How I Built This with Guy Raz Crate & Barrel: Gordon Segal (2017)
Nov 18, 2019
Gordon Segal, the visionary founder of Crate & Barrel, recounts the humble beginnings of the iconic housewares brand he started with his wife in 1962. He reveals how a transformative trip to the Caribbean sparked their innovative retail ideas and the hurdles they overcame to launch their first store. Segal discusses their rapid sales growth and the changing dining culture of America during the 60s and 70s. The conversation also touches on the strategic expansions and challenges they navigated while building their retail empire.
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Inspiration in the Caribbean
- Gordon and Carol Siegel were newlyweds who couldn't afford the European-style housewares they desired.
- After a trip to the Caribbean, they realized they could import these goods themselves and sell them at affordable prices.
Early Sourcing and First Store
- The Segals contacted European trade commissioners for factory references and began sourcing products directly.
- They found an abandoned dumbwaiter factory in Chicago and rented it for their first store.
Initial Funding Challenges
- The Segals needed $20,000 to start but struggled to find investors.
- Gordon's father eventually lent them $7,000, which, along with their savings, allowed them to launch.