12 Retail Business Success Stories [2024]
Here are some real life success stories of starting a retail business:
1. Stuckey’s Corporation ($24M/year)
In 2019, Stephanie Stuckey bought back her family's roadside retail chain, Stuckey's, which had fallen into corporate control and lost many stores. With a focus on brand loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing, Stephanie managed to turn a profit within six months and has since expanded the business by purchasing a pecan shelling and candy-making plant. Stuckey's is now reviving the nostalgic brand by offering a variety of pecan snacks and candies, and they are focused on expanding their online and retail presence.
How much they make: $24M/year
How much did it cost to start: $35
Current team size: 40
Stuckey's, the first roadside retail chain founded in 1937 by W.S. Stuckey, Sr., went through corporate leadership before Stephanie Stuckey bought the company in 2019 and, within six months, managed to start turning a profit by relying on brand loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing to focus on product sales and re-interest in road-tripping.
2. Charleston Weekender ($24K/year)
Liz Martin, the founder of The Charleston Weekender, started her business as a side hustle while working as a speech-language pathologist. She began by offering interior decorating services and selling Turkish towels on her website. Over time, she narrowed her focus to creating content for other brands on social media and opened a retail shop called Cannonborough Collective. With low start-up costs and consistent growth, Liz was able to double her revenue from $35k to $70k in just one year.
How much they make: $24K/year
Current team size: 0
Liz Martin founded a lifestyle blog and balloon & gift shop in Charleston, SC, doubling her revenue from $35k to $70k in just one year through a combination of sponsorships, social media workshops and sales from her shop, leveraging the popularity of Instagram and narrowing her business focus.
So... can you actually make money with a retail business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. B2C Furniture ($12M/year)
surged to $1.3 million, a 66% increase compared to the previous year, while online sales reached $2.6 million, a staggering 171% increase. The future looks bright for B2C Furniture as they continue to expand their product range, open new showrooms, and further establish themselves as a leader in sustainable e-commerce furniture.
How much they make: $12M/year
Current team size: 15
Anesley Clarke, the founder and CEO of B2C Furniture, achieved a 132% increase in revenue that primarily focuses on selling directly to end-users with their sustainable e-commerce furniture business that offers an extensive range of carefully crafted furniture which is constructed with hardwood and environmentally conscious design.
4. FactoryPure ($36M/year)
Eugene Ravitsky and his brother, Mike, co-founded FactoryPure after their previous venture in eCommerce ran into trouble. They identified air purifiers as a niche category with potential, built relationships with manufacturers, and utilized a drop-ship model to bootstrap the business. Today, FactoryPure generates around $3M per month in revenue and has achieved consistent growth by carefully managing gross margins and ad spend.
How much they make: $36M/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 12
Two brothers co-founded FactoryPure, an online retailer with a focus on generators, which generated around $3M per month in revenue and had cumulative sales of $6.1M in 2018.
So... can you actually make money with a retail business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. Dropout SRL ($1.68M/year)
Kola Tytler, the founder of dropout, came up with the idea for his business after learning about the underground sneaker resale market and self-teaching himself to code a sneaker bot. He later teamed up with others to create software that collected data and ran statistical analysis, which led to the creation of HypeAnalyzer. Frustrated with university, Kola decided to bring the ultimate sneaker shopping experience to Italy, leading to the birth of dropout.
How much they make: $1.68M/year
How much did it cost to start: $120K
Current team size: 8
Founder Kola Tytler managed to build a profitable business, Dropout, worth over $2.5 million by selling limited edition sneakers and streetwear, despite having no prior experience and juggling medical school; the company saw over 50,000 in-store visitors and over $100k in sales in December 2021 alone and raised €750k via equity crowdfunding in 6 days.
6. Taproot Organics ($48K/year)
How much they make: $48K/year
Current team size: 4
Taproot Organics is a soap business started by Daniel Grunes that, after four years of effort using Twitter and Facebook as its main marketing channels, has two retail outlets and a 24/7 website.
So... can you actually make money with a retail business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
7. Truffaux ($600K/year)
Founders Imogen and her partner started their business in 2007 after moving to Ecuador. Imogen, who didn't bring a hat with her to the motherland of Panama hat production, designed her own at a local hat maker, which attracted attention from tourists. Realizing they had become hat makers, they aimed to create original designs and sell them online to the global market. However, they soon discovered that selling online was not effective, prompting them to focus on opening popup stores in various locations.
How much they make: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 3
How a couple traveling the world turned a vision of creating unique Panama hats into a $15k/month business selling over 150 models across five stores on three continents, and now expanding into new products and opening a local store.
8. Upper Limits ($1.44M/year)
Matthieu Fortin, the CEO of Upper Limits, started the company in 2013 with the goal of creating a place where medical cannabis patients could find education and guidance. Inspired by his personal experience with the health benefits of vaporization, he saw an opportunity to provide new product technology education and fill a gap in the market. With an initial investment of $30,000, he bootstrapped the business and focused on sourcing high-quality products and building relationships with vendors and customers. Word of mouth and a strong online presence, including Google tools, have played a significant role in attracting and retaining customers for Upper Limits.
How much they make: $1.44M/year
How much did it cost to start: $30K
Current team size: 7
Upper Limits, a hybrid brick-and-mortar/e-commerce company located in Springfield, IL that sells dispensary, smoke shop products, and custom glass pipes, has succeeded in generating 366% greater sales revenue than their industry peers by facing challenges head-on and diversifying their revenue streams.
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
