TOPPING the Charts

ON OUR RADAR:
• Positive Economic Indicators. Despite a rough January,
steady job growth and rising home prices are on track to boost consumer
confidence and retail spending this year, as the National Retail Federation
forecasts a 4.1% rise in sales.
• Men’s Apparel Sales. They were up 5.3% in 2013, while women’s
clothing sales remained flat. Industry observers say men are investing in their
personal style more than ever. Time to stock men’s fashion accessories?
• Chip-And-Pin Cards. Say goodbye to swipe-and-sign credit card
transactions, as Visa and MasterCard commit to new, safer technology by
October 2015 (wsj.com).
TOPPING
the Charts
MILKHOUSE CANDLE CREAMERY,
#7 in Eco-Friendly, is known for its 100%
natural soy and pure beeswax candles in
reusable glassware. Offered in more than
50 fragrances, candles use all-cotton,
lead-free wicks and no dyes. The bestselling half-pint milkbottle candle features
8 ounces of wax, 50 hours of burn time.
Cost: $6.25. New this year is the 8-ounce
cream jar, $5.50 cost (800) 565-1543,
milkhousecandle.com.
March 2014
giftBEAT
Tracking the pulse of the gift industry
If You Can’t Beat Amazon, Should You Join It?
By Joyce Washnik
A
lthough some may consider it a deal with the
devil, the reality is that small retailers who
have turned to Amazon’s marketplace are
finding much-needed exposure and revenue.
The world’s largest online retailer has stepped up
its efforts to woo more third-party sellers — with
profitable results. According to Internet Retailer,
experts estimate that Amazon sold about $140
billion of third-party merchandise on its
website in 2013, bringing in $14.1 billion in
revenue (based on Amazon taking about a 10% cut
of sales). That’s a whopping 53% increase from 2012.
An Alabama gift shop owner jumped on the
Amazon bandwagon last fall, after another retailer in
her town told her she was having success as a thirdparty seller. She tested the waters in September with
just a few items she didn’t plan to continue carrying
in her store. The experiment worked.
“The amount we did on Amazon blew our
minds!” she says, with interest in everything from
cookie cutters to candles to ornaments. She says
it has “saved our hides,” and she credits Amazon
with keeping her January sales even with last year,
while the majority of Giftbeat’s reporting retailers
(58%) were down.
What started as fewer than 100 products has
grown to more than 1,100. She adds new items just
about every day. “We are clearing out and changing
up. Amazon played a big part in that,” she says.
Currently, she only lists items already offered by
third-party sellers, as she says brand-new listings are
much more complicated.
When she adds a listing, she looks to see how
others price the merchandise. Generally, she keeps
her pricing in line, unless she wants to move
something quickly. In those cases, she may cut the
price $2 or $3 at most. But, she says, it is still better
than moving slow sellers at 75% off in the store.
This year she plans to continue using Amazon,
but also investing in ecommerce sales on her store
website. “We’re trying to adapt and adjust,” she says.
She offers her peers some advice on Amazon sales:
“If nothing else, try lines that you’re not going
forward with. It’s an exciting opportunity!”
But selling on Amazon isn’t all rosy, as retaildive.com
(continued on page 5)
TRENDING UP OR DOWN:
p Fashion Accessories:
Business is up for 47% of retailers,
even for another 36%. A Minnesota
shop owner says “more variety”
is helping the category, citing boot
toppers from Vintage Home
(718) 517-9100 and Notes
to Self (913) 730-0037 socks.
YI Imports’ (972) 388-1234
scarves are strong for a Texas
retailer, while a second Texas
respondent says Ah!Dorned (917)
855-4605 has the “best handbags.”
u Personal Accessories:
Interest has softened, as 56%
report flat sales and 26% find
business down. But a Virginia
retailer has boosted sales by
placing DM’s (800) 548-6784
nail files and manicure sets next
to the register. After the holidays,
a Minnesota shop owner moved
quickly to fill in displays and
keep the category fresh, with
the help of Hang Accessories’
(619) 544-1780 purse hangers.
u Owl-Themed: Sales are
even for half of those polled, while
31% report lower figures. “We did
owls BIG in 2011 and even bigger
in 2012. This year we scaled back,”
says a New York retailer, echoing
her peers’ feedback. An Oklahoma
respondent says Kikkerland’s
(800) 869-1105 new timers and lip
gloss have helped, while a Colorado
respondent cites Lynn Roberts’
(800) 228-6094 garden stakes.
Hitting Goals: Focus Management Is Key
SPARTINA 449 places in two charts:
Fashion Accessories and Personal
Accessories. Its “Yacht Club” wallets
feature nautically inspired medallion
enclosures (mermaid, crab, sailboat) on the
company’s modern Sea La Vie collection
of spring fabrics and color combinations,
including Strachan, a black and off-white
paisley print with pink accents; and Haig
Point, a navy and cream geometric with
lime green accents. Sugg. retail: $42–
$62.50 (843) 681-8860, spartina449.com.
{
By Natalie Hammer Noblitt
ince there’s no way to add more hours
to your day, the best way to get more
done in the time you have is to gain the
focus needed to complete important tasks,
says Jason Womack, productivity expert and
author, who grew up with parents who owned
and managed retail and restaurant businesses.
He shares concrete advice for minimizing
distractions and accomplishing goals so
business owners can feel more productive at
the end of the day.
Q. As a society, have we generally
become busier but less productive?
A. People now define being productive as
“how much they get done,” while being busy
S
Tips To
Tackle BIG
Projects
page 5
means “how long things take” to
be completed. So it’s really not a
matter of being more busy or less
productive. When we want to get more
work done in our day, we should be talking about
focus management.
I help people direct more of their time and
attention to meaningful work. By doing this, business
owners can more effectively use their 24 hours,
applying their time toward things that will make a
significant financial difference to their business.
It’s not just about how much they do, but also how
they do it. Some of the most productive people I
know are the ones who seem to have all kinds of extra
(continued on page 5)
}
FAST FACT: While 54% of retailers say customers’ moods are about the same since Jan. 1, 26% have seen improvement.
