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Don Thomas masters retail's twists, turns |
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Few people have had the good fortune to transform their
passion into a successful career. Don Thomas is one of these fortunate
people. Thomas’s love for the sport of skiing led him to
open Michigan’s first ski shop run by a skier, a novel idea back
in 1953. This year, as Don Thomas Sporthaus celebrates 50 years
in business, it is being recognized as a Ski Magazine 2004 “Gold
Medal Ski Shop.” The store is the oldest continuously running ski
shop in America owned and operated by the original founder.
Nevertheless, skiing for Thomas would be a lifetime affair.
He worked on ski patrols around the state and helped found the first ski
club at Central Michigan University (then Central Michigan College). Passionate about both skiing and the people he has met
along the way, Thomas looks for opportunities to connect with people and
support the sport. One such connection put Boyne Mountain Ski Resort into
international news. “Back in 1952, I sold Studebakers in northwest Detroit
for Everett Kircher, founder and owner of Boyne Mountain; I worked at
Boyne Mountain on weekends. I introduced Everett to my friend, Olympic
champion Stein Eriksen—he was a boarder at my mother’s house
briefly—and they became friends.” Eventually the gold medalist became Boyne’s ski school
director and Boyne Mountain became what Thomas calls “a Mecca for
new age skiers in the Midwest.” In November 1953, Thomas saw an opportunity and opened
a 500-square-foot ski shop in Ferndale. He recalls, “I was painting
the walls and waiting on customers at the same time! We didn’t even
have a cash register for the first two years.” His retail career grew in tandem with the ski industry
itself, which was in its infancy in Michigan in the 1950s. “There
are so many fine ski resorts now in the state—it’s been fun
to see the industry grow.” Over the decades, Don Thomas Sporthaus moved several times
to accommodate his growing business. For the last 40 years, the Bloomfield
Plaza in Bloomfield Hills has been the store’s home. The 10,000-square-foot store sells mid- to high-end fashion
skiwear, ski equipment and snowboards for the entire family, as well as
swimwear, sportswear, active wear, and patio furniture. Come early fall,
two of the three floors in his store are dedicated to skiing and snow
sports. Perhaps the most challenging part of owning a ski shop
is seasonal inventory—skiwear and equipment gets only a one-time
turn each year. In women’s sportswear, which they’ve carried
since 1957, it’s somewhat more manageable—at least there’s
a four-time turn due to the seasons. “For skiwear, we start buying the next season’s
merchandise in January. And manufacturers now cut to order, so they don’t
have fill-in merchandise. If you order too few, it can be nearly impossible
to replenish.” For hard goods, Thomas is constantly looking for the right
“counter-seasonal” category. For a few years, he had good luck
with skateboards and inline skates. This year it’s outdoor furniture.
Though his history is a success story, it hasn’t
always been easy. Even when the outside climate is good, the economic climate
does not always cooperate. The winter after September 11, 2001, produced
a great snow season that “should have led to fabulous sales,”
said Thomas. But with the country in a somber mood and travel way down,
ski retail suffered. “We’re starting to break loose now; last year
was good, and we’re looking for steady improvement this year,”
he added. Like other retailers, Thomas seeks ways to save on operating
costs. He has found it more cost-effective to use an outside human resources
firm and has recently changed his health care and prescription benefits,
increasing deductibles to save money. “We didn’t do it without snarling and resisting,
but we felt we had to do it,” said Thomas. Don’s son Bob is highly regarded in the ski industry
in his own right. One of Bob’s projects is closely overseeing the
store’s website (donthomassporthaus.com), which features online ski
rentals, information about the store’s ski trips and events, and
a recently added online store. Don Thomas has never forgotten what brought him to his
50th anniversary, and has always given back to the community. In 1967
he helped start Ski Prix, a highly successful fundraiser for the U.S.
Ski Team, with which he worked for 20 years. Over the years he has worked with thousands of Michigan
teens and their high school ski teams. In 1964 he started Blizzard Ski
Club, Michigan’s first teaching program for junior skiers. The program
grew to launch 3,000 young skiers a season. In 1999 the Michigan High School Coaches Association gave
Thomas a “Lifetime Achievement” award. Area high school kids
named a ski race event in his honor. He has also been a leader within the ski industry. In
1966 the National Ski Areas Association recognized Thomas as its first
“Midwest Retailer of the Year.” In 1999 the Midwest Representatives Association (a regional
snow/outdoor sports organization representing related industries) gave
him its first “Retail Pioneer” award. He has also served on
the Retail Advisory Boards of several manufacturers, including Head and
White Stag. Ski Heritage magazine recently described Don Thomas
as “the longest surviving retailer in skiing,” a phrase that
just doesn’t convey his vitality and continued passion for the sport. Still skiing at age 76, Don Thomas can be spotted in situations that would challenge younger people: slopeside, cheering a group of young skiers during a race; leading a ski club group on the slopes in Michigan, Colorado or Utah—or helping a customer find the right ski boots at Sporthaus. This article was written by Amy Buttery, Michigan Retailer staff writer. |
Thomas
grew up in Detroit. “In those days, the sport of skiing meant strapping
wooden skis onto leather boots and heading for a local park. I bought
my first pair of skis at J.L. Hudson—no edges, no wax, no nothing,”
he remembers. 
“It’s
extremely competitive, but it’s perfectly counter-seasonal,”
he explained. “It’s here in early April and it’s completely
out by the end of September when we need to get our ski equipment on display.”