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Archives of Past Eastside Business Monthly Issues
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“CONTAIN” YOURSELF!The Container Store Opens First Washington Location and Kicks off Recruiting Efforts for 36th Store in Bellevue's Lincoln Square
Washington is about to get organized. The Container Store, the nation's originator and leading retailer of storage and organization products, opens its first Washington location at Lincoln Square next month. The Container Store is currently hiring 90 “neat” employees from Western Washington . The Dallas-based The Container Store created the storage and organization category within the housewares industry in 1978 with multi-functional, high-quality products that solve difficult storage and organizational challenges, ultimately saving valuable space and time. The store is organized with banners dividing it into 14 lifestyle departments such as closet, kitchen, office, travel, gift packaging, and laundry, and will feature more than 10,000 products to organize the Northwest. The Container Store is underway with its recruiting efforts, searching for Washingtonians to join the privately held company heralded by FORTUNE magazine on its annual list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the past six years. The Container Store's wages are 50 to 100 percent higher than retail industry averages and all full-time, first-year sales employees receive 241 hours of formal training compared to industry averages of eight to 10 hours. The Container Store offers complimentary space planning every day using elfa ® , the premier wire shelving and drawer system, and the company's best-selling product since its original debut in 1978. The Container Store's colorful variety of products includes over 50 trash baskets, 12 shower caddies, and 40 CD holders to name a few. In celebration of its opening, The Container Store will be donating 10 percent of sales on Saturday and Sunday, October 29-30, 2005 to the Seattle Symphony to benefit music education and outreach programs. “We are thrilled to be opening in Washington and to be the first store to open in Lincoln Square, a location we see as an ideal shopping destination for both Seattleites and Eastsiders,” said Kip Tindell, president and CEO of The Container Store. “We are excited to bring our solutions and high level of customer service to the Pacific Northwest and support the Seattle Symphony, such a well respected organization in the community.” The Container Store's unique, hands-on management approach provides a dynamic team environment and reputable customer service. The Container Store has a corporate culture atypical in the retail industry, which averages a turnover rate at a 100 percent, where The Container Store boasts a rate of about 10 percent. The company continues to grow annually at an average of 20-25 percent since its inception in 1978, with 2005 sales expected to reach $440 million. The Container Store is the first retail space to open in Lincoln Square on October 29 and is located at Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street .
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