Family and Community First: A Look into Peddler's Mall Success

Overview

Peddler’s Mall, a thriving indoor vendor market with a family-first mission, has been a fixture in the resale landscape since 1997. Four locations quickly turned into eight and so on, their business boomed. With 18 locations across Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia, they serve over 4,000 vendors, ranging from antique sellers to contemporary artisans. Founded by John George Sr., Peddler’s Mall was built on the principle of supporting the community through accessible, secondhand shopping. After passing in 2020, his legacy continues through the ownership and leadership of his children and grandchildren as they protect his vision to prioritize family values, community focus, and sustainable shopping practices.

The Challenge

As Peddler's Mall grew, it faced increasing complexity in managing multi-vendor needs and the efficiency of high-volume transactions. Although its previous software had served its purpose for over 25 years, it lacked crucial features like SimpleConsign’s barcoding, SimpleACH, extensive reporting, and, most importantly, a cloud-based system. But making a switch after 30 years comes with its challenges - like getting your team and vendors on board with such a big transition.

When Taylor Logsdon, John George Sr.'s granddaughter, joined after college with a business and communications degree, she noticed how outdated the software was at the local peddler's mall where she worked.

The Solution

Nick George, the son of John George Sr. who founded Peddler’s Mall, was intrigued when he encountered a vendor at an antique mall in Lakeland, Florida, using barcoding in a way he had never seen before. As he spoke with the vendor about their tools and operations, he learned they were using SimpleConsign. This discovery led to conversations with SimpleConsign, and Nick's interest quickly grew.

Once Nick got his team onboard with a new software, they quickly moved forward with SimpleConsign. Peddler’s Mall chose SimpleConsign for its robust features, ease of customization, QuickBooks integration and ACH payments. SimpleConsign’s ACH payment functionality and quick reporting tools have helped Peddler’s Mall manage vendor payouts efficiently and ensure smooth financial operations across their 18 locations.

“I wasn’t an IT person but I could see where we were missing out on so many elements of a distinguished POS system. This was always a setback for Peddler’s Mall. Now that we have Simpleconsign we have no boundaries - we have places to go. I have dreamed of this kind of reporting. I have dreamed of SimpleConsign to get us bigger and better”, shares Taylor.

Implementation and Key Features

1. ACH Payments: With 400 vendors now using ACH (10% in 3 months), Peddler’s Mall is strategizing to have the majority of vendors opt for direct deposit, saving time and reducing fees for paper checks. With just a few clicks, they can generate reports to monitor ACH participation, a feature they find invaluable.
   “Our last ACH run processed up to 500 transactions. Additionally, Simple Consign can now sync to QuickBooks Online not only by class but also by location, which is highly beneficial for companies with multiple stores operating under a single company. And, SimpleConsign provides a real-time mobile app that enables users to monitor sales performance across all locations” shares Jose Davis, head of accounting with Peddler’s Mall.
2. QuickBooks Integration: SimpleConsign’s seamless integration with QuickBooks has enabled Peddler’s Mall’s accounting team to save time on manual data entry and quickly access financial records.
3. Custom Reporting: The team uses SimpleConsign’s reporting tools daily. Davis finds it especially helpful for vendor management and decision-making. "It’s so easy to customize a report with SimpleConsign," he shares. Managers can effortlessly track vendor activity, monitor trends, and identify top-selling products, improving operational efficiency.
4. Vendor Engagement and Communication: Through SimpleConsign’s vendor portal, Peddler’s Mall’s vendors can check sales in real-time and feel more connected. Taylor, while managing all communication, values the system’s easy-to-contact features, which enable her to reach vendors quickly and easily.
5. Enhanced Sales: The integrated credit card terminals in SimpleConsign allow cashiers to process sales faster, resulting in shorter wait times.

The Results

In just three months since adopting SimpleConsign, Peddler’s Mall has experienced significant improvements in operational efficiency:

• Reduced Manual Work: Automated processes have saved hours of manual labor across the accounting and management teams.
• Improved Sales Tracking: Detailed reports enable Peddler’s Mall to analyze sales trends, better understand vendor performance, and make data-driven decisions to grow the business. Quicker sales processing has also reduced wait times.

Looking Ahead

Nick and his team see SimpleConsign as more than just a POS system; they view it as a strategic partner that understands their unique business needs. They plan to roll out barcoding and ACH payments across all locations, solidifying operational efficiencies and creating a consistent experience for vendors and customers alike.

With SimpleConsign, Peddler’s Mall is well-positioned to continue its family-built legacy of community-focused, sustainable retailing for years to come.