Joyce Washnik
Editor
joyce@giftbeat.com
NATIONAL
Charts
Connie Moore
Circulation Manager
connie@giftbeat.com
GIFTBEAT Editorial
Advisory Board:
Rosanne Brown
Venice Stationers, Venice, FL
Valentine’s Day Gifts
Brandy Divin
B. Ellen Boutique, Cypress, TX
Jim Sinclair
Wooden Key Hallmark, Carmel, IN
Melinda Vitale Shaw
Melinda’s Fine Gifts, Picayune, MS
Lori Webster
Webster’s Fine Stationers, Altadena, CA
* Please Note: Advisory Board members
have no influence over product ratings.
GIFTBEAT is published 11 times a year
(Dec./Jan. combined). For subscription
information or back issues, contact customer
service at (800) 358-7177; fax (207) 5472063; or email connie@giftbeat.com.
Direct all editorial inquiries to: Joyce Washnik,
Giftbeat, 72 Tappan Rd., Harrington Park, NJ
07640; (201) 768-3890; fax (201) 768-3894;
editorial email: editors@giftbeat.com.
Note: GIFTBEAT does not accept any
advertising. In addition, GIFTBEAT makes no
warranty or guarantee, express or implied,
regarding potential sales of any products
referred to in GIFTBEAT.
© Copyright 2014 GIFTBEAT
COPYRIGHT REMINDER: We are
flattered that people love to reproduce our
content and share it with others. But please
remember that GIFTBEAT is copyrighted.
Redistribution without prior permission is
prohibited. If you would like to reproduce,
reprint or reuse any of our content, kindly
send your request to: editors@giftbeat.com.
G
#2
• #3
#4
#5
#6
• #7
• #8
• #9
#10
|
300 stores. Bullets distinguish those lines that are new or show
significant movement from the last time the chart was run.
Last run: March 2013
BRIGHTON: jewelry, various
ALEX AND ANI: jewelry
VERA BRADLEY: bags, accessories
PANDORA: jewelry
DEMDACO: Willow Tree, various
TWO’S COMPANY: jewelry, various
GANZ: plush, various
BURTON + BURTON: mugs, plush
ABDALLAH CANDIES: candy
Eco-Friendly
#1 ALEX AND ANI: jewelry
• #2 TADGREEN: E-Cloth cleaning cloths
#3 TERVIS: tumblers
#4 SWAN CREEK: candles
#5 CHARLES VIANCIN: silicone lids
#6 RECYCLED GREETINGS: cards
• #7 MILKHOUSE CANDLE: candles
#8 SPOONTIQUES: travel mugs, tumblers
• #9 TREE-FREE GREETINGS: cards
#10 TYLER CANDLE: candles
Honorable mention: Leanin’ Tree, Oatmeal Studios,
Archipelago and Blue Q.
p Center Court (888) 905-3935 is #1 (from #3), Alex and
p Rather than compare this chart to the last one (which only
Tabletop/Accessories
Frames
Ani (401) 633-1486 jumps six spots and Ganz (800) 7245902 moves from honorable mention. New: Two’s Company
(800) 896-7266 and Burton + Burton (800) 241-2094.
Last run: September 2013
#1 MUD PIE: serveware, boards, various
featured 6 vendors), we will note some of the newer lines to
our polling: Tadgreen (800) 677-4354, Milkhouse Candle
(800) 565-1543 and Tree-Free Greetings (866) 873-3373.
Last run: September 2013
#1 MALDEN: baby, various
#2 NORA FLEMING: platters/minis
#3 CHARLES VIANCIN: silicone lids
• #4 PARK DESIGNS: linens, various
• #5 SANTA BARBARA DESIGN: Lolita
#6 GRASSLANDS RD/AMSCAN: tabletop
• #7 TERVIS: tumblers
#8 C&F ENTERPRISES: linens, various
#9 TAG: tabletop, glassware
#10 MARIPOSA: serveware
#2
• #3
#4
#5
#6
• #7
• #8
• #9
Honorable mention: Beatriz Ball, Arthur Court,
Certified International, DII, Ganz and Heritage Lace.
Honorable mention: Demdaco, Two’s Company and
Roman.
p Park Designs (800) 326-3382 jumps four places, while
p Prinz (800) 323-8360 shifts five spots and Glory Haus (866)
Tervis (866) 392-1964 moves from honorable mention.
New: Santa Barbara Design (800) 933-2529.
Jacobs’ speech and listen to him share how
his company was transformed by choosing an
attitude of gratitude.
This month, we’re excited to announce several
new additions to Giftbeat’s Editorial Advisory
Board. We’d like to thank outgoing members
Diann Fischer of Diann’s Gifts & Collectibles,
Jody Fiscus of The Oak Tree and Jennie Preston
of Rabbit Hutch Gift Shop for their help and
guidance over the years.
Our new board members are:
• Brandy Divin, B. Ellen Boutique (Texas).
With a passion for retail and a focus on selling
fashion, Brandy knows how to deliver what
women want. She is our expert fashionista!
• Lori LaDue, Beautiful Things Interiors &
Gifts (Connecticut). Can you say smart? Lori’s
MARCH 2014
GRASSLANDS RD/AMSCAN: various
PRINZ: metal, various
GANZ: Danielson Designs, various
J. DEVLIN: glass
MUD PIE: baby, various
P. GRAHAM DUNN: Puzzle Pieces, various
GLORY HAUS: wood
K&K INTERIORS: various
953-1762 moves from honorable mention. New: P. Graham
Dunn (800) 828-5260 and K&K Interiors (877) 647-0111.
How To “Get To” Gratitude
G I F T B E AT
Last run: August 2012
Honorable mention: Chamilia, Trollbeads, Magnet
Works, Sweet Shop and Russell Stover.
ratitude is a superpower. That’s how
Bert Jacobs, co-founder of Life is Good,
approaches life — and business.
Wearing a “Champions of Optimism” T-shirt,
Jacobs delivered a keynote speech at the National
Retail Federation’s BIG Show in January.
He shared how his company culture changed
when they started to receive letters from
customers. Some of those notes came from
children with debilitating injuries or diseases, who
found strength in the shirts’ positive messages.
