Dennis and Ann Pence started Coldwater Creek when they decided to leave New York City in 1983 and start a business they could operate from the pristine rural location of Sandpoint, Idaho.
At first Coldwater Creek was a mail-order catalog business with a catalog printed in only one color. By 1985 the catalog had evolved to be a four-color catalog called Northcountry, which had commissioned original artwork and photography of rivers and mountains alongside the photos of merchandise.
The fast-growing company upgraded its computer systems in 1991 and began to track customer data, allowing the purchase records and demographic information to be used to increase sales. That same year, profits were $1.6 million on revenue of $11 million.
Coldwater Creek opened its first retail store in 1995 in Sandpoint. Other retail and outlet locations followed.
The company went public in 1997, trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker CWTR. The IPO raised $37.5 million for the company.
Today Coldwater Creek has more than 350 retail stores, over 6,000 employees, and had $742.5 million in sales in 2012.
Coldwater CreekDennis and Ann Pence started Coldwater Creek when they decided to leave New York City in 1983 and start a business they could operate from the pristine rural location of Sandpoint, Idaho.
At first Coldwater Creek was a mail-order catalog business with a catalog printed in only one color. By 1985 the catalog had evolved to be a four-color catalog called Northcountry, which had commissioned original artwork and photography of rivers and mountains alongside the photos of merchandise.
The fast-growing company upgraded its computer systems in 1991 and began to track customer data, allowing the purchase records and demographic information to be used to increase sales. That same year, profits were $1.6 million on revenue of $11 million.
History
Coldwater Creek opened its first retail store in 1995 in Sandpoint. Other retail and outlet locations followed.
The company went public in 1997, trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker CWTR. The IPO raised $37.5 million for the company.
Today Coldwater Creek has more than 350 retail stores, over 6,000 employees, and had $742.5 million in sales in 2012.