Lansing Regional Chamber Mixer
Fantastic Finds
November 12, 2013
Tonight, Fantastic Finds is hosting the Lansing Regional
Chamber of Commerce Mixer. They are the
largest seller of Wedding Gowns and Formal Dresses for Proms in the State of
Michigan! In fact, they are one of the
largest stores of this type in the country.
They have been at their location at 2925 Wood St. in Lansing since
September of 2010, but have been in business for 26 years.
They sell more than 1000 wedding gowns and 1500 prom dresses
per year and can also outfit the men in your bridal party! They are a destination store, which means
they draw customers from all parts of the state as well as Indiana, Ohio and
Illinois. Most of these people will also
stay at hotels, eat in local restaurants and shop in other stores in the area,
so Fantastic Finds is a huge contributor to Lansing’s Economic Picture!
I was fortunate to talk to Fantastic Finds’ owners, Sue and
Phil Rosenberger. They had a lot of
exciting information about Fantastic Finds and their operation.
Not only do they sell the gowns, but they also participate
in designing the wedding gowns and prom dresses so they can have exclusive merchandise
for sale. The store is a large three
story building and there is a huge inventory of wedding gowns on the second and
third floor and prom formals on the first floor. Any of these gowns can be special ordered and
perfectly fitted to the woman who wants to wear it.
The building is the oldest house in Lansing Township; it has
been scheduled for demolition four times and has been repaired and made
suitable for reuse each time. Fantastic
Finds purchased the building in 2010 and immediately expanded the
building. However, their business boomed
and they have had to do another addition!
Phil Rosenberger pointed out that a large element of the
store’s success is the patient personal service that they provide for the women
purchasing these dresses. The store is
large enough so that every bride to be can have a sense of privacy. There are up to 25 employees during the peak
season so that every woman gets truly personal service.
The building has been designed with the varying needs and
comfort zones of the two primary customer groups in mind. The prom dress area on the first floor is
decorated in a manner that will make teen aged prom shoppers comfortable. The music selected for the ambience is
calibrated to make young women in this age group comfortable.
The second and especially the third floor are set up to give
the women purchasing wedding dresses a serene atmosphere as they contemplate
one of the biggest decisions in their wedding planning. The building has been carefully designed and
sound proofed so that the music from the first floor does not intrude into the
area where the brides are doing their shopping and the quiet, stately
atmosphere of the third floor does not dampen the first floor enthusiasm.
Tim Daman, the Director of the Lansing Regional Chamber
commented on how much successful business like Fantastic Finds are in
Michigan. He stated that contrary to the
common perception that Lansing is totally reliant on the State Government and
Michigan State University, that our Lansing region is as diversified as any
region in the state as far as our economy is concerned. Successful operations like Fantastic Finds do
much to fuel other economic activity in the region.
I can’t finish describing this wonderful event without enthusiastically
praising how well this event was organized.
The food was fantastic. Many of
the restaurants in Eastwood Towne Center participated. I would like to thank Max and Ermas, Mitchell’s
Fish Market, Capital Prime, Champp’s Restaurant and Bar, Bravos Italiana and
Smokey Bones for putting on what can only be described as a sumptuous
feast. All the food was great!
Many thanks to Sue and Phil Rosenberger, as well as
Fantastic Finds and the Lansing Regional Chamber for putting on such a great
event! We are truly fortunate to have
these organizations contributing to our area’s economy!
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