Article in Todays Republican

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to pass along my article in todays paper (The Republican March 8 2010).  There will be another article in the Metro West Section one of the next few Wednesdays.  

Thank you, I appreciate your business and working with all of you!

http://www.masslive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/03/voices_of_the_valley_coping_with_the_economy_in_agawam.html

Michael W. Beaudry Sr. 
President 
Azon Liquors Inc., 384 Walnut St. Extension, Agawam 
Azon Cigars Inc., 378 Walnut St. Extension, Agawam

I bought the liquor store and retail plaza three years ago, when the overall economy was pretty good. But on Walnut Street Extension, business wasn’t good. The plaza was rundown and the liquor store’s business wasn’t good. I had been in property management, where we were taking rundown property and making it nice. To me, it was a challenge, something to turn around. 

In about a year to 18 months, the general economy went soft. For the liquor store, I tried to do the opposite of the norm. When the economy got bad, certain beer products went up (in wholesale price). I ate the increase and lowered the retail price. It helped business. 

Most stores buy in volume and pocket the profit. I buy in volume and change the price, so that the customer gets the same savings that I do. 

In one of the two liquor storage areas, we have “shoppable” storage, where people can see and buy the products in volume. I’m big on going against the grain, bucking the trends. I discuss everything with my wife (Madeline S. Beaudry, treasurer of the corporations). We enhance each other’s ideas. She and I each work about 80 hours a week. 

We just finished sprucing up the plaza in 2009 with painting, a new roof and windows, and new entry and exit doors. In February of 2009, we opened the cigar lounge. The former owner of the liquor store had a humidor that was part of the store. We expanded it. 

We decided to renovate a whole section of the plaza for the cigar lounge. I took a risk on the lounge in mid-recession. But everything is a risk. I always have back-up plans, if something doesn’t work. I was trying to fill a niche, a need. That’s what a business does. So why not try? 

Being new, the lounge is about a break-even thing (financially) now. The economy is having a big effect, because of the taxes on cigars. When I bought the plaza, there were five tenant spaces. Now the liquor store occupies two, the cigar lounge occupies two, and one is vacant. We’re planning to expand the liquor store. 

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MICHAEL BEAUDRY
-AZON-
Liquor~Wine~ Beer
Cigars~Coffee & More
384 Walnut St Ext
Agawam MA 01001
413-367-6453
michael@azoncigars.com

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