Margie Kessler readily admits that for the majority of her life she never had much of an affinity for the game of soccer. But ever since a fateful opportunity presented itself in the summer of 2022, she has become fully immersed in the sport and its strong ties to the local community. Now she’s ready to grow that connection even more.
A few years ago, Kessler had grown unsatisfied with her job in marketing and was looking for a change of pace. She had been conversing with her sister Julie Ferdas, who suggested that Kessler return to the world of retail where she had spent so many years early on in her career. And so when Julie’s husband Marc found out that Soccer Post Cherry Hill, the store his son had been working in, was going to close its doors, he phoned Kessler asking if she had an interest in buying the business. It was a proposal that would change her life—even if she didn’t believe it at the time.
Unsure this opportunity was the right fit, Kessler sought advice from her father Jim aka Commish, who had spent decades in the retail business himself. After taking a closer look at the financials and business model, he was skeptical. So, too, was Kessler’s husband. But with an open mind, Margie, Marc and her husband decided to meet with the folks at the franchise’s corporate office and they left that meeting feeling inspired to take the leap.
“The person in charge of retail sold us. Augusto really talked to us about the community aspect of it all. It wasn’t just about the retail and selling and making money, but rather being part of the soccer community. We looked at each other and said, ‘We can do this,’” Kessler recalls.
Since taking over Soccer Post Cherry Hill in the summer of 2022, Kessler has met the challenge, enlisting the help of her husband, son, father, mother, brother-in-law, niece and nephew; all of whom play various but integral parts in the store’s success.
“My dream growing up was always to go into business with my father,” Kessler says. “He has been my backbone from the minute I opened the store. There can be certain challenges [working so closely with family], but for the most part, it’s been amazing. And the fact that I get to spend so much time with my dad and mom is probably one of the most rewarding things.”
Now Kessler is preparing for a new chapter as Soccer Post Cherry Hill leaves its location on Brace Road for a new 11,000-square-foot space on Route 70. The new space is “bigger and brighter” with a turf area for customers to try on cleats they select from the new shoe wall that is nearly double the size of its predecessor.
Aside from the larger retail space, the new location will also house Soccer Post Cherry Hill’s ever-growing uniform department, which not only supplies customers with the jerseys of their favorite teams and players, but also outfits several club and travel teams throughout South Jersey.
But, perhaps the thing Kessler is most eager to share with the public is Commish Field, a state-of-the-art indoor turf field located on the premises where teams can hold practice, instructors can operate clinics and eventually where local families can host birthday parties. Named in honor of her father, lovingly nicknamed “The Commish,” Kessler agonized over every detail in getting the field ready.
“I had local coaches and trainers come with me to the space and I asked them, ‘Is this workable? What would you do? What are some things that would make this space good for you to use?’ And we really took all that information to help build the field and so far, anybody who’s been on it has just been totally blown away.”
The fact that Kessler is furthering that connection to the local soccer community should come as no surprise, given the store attracts clientele from not just the neighboring region, but also from across the bridge in Philadelphia all the way down to Cape May. Now with expanded capabilities and a convenient location, Soccer Post Cherry Hill will be better able to serve its growing consumer base while continually building upon its reputation for providing the highest level of customer service.
“From day one, the most important thing we have said is that we will always take care of our customers,” affirms Kessler. “We will always do whatever we can to make the customer happy. We jump through hoops and even when it’s really difficult, we do our best to get it done.”
Soccer Post Cherry Hill
(856) 284-6260
SoccerPostCherryHill.com
