Grand Rapids retailer seizes opportunity to be downtown’s only office supply store

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

Since Brian Snyder founded Pallets Business Supplies in 2005 he’s heard from customers that the store, tucked away on the back side of the Plaza Towers building, wasn’t visible enough to the public. All that changed last week when Pallets opened in its new location, 40 Monroe Center, in the heart of Grand Rapids’ downtown.

“We solve people’s problems all day long,” Snyder says. “They run out of something and need it replaced quickly. With us being downtown, customers don’t have to get in their car and drive to 28th Street and back and waste over an hour to do that.”

Pallets carries 1,000 office supply products in the store. Another 30,000 products—from office chairs to light bulbs—are available through its online store. The online store offers free next-day deliveries for orders over $35. And, if a customer needs an item that day, Snyder says he’ll do his best to get it.

“We walk our orders to downtown businesses if they’re within walking distance of the store,” Snyder says, “so that helps us stay as ‘green’ as we can.”

At 1,800 square feet, the store is just over half the size of the old shop. It’s more streamlined, but still has space in the back room for preparing deliveries, and, in the front, a display window overlooking Monroe Center.

“We have the retail business and the delivery service and this space works really well for both businesses,” he notes. “At lunchtime, people like to get out of the office and we’re hoping to attract the foot traffic. Yes, we want to sell things through the store, but more than that we want to sell the idea of getting your office supplies from us because we’re right here and we can deliver downtown.”

Source: Brian Snyder, Pallets Business Supplies

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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.