HERE'S A GLIPSE INTO HIS TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THE MAKING HIS RETAIL EMPIRE.

Retail Spotlight Interview conducted by Lenny B

Nikkis Music - Cleveland's FINEST !!



LENNY: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE MUSIC STORE BUSINESS?

SANDERS: STARTED OFF SPINNING RECORED AT THE ROAD SOUTH, EXCLUSIVE HOTEL PARTIES AND ON THE WESTSIDE AT THE FANTASY NIGHTCLUB. I USED TO BUY RECORDS FROM KERMIT HENDERSON AT DRC AND ONE DAY AFTER COMING OUT THE STORE WITH A ARM FULL OF RECORDS I THOUGHT ABOUT OPENING UP MY OWN STORE. AFTER ATTENDING CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY AND GRADUATING WITH A DEGREE IN DATA PROCESSING I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OVER HALF OF A LIQUOR STORE ON 149TH AND ST.CLAIR. I STAYED OVER IN THE AREA FOR 4 YEARS THEN OPENED MY SECOND LOCATION ON BUCKEYE IN 1987. AFTER GETTING TIRED OF RUNNING BACK AND FORTH I WANTED TO FIND A LOCATION ON BUCKEYE BECAUSE THEY HAD BETTER TRAFFIC ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN. I FOUND A SPOT ON E.119TH AND BUCKEYE AND THEN LATER MOVED DOWN TO 117TH BECAUSE I HAD OUT GROWN THAT LOCATION.

LENNY: WHAT WAS IT LIKE GETTING STARTED?

SANDERS: WELL, FINANCING WAS OUT OF THE QUESTIONS. WHEN I WENT TO THE BANK THEY WANTED A BUSINESS PLAN COMPLETE WITH A PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT AND 5 YEAR FORECAST. THAT WAS TO MUCH FOR A PERSON WHO REALLY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE BUSINESS AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY ASSETS TO COMMIT TO THE BANK.

LENNY: HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME NIKKI'S AND WHY?

SANDERS: NIKKI IS MY DAUGHTER'S NICKNAME (CHAVON NICOLE "NIKKI" FLANNARY) THE STORE WAS OPEN IN 1985, HOWEVER, IN 1996 NIKKIS WAS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON HER WAY TO SCHOOL SHE WAS 17 YEARS OF AGE AND A SENIOR AT ORANGE HIGH SCHOOL. CHAVON WAS MY ONLY CHILD AND THE PRIDE OF MY LIFE. I ALWAYS JOKE TO HER ABOUT PUTTING HER NAME IN LIGHTS.

LENNY: HOW DID YOU FINALLY START TO GET NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR YOUR STORE.

SANDERS: AFTER CHAVON'S DEATH I WANTED TO FULFILL MY COMMITMENT TO PUT HER NAME IN LIGHTS AND TO CARRY HER NAME NATIONWIDE. I ENTER IN NATIONAL WIDE DISPLAY CONTEST AND ATTENDED NATIONAL CONFERENCE CONVENTIONS.

LENNY: HOW MANY RETAIL DISPLAY CONTEST HAVE YOU WON AND PLACED IN?

SANDERS: WELL JUST TO LIST A FEW, 2002 WAS IMPACT RETAILER OF THE YEAR, 2001 WAS DEF JAM SPIRIT AWARD, 2000 WAS DEF JAM NATIONWIDE HIP-HOP BIGGEST RETAILER AND 1999 WAS ELEKTRA, DEF JAM, FRONTIER AND PRIORITY RECORDS NATIONWIDE DISPLAY CONTEST AND THE LIST GOES ON OF CASH PRIZES TOTALING OVER $80,000.00.

LENNNY: HEAR DEF JAM NAMED A RETAIL AWARD AFTER YOU, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?

SANDERS: DEF JAM GAVE A NATIONWIDE "THIRSTY CAMPAIGN" VISIBILITY DISPLAY CONTEST AND MY PROJECT WAS SO OUTRAGEOUS , IT WAS SO SUPERTIGHT THAT THEY PULLED MY PROJECT AND RECOGNIZE TWO RETAIL STORES WITH THE SANDERS HENDERSON DEF JAM SPIRIT AWARD ALSO AN ARTICLE IN URBAN NETWORK MAGAZINE WHICH IS A NATIONWIDE PUBLICATION: LETTER FROM KEVIN LILES-PRESIDENT OF ISLAND DEF JAM GROUP , "THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE INVOLVES MANY TASKS SUCH AS CREATIVITY, METICULOUS PLANNING AND CONSISTENTLY GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT IS ASKED OF THEM. I HAVE KNOWN SANDERS FOR A LONG TIME AND I'M AMAZED BY THE REINVENTION OF NIKKI'S MUSIC. IN LIGHT OF THAT FACT, I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE SANDERS HENDERSON DEF AM SPIRIT AWARD. THIS AWARD, TO BE GIVEN ANNUALLY, RECOGNIZES STELLAR SPORTSMANSHIP, CREATIVITY AND INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRAGULATING SANDERS ON HIS GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS".

LENNY: YOUR STORE IS LIKE A MUSEUM WITH PICTURES OF EVERYBODY YOU COULD IMAGINE. WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA TO TO BUILD YOUR WALL OF FAME?

SANDERS: NIKKI'S MUSIC IS IN THE HEART OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY WHICH DOESN'T GET ALOT OF ARTIST COMING THROUGH, SO THROUGHOUT MY YEARS I TOOK PICTURES OF ALMOST EVERYONE AND PUT THEM ON THE WALLS OF THE STORE. THE CUSTOMERS LOVE TO SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT ARTISTS THAT COME TO NIKKI'S AND IN STORE PROMOTIONS LIKE P DIDDY, SCARFACE, NORTORIOUS B.I.G., NELLY, MASTER P., REDMAN, METHOD MAN AND A HOST OF OTHERS.

LENNY: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR OTHER INTEREST OUTSIDE OF THE RETAIL GAME?

SANDERS: I'M ALWAYS IN THE RETAIL GAME WHATEVER I DO. HOWEVER OUTSIDE NIKKI'S I DO BALLOON ORDERS FOR WEDDINGS, PROMOTIONS, COMPANY PICNICS, ETC. I LIKE TO ATTEND THE CONCERTS AND LISTENING PARTY TO PROMOTE UPCOMING ARTISTS.

LENNY: WHAT'S NEXT FOR SANDERS AND NIKKI'S?

SANDERS: WELL I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL IN PROMOTIONS AND MARKETING. I THINK A LOT OF RETAILERS WOULD LIKE ME OUT THE DISPLAY GAME, SO WE AE WORKING ON OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.NIKKISMUSIC.COM (CHECK IT OUT!).

LENNY: WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO HOLLA OUT TO?

SANDERS: FIRST, I WOULD LIKE THANK GOD FOR GIVING ME GOOD HEALTH, STRENGTH AND CREATIVITY TO KEEP NIKKI'S GOING FOR 17 YEARS. ALSO, MY WIFE TWILA FOR ENDRUING THOSE LONG HOURS 365 DAYS A YEAR. SHOUT OUT TO MY RETAIL DAWGS DUCKO (JOY OF MUSIC), VINCE (NEW RELEASE), KERMIT (DRC MUSIC) AND SPECIAL THANKS TO MY CLEVELAND FAMILY, THE TECHNITIONS. ALSO, CAN'T FORGET THE HATERS. PEACE..
Tech.Nitions Magazine Ocotober 2002




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