Those letters inspired the company to adopt a
“get to” mentality. No longer do employees say
they “have to” do something. Now they “get to”
have a meeting, they “get to” work on a project,
they “get to” go to the store.
If you want a dose of inspiration, google
2
• Please Note: Polling data based on the responses of more than
• #1 CENTER COURT: DaVinci, Forever Heart
Lori LaDue
Beautiful Things Interiors/Gifts, Somers, CT
FROM the
EDITOR
l
*
TRENDING NOW: The Eco-Friendly chart
returns after a long absence, as more of our
reporting retailers offer jewelry, gifts, candles
and cards with a sustainable or “green” focus.
An attitude
of gratitude.
Do you have
one?
extensive finance and accounting background has
come in handy: She has created a beautiful, warm,
inviting — and successful — shop.
• Melinda Vitale Shaw, Melinda’s Fine Gifts
(Mississippi). If variety is the spice of life, Melinda
has it covered! She focuses on selection and
service at her two shops, and her 6,300-plus
Facebook followers are a testament to her success.
We are honored that these savvy retailers
agreed to serve as board members, helping guide
Giftbeat over the next few years. And the best
part? We get to work with all of them.☺
www.giftbeat.com
Owl-Themed
Personal Accessories
Last run: September 2013
#1 NATURAL LIFE: mugs, wristlets, various
#2 TRANSPAC: metal owls, various
#3 GANZ: plush, various
#4 TWO’S COMPANY: jewelry, various
#5 GRASSLANDS RD/AMSCAN: various
• #6 REGAL ART & GIFT: metal owls, various
• #7 KIKKERLAND: lip gloss, various
#8 HANNA’S HANDIWORKS: metal owls
#9 SPOONTIQUES: stepping stones, various
• #10 CUSTOM DECOR: flags
Honorable mention: Lazy One and Silver Forest.
• #1 DM: readers, wallets, various
#2 VERA BRADLEY: wallets, zip IDs, various
• #3 ICU EYEWEAR: readers
• #4 BRIGHTON: wallets, various
#5 ALEXX: Finders Key Purse
• #6 PEEPERS: readers
#7 WELLSPRING: Flip Notes, various
#8 SPARTINA: wallets, various
#9 FIG DESIGN GROUP: Armor Wallets
• #10 POUCHEE: purse organizers
Regal Art & Gift’s (#6) Spring Buddies
line includes jiggly owl decor. Tap the
top of this whimsical owl’s head and
watch him bounce up and down. Cost:
$15 (800) 681-3040, regalgift.com.
Honorable mention: Manual Woodworkers, Natural
Life, Boutique to U and Pictura.
p Custom Decor (800) 441-8818 jumps from honorable mention. New: Regal Art & Gift (800) 681-3040 and
Kikkerland (800) 869-1105.
Fashion Accessories
Humorous Cards
Last run: December 2013
#1 VERA BRADLEY: bags, accessories
p DM (800) 548-6784 is #1 (from #2), ICU (800) 435-5747 and
Brighton (800) 235-8748 jump four places, and Peepers (800)
348-2508 moves four spots. New: Pouchee (864) 335-0580.
Last run: March 2013
#1 LEANIN’ TREE: Times Remembered, var.
#2 NOELLE: scarves, wraps, bags, various
• #3 SNOOZIES: slippers
#4 HOWARD’S JEWELRY: scarves
#5 GIFTCRAFT: Charlie Paige
#6 DM: scarves
• #7 BRIGHTON: bags, various
#8 BAGGALLINI: bags
• #9 MAD STYLE: scarves, various
#10 SPARTINA: bags, scarves
#2 AVANTI: animal themes, various
#3 PICTURA: Dolly Mamas, Eric Decetis, various
#4 RECYCLED PAPER: general line
#5 BLUE MOUNTAIN: Suzy Toronto
#6 SHADE TREE GREETINGS: Actual Pictures
#7 OATMEAL STUDIOS: various
#8 MARIAN HEATH: various
• #9 COMPENDIUM: Frank & Funny
#10 DESIGN DESIGN: various
Honorable mention: Tickled Pink, Two’s Company,
Lava Enterprises and Ganz.
Honorable mention: MikWright, Palm Press,
Primitives by Kathy and Calypso Cards.
p Three companies jump from honorable mention:
Snoozies (252) 991-3373, Brighton (800) 235-8748 and
Mad Style (877) 623-2247.
p Compendium (800) 914-3327 moves from honorable mention.
• Please Note: Regionally,
GIFTBEAT’s reporting stores
break down as follows: 29%
Midwest, 25% South (including
Texas and Virginia), 24% West
and 22% Northeast.
METHODOLOGY: The data for
GIFTBEAT are calculated each month
according to a point system. A nationwide
network of reporting store owners fill out a
monthly questionnaire that asks them to rate
their three top-selling items in each of the
product categories. Items ranked first are
assigned 5 points; items ranked second are
given 3 points; those ranked third are given
1 point. Point values are totaled and ranked
in descending order to come up with the
top-selling items. Data are supplied by card/
gift, boutique/specialty, collectible/gift and
gift/home decor stores that represent every
region of the country. Although members
of some buying groups participate in GIFTBEAT’s monthly surveys, no more than 10%
of a particular group is used. In addition, none
of the retailers who participate are affiliated
with any vendor. Unless otherwise specified,
all data are based on sales (dollars) within
the past month. Tabulations are conducted by
Suburban Associates, a New Jersey-based
market research firm.
Last run: November 2013
Shade Tree Greetings’ (#6) Actual
Pictures cards are a top seller. The
inside of this birthday design reads:
“It was one less thing to remember.”
(800) 836-4206, shadetreegreetings.com.
