KERSTIN BLOCK

Kerstin Block is president and co-owner of Buffalo Exchange, a new and used clothing store chain with 29 stores and 3 franchises in 12 states, with over $43 million a year in sales. Buffalo Exchange is one of a small number of national companies headquartered in Tucson. Ms. Block started Buffalo Exchange in 1974 in Tucson with her husband, Spencer Block. The Blocks still own and run Buffalo Exchange out of Tucson, along with their daughter Rebecca. Kerstin joined the Art Advisory Board of the University of Arizona's College of Fine Arts in 2006. Kerstin was a trustee at the Arizona Sonora-Desert Museum for seven years, the last two as chair of the board. Kerstin has been an active member of the National Association Resale Thrift Shops (NARTS) since the mid 1980s. She presented three workshops at NARTS annual conferences, including topics such as company philanthropy and how to set up and renovate stores.

Kerstin and Spencer accepted the Southern Arizona Smart Inspiring Enterprise (SASIE) 2007 Award that Buffalo Exchange won for Sales and Marketing, 26+ employees category, at a ceremony hosted by The Arizona Small Business Association and Tucson Business Edge on Mar 6, 2007. SASIE Awards recognize and honor outstanding entrepreneurs in the Southern Arizona region whose innovative, enterprising approach to business deserves special recognition. Buffalo Exchange was one of 12 companies chosen from 102 nominees. Phoenix's bizAZ Magazine named Buffalo Exchange one of "Our 5 Hot Growth Companies," cover story, Jan/Feb 2007 issue: "Winners share common focus: better serving their customers... each business, in its own way, demonstrates a commitment to innovation and a willingness to perfect its products and services... Final selections from more than 35 nominees were based on the companies' financial strength, including revenue and employee growth, and advancements made in their respective fields." Kerstin was interviewed in the piece, which was also published in The Arizona Republic's Business section with companion article "Clothing reseller expanding 'organically' to other states," Jan 14. In 2006, the Tucson Advertising Federation honored Kerstin for her contributions to marketing at the Phyllis Ehlinger Women of Excellence event in Tucson. Kerstin was recognized as one of three of Tucson's most accomplished local business women for their marketing success stories. She was honored in 2005 as Woman Business Owner of the Year by the Tucson Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. In 2000, Kerstin was named an Entrepreneurial Fellow by the Karl Eller business center at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Buffalo Exchange was nominated for Workplace Excellence Awards of Greater Tucson, recognizing HR practices of Tucson's most progressive employers, 2006. The company was voted Best Resale Clothing & Best Men's Fashions (locally owned) Runner-Up in Tucson Weekly's Best of Tucson Readers' Picks 2006. Buffalo Exchange is recommended for fashion by the Sustainable Style Foundation's Online Source Books for New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco & Seattle (Jun 12, 2006). The resale chain was named in Coolest Companies, Biz AZ magazine, Phoenix (9/05). Buffalo Exchange was featured as only company representing Arizona in the paperback Testify! How Remarkable Organizations are Creating Customer Evangelists (9/04), one of 18 customer-focused companies selected for taking word-of-mouth marketing to a higher level. According to the editors, "Organizations that focus on building word of mouth into full-fledged evangelism grow faster, are more profitable and usually change the world." Copper Cactus Small Business Awards named Buffalo Exchange Best Place to Work in 2002 and Best Business Growth 2001.

Kerstin Block has successfully transformed the retail apparel marketplace by leading the resale fashion industry. To our knowledge, Buffalo Exchange was the very first store that bought, sold, traded, and took clothing items and accessories on consignment. When Buffalo Exchange opened in 1974 in Tucson, resale shopping carried a stigma. Kerstin Block is a pioneer in reversing this trend. Buffalo Exchange contributes to raising the demand for used clothing by selecting only quality, fashionable items that can be resold, and by offering used clothes at low prices in a clean, fun store with a boutique atmosphere. Customers receive cash or trade for clothes from their closet, in addition to simply shopping. People can buy brand new clothing using trade; no cash needed. The resale chain offers current labels and desirable vintage at bargain prices. Shoppers browse the merchandise of many stores and closets in one trip to Buffalo Exchange. Some find clothing otherwise not available in their city, because a well-traveled shopper has sold their clothing to Buffalo Exchange.

Kerstin grew up in Sweden and came to the University of Arizona on a scholarship in 1960. Kerstin loved thrift stores and swap meets. When she failed typing and shorthand classes at Pima Community College and lost her job in furniture display, Kerstin realized it was time for a change. She decided to open a unique kind of clothing store where people could buy, sell, and trade used clothing. The shop opened for business with clothing hung on racks made from old bicycle rims. The store was in a 450 square foot space that had been an old union office on Warren near the University of Arizona. Then, the object was simple survival. The couple supported their two daughters with their new business. Expansion was the last thing either of them thought about, until one day, about a year after they opened, they looked around and realized that they had no room to put anything. When the shoemaker next door left, the wall was immediately taken down and the space was doubled. That was the beginning of a growth pattern that still continues.

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