The Crown Shop

John and Mary Jim Ramsey established their first store in 1971 in Arkadelphia as an investment. Today, the Ramseys operate two Crown Shops in Little Rock and employ 70-75 workers.

Their investment has turned into a career, said John Ramsey, who worked as a household appliance salesman when the first store opened.

That first store – 1,600 SF at Seventh and Main streets in Arkadelphia – was the Ramsey’s first venture into the greeting-card market as a result of a friendship with a Hallmark card salesman. In the mid-1990s, the Ramseys sold that store to the store’s manager.

Meanwhile, the Ramseys opened their first Little Rock store in 1974 at Baseline Road and Geyer Springs. Two years later, the family chain grew to three stores, when the couple leased space at Breckenridge Village on Rodney Parham. Also that year, the Ramseys sold their Geyer Springs location.

In 1983, The Crown Shop opened at Park Plaza Mall. The Breckenridge Village location has since been replaced by an 11,000-SF space at the Village on Rodney Parham.

The Ramseys’ secret to retail success, they said, is finding just the right niche market and staying ahead of their competition.

The Crown Shop at Park Plaza looks like a typical Hallmark store, offering thousands of cards. But as the Ramseys’ retail experience grew, so did their inventory of gifts and collectible items.

It has been a challenge to continually distinguish their stores from other greeting-card shops, Ramsey said.

The Crown Shop adds new merchandise and various services periodically to stay ahead of the pack. In November 2002, the Ramseys added embroidery at their 11,000-SF Rodney Parham store in response to customer inquiries, John Ramsey said. They also later added invitation and engraving services.

And to increase shopping convenience for their customers, the Ramseys are revamping their Web site to include an order-friendly catalog, Ramsey said.