REGIONAL Charts
PERSONAL ACCESSORIES
NORTHEAST
1. Vera Bradley: wallets, IDs
2. DM: readers, wallets, various
3. Brighton: wallets, various
4. Spartina: wallets, various
5. ICU Eyewear: readers
SOUTH
1. DM: readers, wallets, var.
2. Vera Bradley: wallets, IDs, various
3. Alexx: Finders Key Purse
4. Pouchee: purse organizers
5. Boutique To U: portable chargers
MIDWEST
1. DM: readers, wallets, var.
2. Vera Bradley: wallets, IDs
3. Peepers: readers
4. Alexx: Finders Key Purse
5. Brighton: wallets, various
WEST
1. DM: readers, wallets, var.
2. ICU Eyewear: readers
3. Wellspring: Flip Notes, various
4. Peepers: readers
5. Manual Woodworkers: manicure sets
FASHION ACCESSORIES
HUMOROUS CARDS
1. Vera Bradley: bags, access.
2. Snoozies: slippers
3. Howard’s Jewelry: scarves
4. Noelle: scarves, wraps, various
5. Baggallini: bags
1. Pictura: Dolly Mamas, var.
2. Oatmeal Studios: various
3. Leanin’ Tree: Times Remembered
4. Recycled Paper: general line
5. Calypso Cards: various
SOUTH
SOUTH
NORTHEAST
1. Noelle: scarves, various
2. Vera Bradley: bags, accessories
3. Snoozies: slippers
4. Giftcraft: Charlie Paige
5. Two’s Company: scarves
MIDWEST
1. Vera Bradley: bags, access.
2. DM: scarves
3. Snoozies: slippers
4. Howard’s Jewelry: scarves
5. Noelle: scarves, wraps, bags
WEST
1. Noelle: scarves, various
2. Snoozies: slippers
3. Giftcraft: Charlie Paige
4. Vera Bradley: bags, accessories
5. Lava Enterprises: scarves
MARCH 2014
NORTHEAST
1. Avanti: animal themes, var.
2. Blue Mountain: Suzy Toronto
3. Leanin’ Tree: Times Remembered
4. Recycled Paper: general line
5. Shade Tree: Actual Pictures
MIDWEST
1. Leanin’ Tree: various
2. Avanti: animal themes, various
3. Blue Mountain: Suzy Toronto
4. Shade Tree: Actual Pictures
5. Pictura: Dolly Mamas, various
WEST
1. Leanin’ Tree: various
2. Avanti: animal themes, various
3. Compendium: Frank & Funny
4. Pictura: Dolly Mamas, Decetis, var.
5. Oatmeal Studios: various
G I F T B E AT
|
3
retailBEAT
Ideas and inspiration
I
f you didn’t know about the polar vortex before January,
you probably do now! Weather reared its ugly head during
the month, with record-low temperatures, ice storms and
significant snowfall in most parts of the country.
It was a recipe for retail disaster,
JAN. 2014 SALES
as some were forced to close
(vs. Jan. 2013)
multiple days. One South Carolina
retailer summed up the sentiment
Up 10% or more…
15%
of her Southern peers: “We don’t
Up 5-9%...
12%
do winter.”
Up 1-4%...
7%
The result was a down month for
Even…
8%
58% of our reporting retailers. Only
Down 1-4%...
15%
one-third reported higher sales.
“The weather really hit us hard
Down 5-9%...
16%
this January,” says a Mississippi shop Down 10% or more… 27%
owner. “Worst we have seen here in Note: The majority of reporting retailers
many years. The economy has got
(58%) experienced sales losses in January,
as weather played a major role. Only 34%
to turn around soon!”
reported higher numbers.
On the other hand, Westerners
cite the drought and its impact on the local economy, especially farming.
“Here in California, we are all very worried about the water shortage. If
the farmers can’t plant their crops, they aren’t shopping either,” says one
retailer.
Those seeing higher sales point to new products and promotions, like
this idea from a South Carolina retailer: “We reward customers through
our POS system, with a $10 gift certificate for every $100 purchased of
non-sale merchandise. They have an expiration date we can designate
when printing. We chose dates to help with January numbers, and other
dates to get customers back in for Valentine’s Day. They’ll generally wait
until the last minute to shop using them.”
Here are other ways retailers moved goods during the month:
1. Quickie Sale. An Alabama shop owner decided to
run a five-hour, 75%-off sale on remaining Christmas items.
After that, the items went back to 50% off. She advertised
through email and Facebook. “It worked great because it
was targeted to our customers who follow us and want to stay
connected,” she says. “Of course, offering major discounts didn’t hurt!”
2. Out With The Old, In With The New. A Florida retailer who
doesn’t have many sales decided to surprise her customers when she returned from Atlanta. “I sent an email announcing a HUGE sale (50% off
popular lines), to make room for all the new merchandise. Our customers
came in, excited to see what was leaving, and more importantly, wanted
to see what was coming. It’s a great tease for them.”
3. Facebook Ads. A second Florida retailer took a picture of new
Lilly Pulitzer totes and put them on Facebook with the caption, “Lilly
is going fast!” She paid $10 to boost the post — and sold out. She has
done several ads since then: “It was easy, and you can set your budget.
Keep the ad simple, target your clientele and don’t go over $30 per ad.
I have noticed I get more likes and more views since the ads.”
Keep It Personal On Facebook
K
athy Madan of High
Country Gifts & Engraving
(Montana) has found the secret
to connecting with customers on
Facebook: Use faces they know.
• Background: Kathy had
brought in Sweet Feet Spray
(877) 815-8529 last fall, but had
little customer reaction to the
product. That all changed when she
took to Facebook, creating humorous
photos featuring her and her shoes.
“I tried the product in my very own,
very smelly shoes, and was pleasantly
surprised at how well it worked,”
Kathy says. “We then did the photo
shoot and posted it on Facebook.”
She also printed the photos out as a
personalized header for the display,
which is a simple cardboard box.
• Response: Once the photos hit
Facebook, customer interest was
immediate. “Facebook gave it a boost,
people started talking about it, and
then came in to try some,” she says.
The product was a hit for Christmas.
{
“I was one of those store owners who
hesitated having sales. But I have found that
getting rid of merchandise and recouping my
costs allows me to buy merchandise that turns
faster and therefore is much more beneficial
to our bottom line.”
— New York retailer
JEWELRY TIP
If you can get a customer to try on a bracelet
or necklace, you have a much better chance
of her buying it. “We offer to actually put a
bracelet on the customer,” says a Washington
retailer. “It helps to create a feeling of
ownership.” Most customers, she adds, are
happy to be helped. “Some bracelets with
clasps are very difficult to do alone. Necklaces,
too. We often suggest they try on a piece, even
if it is a gift for someone else. Just like clothing,
jewelry looks better on the body. And the
customer gets an idea of how it looks or feels
(equally important).”
