Thinking Outside The Big Box

摘要

When Michael Golden arrived at Home Decor Products in 2003, the company was circling the drain. It was selling plumbing supplies over the Web and, behind on $1.7 million in bills and desperate for cash, quoted rock-bottom prices. "I thought it was the dumbest idea I had ever heard," says Golden, 36. He called it Toilet.com. Today Golden is still selling privies over the Internet. But Homeclick.com and its sister sites tend to offer upper-end brands, like Toto's Neorest 600 elongated toilet-and-bidet combo, with a remote-control-activated lid, heated seat, warm-air dryer and self-cleaning device (price: $3,432 and up).