At 75, Lewis more relevant than ever

I never understood people who root against the hometown team. I once knew a New York Yankees fan that was pulling for the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 World Series. (Are you kidding me — the FLIPPING Red Sox?!) I bet him $50 just on principal; what kind of demented Yankees fan could ever root for the Red Sox to beat another New York team? Surely, this is the kind of sick lunatic that the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the CIA and just about every federal and local law enforcement agency in the country should have on a watch list.

In this issue, Drug Store News gives it up for Sioux Falls’ own Lewis Drug, which this year celebrates its 75th year in operation. “People recognize us as the home team,” Lewis president and CEO Mark Griffin told DSN.

“I think ‘locally owned’ still resonates with a good percentage of consumers,” added SVP of merchandise and marketing Bob Meyer.

To be sure, there is a lot more than just the blind loyalty of a core group of “homer” fans that has kept Lewis a strong and growing force in the markets it competes in. Today, Lewis Drug is as relevant to its core shopper as it has ever been. The company has done it through a slightly eclectic mix by drug store standards — Lewis sells more garden supplies than the local Home Depot and Lowe’s stores, is one of the largest dealers of Weber grills in its markets and operates massive pet departments that are giving nearby PetSmarts a run for their money, according to company executives — and a close relationship with local customers. Lewis is not just in the community, it is an integral part of the community.

“We want customers to care about us as a local business, a family business and one that’s very connected and gives back to the community,” offered Lewis VP Nikki Griffin.

Lewis’s connection to the community runs deep. Some of the bigger social programs it has initiated over the years include an annual coat drive for homeless and low-income adults, now in its third year; an annual charity golf tournament, which this year raised $65,000 for local charities; the Lewis Cares Foundation, which was created by Meyer, and partners the chain with its vendors to pledge a percentage of revenues from the purchase of certain products; and a Lewis garden center promotion that provides one needy family with a complete backyard makeover.

If you ask Mark Griffin, he’ll tell you that Lewis’s connection to the community and its hometown customers is stronger than it has been in many years. “There was a period when that wasn’t important, when the big boxes opened up and the message was just price, price, price,” Griffin said. “Now, people value the home team … and I think that’s gaining ground again.”