HOT DISCUSSIONS ON giftbeat.com/subscribers
1.
WATCH YOUR CREDIT CARDS (Operations
forum). An Alabama retailer shared the story of a rep
who emailed a confirmation of the retailer’s order, with
credit card details, including expiration date and CVV code.
She was not happy about it, and called her bank to cancel
the card. Others chimed in, sharing stories of
compromised credit cards, including an Indiana
retailer whose cards were stolen four times in
12 months. He now brings three Visa cards to
the shows, leaving one personal card and one
business card in the hotel safe (plus a copy of his
driver’s license, just in case his wallet is stolen).
Several retailers say they no longer give out payment information at shows, asking vendors to
call them instead. “It used to be that [vendors]
were somewhat reluctant and didn’t want to
spend the time. But now, they seem perfectly willing to do
so,” says a North Carolina shop owner.
4
|
G I F T B E AT
MARCH 2014
2.
• Advice: If you carry Poo-Pourri
spray, Sweet Feet is a perfect complement. Kathy displayed the two lines
next to each other, and talked up
both to customers. She also says
recognizable faces sell product. “I
fully believe that Facebook works best
when I use store staff in the photos.
First, family and friends comment on
the funny pictures, which spreads the
reach. And customers love seeing our
faces and relating to us,” she adds.
HATEFUL REMARK (Internet forum). A Texas
retailer was dismayed when an angry customer
retaliated with a hateful remark on the store’s Facebook
page. Rather than get into a public squabble, the retailer
deleted the customer’s post, then banned her. A South
Carolina respondent shared her own Facebook
complaint story, when a customer tried to return
a scarf past the store’s allotted time (30 days).
When they offered store credit, she went on their
Facebook page to complain about the store being
closed the day after Christmas, plus shorter postholiday hours. In the end, the retailer says she
chose to ignore the remarks: “If I post something,
that will give her a forum to rant and rave more
about how she perceives we did her wrong. She
admitted in her post that she was late in returning
the item…we are a small shop and can’t wait forever for
someone to make a return.”
}
How To Evaluate
Teamwork Skills
G
iving details of very
specific situations
forces job applicants
to paint an accurate picture
of their teamwork skills.
Ask them questions such
as these:
• “Tell me about the last time
you became upset while
dealing with coworkers. What
tried your patience or caused
your anger?”
• “Have you ever had to
stand up for yourself in a
confrontation with a peer
or a customer? What
happened?”
• “Tell me about your most
irrational, rude and intimidating
coworker at your last position.
How did you handle the
situation?”
• “Would your coworkers say
you’re casual and relaxed or
intense and focused?”
Note: Adapted from “96 Great
Interview Questions to Ask Before
You Hire,” Paul Falcone, American
Management Association, amanet.
org., Communication Briefings,
communicationbriefings.com.
www.giftbeat.com
J
Small Steps To Tackle Big Projects
ason Womack founded the
Get Momentum coaching
program to teach business
owners how to spend more
time accomplishing meaningful
work — and often that means
making headway on big
projects when they feel pulled
Jason Womack
in many other directions.
Here are his favorite small steps for
achieving more each day through focus
and time management:
Decide what needs to be done. Take
time to set a goal for a project or priority
and understand why it is important for your
business and your life.
Get to the starting line. Identify exactly
what needs to happen to start a big project.
Write down at least four tasks, sub-projects and
resources that must be considered to complete it.
Question everything. What questions
must you answer to get this project done?
List a minimum of four questions that need
to be answered about that priority before it
is completed (short-, mid- or long-term tasks
included).
Start with an end in sight.
Think about the 15-minute blocks of time
you have in your day and how you can use
them to effectively get done all the tasks
needed to complete this project.
Have a meeting with yourself. Focus
during those 15-minute blocks of time
and avoid distractions. If you can, go to a
different office or place like a coffee shop
~
where normal distractions are minimized.
If you can’t leave your desk, set a timer and
make an effort to work without checking
email or answering phone calls.
Take action to avoid distractions.
Before starting a work session, think of the
people who might interrupt you — it may be
a team member, a client or even a manager
— and interrupt them first. Anticipate
anything they may need from you.
~
~ Set boundaries. Let others know you
will be unavailable for a specific amount of
time while you work on your project. If they
need something, they will know there is a
time later when they can reach you after your
block of focused work time.
~
~ You’ll never have more time than you
~
~ Take time to appreciate your work.
~
~
do now. Many business owners think they
will have more time later to get things done.
It’s simply not true.
At the end of the day, look back and
acknowledge exactly where you made
progress on your project.
~ Enjoy the rewards of productivity. By
having blocks of focused work time, you can
see where you have accomplished something
for your project. You can then spend time on
other tasks instead of worrying about what
you didn’t get done on your bigger goals.
Note: Jason Womack is the author of
Your Best Just Got Better and founder of
TimeToGetMomentum.com. You can reach
him at jason@womackcompany.com.
If You Can’t Beat Amazon,
Should You Join It?
(continued from page 1) contributing editor
Daphne Howland says: “The growth in sales
for small retailers demonstrates the clear
benefits of hitching a wagon to the retail
giant’s massive star. But it’s not all that easy
for these retailers, who have to compete with
not only the usual competitors in their market
who might also be found on Amazon.com, but
with Amazon itself, which routinely stiff-arms
everyone with its ridiculously low prices.”
The good news is that small retailers will
soon have another online option: Alibaba,
which controls nearly 80% of China’s Internet
shopping market, is close to launching 11 Main,
a U.S. boutique e-commerce business with a
focus on small, entrepreneurial retailers. The
plan is to charge sellers a competitive 3.5%
commission fee, according to EcommerceBytes.
com. Fashion, jewelry, home, baby, toys and
more will be available on the site.
Research shows that Americans are becoming
more comfortable with e-commerce. In a
recent Walker Sands survey of 1,046 U.S.
consumers, the majority (62%) shop online
at least once a month. In addition, 95% of
those surveyed purchased something from
Amazon in the past year.
