by Square Financial Services, Inc. Actual fee depends upon payment card processing history, loan amount and other eligibility factors. A minimum payment of 1/18th of the initial loan balance is required every 60 days and full loan repayment is required within 18 months. Loan eligibility is not guaranteed. All loans are subject to credit approval.
3Based on self-reported data.
4Based on self-reported data.