Whether you choose Amazon, an alternate
marketplace such as 11 Main or your own
website, there’s no doubt that having an online
presence is growing increasingly important in
our digital world.
Note: 11 Main is fielding applications from interested
retailers. To learn more, visit 11main.com. You
can download a copy of the Walker Sands report at
walkersands.com/futureofretail.
Q&A: Hitting Goals: Focus Management Is Key
chunk of her day. This allowed her to make
progress on something early in the day and not
behind. She still had the rest of her day to
Q. You’ve written about how people can fall
catch up on email and felt she was getting more
be busy all day, yet feel like they haven’t accomplished.
accomplished much. How does a person
Q. How can business owners find more
fall into this pattern?
time in the day to focus on important
A. The human brain is designed to work
projects and set aside distractions?
efficiently. It does this by creating patterns or
routines to follow, creating a safe comfort zone A. Here’s another way of looking at the
24 hours in a day: You have 96 blocks of 15
to work in and to make things as normal as
minutes each. Want to be more productive,
possible.
get more done and be more successful running
Imagine for a moment you’re returning home your business? Begin by subtracting the time
after a long day at work. You’re driving along
that you’re NOT going to be able to focus on
a road you know and eventually you arrive
important projects.
home and park in your driveway. You realize
For many of the small business owners I work
that you don’t really remember the entire drive. with, the realization is this: They actually have
Physically, you’re in your car. Mentally, you’re a less than 10 chunks of 15 minutes to work on
million miles away.
their most important things each day.
Think about how this kind of pattern
Your real job is to string together as many
making/normalization happens in your
small blocks of “productive time” to create larger
workday. There may be a mind-set you’re using blocks of actual work time. If you can spend 15
that’s making it harder to get everything done. or even 30 minutes focused on ONE of your
Recently, I worked with a client who said she projects, that is worth more than working on
that project 10 times over a week, but for only a
couldn’t start her day until she had cleaned up
few minutes.
and organized her email inbox. She realized,
however, that she often was still chipping away
Q. What are some of the biggest
at her email inbox until well into the afternoon. mistakes small business owners make
We implemented a program she tested over five when managing their time?
weeks, challenging herself to hold off on email
A. Not identifying the C-level (as in report
for the first 45 minutes of each workday.
card) work that should be done. Most business
Instead, she worked on one of what I call
owners are in it to win it. Although many
business owners I’ve worked with may not
her most important things (MITs) for that
(continued from page 1) time to do things that
“busy” people never get around to.
Tracking the pulse of the gift industry
“B” or “C”
have been A students in all
is still a
the subjects they studied in
passing
school, they feel everything
they do for their business
grade!
should be perfect. That’s
just not true.
Here’s where I start with the small business
owners I coach. We study the work they do,
their actual verbs, such as call, write, plan, sell,
etc. Next, we identify the topics they are working
on (the nouns of their jobs), such as employees,
marketing schedule, accounting, etc.
Finally, we decide which of those verbs will
be fine if they get passing marks. Remember,
earning a C or a B in school meant you passed
the class. Of course, some projects must be done
at an A level, but others really can be just OK.
Q. You mention a “stop-doing” list in
one of your articles. What is it and how
can retailers benefit from making one?
A. There are activities we all do that do not
contribute positively to the bottom line. It
is important that we be hyper-aware of what
these are.
My take on the stop-doing list is to simply
choose one thing you’re doing that does not
contribute to your business development, and
see what happens if you don’t do it as much.
For example, one client noticed he was
watching the national news each morning while
getting ready for his day at his restaurant. As an
MARCH 2014
(continued on page 7)
G I F T B E AT
|
5
productBEAT
p Utility meets style in
LORI LEIGH DESIGNS’
(562) 325-2707 “Chalet”
cases for storing, organizing and traveling with
jewelry. Offered in three
sizes — Vanity, Travel and
Mini — with assorted trays
for earrings, rings and
necklaces/bracelets. Contemporary colors include
black, white, raspberry,
seaside blue and key lime.
Cost range: $9–$19.50
(lorileighdesigns.com).
q MAGNOLIA LANE
(205) 251-5007 is ontrend with its “Chalkboard
Collection” that combines
sentiment with space
for personal messages.
Designs include: Today
is a great day because;
I am grateful for; You
make me proud because.
Most styles are 9 by 12
inches. Cost: $10 (includes
one piece of chalk)
(magnolialanecollection.com).
HOLIDAY
SURPRISE…
A North Carolina
retailer has been carrying
the mismatched socks from
SOLMATE SOCKS (866) 762-5523 for
several years, and they have been steady
sellers. But this holiday season, she
couldn’t keep them in stock. “We had
to keep reordering right up until
Christmas. Even customers who had
purchased them before bought lots more,
some six at a time. Perhaps the handmade
in USA helped,” she says (socklady.com).
|
G I F T B E AT
t AM PM KIDS! (512) 337-4276
{
States of Bamboo!”
Die-cut, state-shaped
cutting boards from
TOTALLY BAMBOO
(760) 471-6600
allow retailers to
offer a functional,
area-specific gift.
Featuring unique designs for all 50 states, each board
comes with a laser-etched phrase appropriate for the
state. Cost: $12.50 (also available without etching for
$10). The Texas design is approximately 14 inches wide
(totallybamboo.com).
6
from INVENIO ENTERPRISES
(207) 899-1092 are streamlined and
stylish. Italian-designed and offered
in six color combinations, each pair
comes with a sleek transparent case
and four pre-installed batteries, plus
four extra batteries (no tools needed
to change them). Cost: $9.95.
Company also supplies a free pair of demo glasses that plug
into any outlet and stay lit (easylightglasses.us).
brings charm and function to
the baby category with its 3 in 1
“Burper and a Bauble,” a reversible
muslin and terry burp cloth cleverly
packaged to look like a baby bottle.
Each burper includes a bottle
decoration embellishment that
can double as headband, bow or
bowtie. Costs: $7.50 for plain, $8 for
appliqué designs (ampmkids.com).
}
“People love markdowns. They might not
pay $9.99 for a $9.99 scarf, but they’ll snatch
them up when they’re marked up, and then
offered on sale two for $20. We’re late to the
game, but if this is what shoppers want, they
shall have it.”
— South Carolina retailer
t It’s the “United
l
u EasyLight™ LED reading glasses
MARCH 2014
ON OUR RADAR: HUMOROUS GIFTS
What do you get when two moms and
former advertising creative directors join
forces? NAUGHTY BETTY (847)
786-4176, a line that offers women a
daily dose of humor therapy in the middle
of life’s craziness. The brand started with
greeting cards (available from Calypso
Cards, 888-203-7327) and cocktail
napkins, and now includes iPhone cases,
coasters, decorative pillows and two new brands — Queenie™ and
Love, Foxy™ — to connect with women in all life stages. Witty
sentiment ranges from wine to friends to aging to fashion: Age
Goes Better With Wine, Help Us Accept The Things The Salon
Cannot Change, Peace Love Shoes and more (naughtybettyinc.com).
ON OUR RADAR: PERSONALIZATION
With a focus on custom frames and
personalized gifts, GIFTWORKSPLUS
(888) 456-9878 allows retailers to offer
customers a unique personal memento or gift.
In addition to a wide variety of engravable
alderwood frames made in the USA (from
family themes to wedding, seasonal, sports
and destinations), the line includes collegiate
designs. The No. 1 seller at the shows was its
magnetic “Personality Profile Mattes.” Highlighted by intricate laser etching
details, they feature the background and origin of first names, with a 3-by4-inch frame opening. The mattes also offer high markup potential: cost is
$4.25; sugg. retail is $12. Multiple floor displays available (giftworksplus.com).
www.giftbeat.com
CAPES CRUSADING. The cape has a role in fashion accessories this fall, from edgy to elegant styles (accessoriesmagazine.com).
MOVIN’ OFF THE SHELF
Butterfly
• A New York retailer heaps high praise on jewelry resource ONE MEANING
design
(646) 389-8130. “We have done fabulous with it! My entire staff has embraced
this line and it is something we sell every week,” she says. Jewelry
means
features the company’s signature “I love you” design, a butterfly
“I love you.”
formed from the numerals 813: 8 letters, 3 words, 1
meaning (the 1 is in the middle because love is the center
of everything). The retailer carries necklaces and bracelets,
with Wish Winks™ (sugg. retail: $25) and Besties™ (sugg. retail: $30–$40)
her bestsellers. “All the jewelry comes carded, so the story is included...
such a great selling point,” she says. The company donates a portion of
sales to Stick Up for Love, an anti-bullying campaign (1meaning.com).
• A Rhode Island shop owner was pleasantly surprised by reaction to the
Inis line from FRAGRANCES OF IRELAND (888) 543-6320, especially since
she’s never carried cologne or perfume before. “We couldn’t believe how many
people recognized the name,” she says. “Either they knew about it or had seen
it in their travels to Ireland. It has a fresh, clean smell, and is unisex.” Inspired
by the sea, bestseller is the .5-ounce cologne, which retails for $21; the No. 2
item is the .7-ounce lotion for $22. The retailer displays the product in a hutch
near the register, where customers can sample it. She thinks it will be a good
seller for summer because “it smells so clean!” (perfume.ie).
SPOTLIGHT: TRUST YOUR JOURNEY
With more than 70,000 Facebook
followers, TRUST YOUR
JOURNEY (877) 548-3895 has
become more than a brand —
it’s a movement. Started by two
women — a cancer survivor and
a young widowed mother — the
line inspires women to honor
their inner strength and celebrate
their personal path through
life. Included are motivational
T-shirts made of organic cotton
and printed with phthalatefree inks, jewelry (necklaces,
bracelets, earrings and rings)
and accessories (hats, journals,
drinkware, candles and body
products). Cost range for most
items: $4.25–$15. All products
feature the symbolic logo: a heart
with a spiral labyrinth inside
signifying love, togetherness and
a journey from beginning to end
(trustyourjourney.com).
Trend Alert: MAD FOR PLAID. Designers are embracing the pattern
for fall/winter, with plaid showing up on coats, capes and more.
Q&A: Hitting Goals: Focus
Management Is Key
(continued from page 5) experiment for
just two weeks, he stopped spending
those 30 minutes “semi-focused,” and
instead spent 15 minutes doing specific
local and community-based news
searches.
By doing so, he realized there was
more good happening in his community
than he thought. He also found places
and organizations he could connect to
that would benefit from his services.
After his experiment, he returned to
incorporating the national news program,
but didn’t give it the focus he had before.
Q. Any final words of wisdom for
retailers who feel like they’re often
treading water?
A. My advice is to implement
something that gets you out into the
world. Identify 10 micro-actions you
can take — with each taking only five
minutes — that get your store out in
front of people.
If you work a 10-hour day, try to
intersperse one of these 5-minute
activities into each hour of your day. It
could be anything from writing a thankyou card to a valued customer, to calling
a reporter and finding out if he or she
is working on any retail or trend-related
stories you could provide information
for. Try this for five weeks and see if it
makes a positive impact on what you feel
you’re accomplishing during your day.
Note: Jason Womack, MEd,
MA, is a consultant and speaker
based in Ojai, California, as
well as the author of Your Best
Just Got Better and founder
of TimeToGetMomentum.com.
You can reach him at jason@
womackcompany.com.
JEWELRYBEAT: Spotted At The Shows
• SEASONS JEWELRY (866) 382-0737.
The interchangeable toggle charm pendants
with coordinating necklaces were Seasons’
No. 1 seller at the winter shows. Customers
pick a pendant ($5.50 cost), and then choose
a necklace
(gold- or silverplated, 18 or
30 inches,
$6.50 cost) to
create their
own look.
Offered in
turquoise or
SEASONS JEWELRY
coin and pearl
designs, each pendant features a grouping
of dangling charms and beads. Shown is the
turquoise toggle collection, which coordinates
with the company’s cross bracelet and earrings.
Look for seasonal expansions of the toggle
pendants for fall, Halloween and Christmas
(seasonsjewelry.com).
• SWITCHABLES (866) 539-9331. The
company known for its interchangeable
nightlights launches Sweet and Charming,
an eclectic line
of handmade
beaded jewelry
made in the USA
and offered in four
collections: Coastal,
Aztec, Black &
White and Spring.
Each collection is
designed around a
color palette, and
SWEET AND CHARMING
includes earrings,
rings, necklaces, watches and bracelets. Prices
start at $4 for rings and wire bracelets, $9–$12
for necklaces. Shown is Coastal, highlighted by
blue and green hues with mini starfish charms.
The company also offers watches and bracelets
with interchangeable connectors/watch faces
(sweetandcharming.com).
Tracking the pulse of the gift industry
• TERRA NATURAL DESIGNS (800) 436-3726.
Eco-style is the focus of this jewelry line, created
by entrepreneurs Pam and Jesse Schele and
distributed by Enesco. With an eye on conscious
capitalism, the pair found their calling in South
America, where artisans were creating jewelry
from tagua nuts and acai seeds, naturally and
sustainably harvested. The result is an eyecatching, colorful selection that includes necklaces,
pendants,
earrings and
bracelets.
Shown is
the Beaded
Collection that
mixes seeds
with natural
plant dyes that
mimic the colors
TERRA NATURAL DESIGNS
in the rainforest.
Each piece is carded and features the line’s story.
Cost range: $6–$29 (terranaturaldesigns.com).
MARCH 2014
G I F T B E AT
|
7
giftBEAT
Tracking the pulse of the gift industry
72 Tappan Road
Harrington Park, NJ 07640
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
NEXT MONTH:
~ Wine-Themed
~ Message Jewelry
~ Candy/Gourmet
$
biz
bizBEAT
How Sweet It Is...
At Sweet Tooth Candy
Profiles of businesses in the gift industry
By Joyce Washnik
from staff. Twice a year we take
our staff to Dallas so they can
absorb information on all our
lines, and help us to decide on
new lines. We select merchandise
that is not carried in every other
gift shop or department store. We
like it when customers comment
than 250 bulk candies), Chocolate
that they haven’t seen the
(Sweet Shop, Asher’s), Jewelry
merchandise we carry all around
(Kameleon, Trollbeads, Elly Preston), town.
Gifts & Stationery (Demdaco, Caren
Q: If you could pinpoint some
Products, Erin Smith, Avanti, Quotable,
of the reasons for your store’s
Unemployed Philosophers)
success, what would they be?
ith backgrounds in
JD: We are not absentee owners.
regional theater,
We know our customers want to
Janet Dundee and
see us in the store, and we make a
her husband Jeff Darby have
found their niche in Sweet Tooth point to be here six days a week.
We have creative advertising. Our
Candy & Gift Co. Jeff handles
accounting, publicity/promotions television ads are fun, featuring
Jeff as the “lead character.” Jeff
and displays, while Janet focuses
has performed Dracula, Rick from
on buying and negotiating.
Casablanca, an elf, Crocodile
Together, they have built a
Hunter, Superman and currently
successful destination business
Sock Monkey. We see our print and
that customers — and employees
TV ads as opportunities to dramatize
— call their “Happy Place.” The
what we do and what we sell.
phrase has become so popular that
Q: What has been your most
they launched an ad campaign
successful recent promotion?
around it, with the help of wellJD: The “My Happy Place” ad
known community members.
campaign (featured in Giftbeat’s
Q: What makes your store
Dec./Jan. issue). For March print
unique?
ads, we are featuring our staff and
JD: Everyone says that customer
the theme “Our Happy Place.”
service is priority. We not only say
Q: Which marketing
it, we make it our No. 1 priority.
methods work best for you?
We want a staff of intelligent,
informed people who don’t
JD: The television commercials
specialize in only one aspect of
are mentioned the most. But
the store. We have monthly staff
Facebook and our weekly email
meetings where we discuss lines
newsletter have worked very
and procedures, and get feedback well. We email once a week. We
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sweet Tooth Candy & Gift Co.
sweettoothtulsa.com
Tulsa, Oklahoma
3,200 square feet/strip center
6 employees
Top Lines: Candy (more
W
BACK STORY:
Lessons Learned From Laundromat Business
I
nspired by her immigrant father who came to America and built
his own successful business, Janet Dundee and her husband
Jeff Darby began their entrepreneurial path by buying a laundromat.
That initial purchase blossomed into multiple locations.
But when a small candy store in an outdoor shopping
center became available, Janet and Jeff decided that selling
candy would be much more fun. The pair officially became
gift retailers on September 1, 1992, when they purchased
Janet Dundee/Jeff Darby
Sweet Tooth Candy & Gift Co.
The lessons they learned operating the laundromats proved a big help in the gift
shop, from managing employees to dealing with security issues. With no prior retail
background, the husband-and-wife team grew from 1,000 square feet to 3,200 square
feet on a major street in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Janet and Jeff’s goal with the laundromats had been to keep them clean and
welcoming, a place where people would want to come. They took that business model
and applied it to Sweet Tooth — with great success.
“Number one is that people enjoy coming into our store,” says Janet, citing her
knowledgeable sales associates, along with the store’s warm atmosphere and unique
selection (chocolate and candy make up about 50% of inventory).
She and Jeff focus on treating employees well and empowering them, taking the staff to
gift shows to help them become more vested in the merchandise. Their involvement, says
Janet, has improved the selection considerably. “Now our employees are sold already on the
line when it comes in,” she says.
attempt to keep the email short
enough to read quickly, yet full of
photos of the merchandise. And
our print ads are finally taking
us away from advertising specific
gift lines and simply promoting
ourselves as the “Happy Place”
to shop.
Q: How does Facebook fit
in with your business plan?
JD: Facebook is immediate.
When a new item comes in, we
can instantly let our fans know.
We just had an order from
someone in Florida who saw
today’s post. We are actually
writing a blog now…that is
the most difficult piece to keep
current and interesting. But we
are up to almost 6,000 hits.
Q: What has been your
favorite new line over the
past year?
JD: Our favorites are the ones
we see walking out the door,
including Dammit Dolls,
Embellish Your Story and Dr.
Who merchandise (Kurt Adler
ornaments, Elope scarves,
Unemployed Philosophers’ mugs).
This is the last Dr. Who, and all the
fans are looking for anything to
buy. It also appeals to the younger
people we’re trying to attract.