Supplier of the Year Awards - The North American Celtic Trade

Newsletter of The North American Celtic Trade Association
Contents
2President’s
Message
Supplier of the Year Awards
Supplier of the Year Awards were presented in Dublin on January 22nd in conjunction with Showcase Ireland.
Co-sponsored by Enterprise Ireland, these awards recognize the top suppliers in our market and reward the commitment
and dedication of these companies and their employees. Congratulations to all nominees and winners.
3 New Members
SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
(Jewelry)
4 The Shop Corner
Top 5 in alphabetical order
5Top 5 Customer
Retention
Marketing Tactics
6Vendor Profile
7 Vendor News
9NACTA Products
Solvar wins Jewelry Supplier of the Year Award!
Nicky Obernik, Regina Sloan Kubiak & Dave Duggan
of Solvar pictured with Ann Marie Maxwell of
Enterprise Ireland and NACTA President Fran Siefert
11Celtic Warrior
Awards
11 NACTA
Networking Party
Amethyst of Dublin was voted one of the top 5 Jewelry
Suppliers of the Year. l-r Ann Marie Maxwell, Enterprise
Ireland, Barbara Ward, Amethyst, Fran Siefert, NACTA,
Karen Woods, Amethyst, Anne Tarrant, NACTA
Ireland Show
April 16–19, 2011
Secaucus, NJ
www.irelandshowsecaucus.com
Sept. 18–20 2011
Lombard, IL
www.celticshow.com
■
Alan Clancy of Shanore (winner)
■
Boru
■
Shanore
■
Solvar (winner)
■
Dave Duggan of Solvar
■
TJH – The Jewellery House
■
Regina Kubiak of Solvar
■
■
SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
(Gift)
S uzanne Dahm of
Wild Goose Studio
E ve Turner of
JMH Manufacturing
BEST PACKAGING
& PRESENTATION
■
Bridget’s of Erin (winner)
■
Dublin Gift Company
■
Fragrances of Ireland
■
Boru
■
James Trading Group
■
JMH Manufacturing
■
Reed & Barton / Belleek
■
Keith Jack
■
Shanore (winner)
■
Solvar
SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
(Textiles, Apparel
and Accessories)
Top 5 in alphabetical order
Top 5 in alphabetical order
BEST PROMOTIONAL
SUPPORT
■
Branigan Weavers
Top 5 in alphabetical order
■
Jimmy Hourihan
■
Boru
■
Latchford’s of Ireland
■
Keith Jack
■
Mucros Weavers (winner)
■
Reed & Barton / Belleek
■
P Mackey Ireland
■
Shanore (winner)
■
Solvar
Top 3 in alphabetical order
■
Craig Lowy of Dublin Gift Company receives his
award as one of the top 5 Gift Suppliers of the Year
from Ann Marie Maxwell, Enterprise Ireland, Fran
Siefert, NACTA, and Anne Tarrant, NACTA
Top 5 in alphabetical order
Amethyst Dublin
BEST E-COMMERCE
SUPPORT
Celtic
Marketplace
BEST REP / SALES PERSON
■
Top 5 in alphabetical order
10Groupon–
The Social
Coupon Craze
12Hottest Products
2011
April 2011
Food Ireland Wholesale
■
Shanore (winner)
■
Solvar
See Page 11 for the
Celtic Warrior Awards
and Page 12 for the
Hottest Products of 2010
President’s Message
The mission of the North American
Celtic Trade Association is to facilitate
communication among businesses
involved in Celtic retailing in the USA and
Canada, and to develop and implement
programs of value to its members.
President
Fran Siefert
Ballyhugh Irish Imports, Audubon, NJ
Vice President
Stephen Hand
Legends of the Celts, WI
Treasurer
Margaret McLemore
Irish Traditions, Easton, MD
Secretary
Anne C. Gleine
Ha’penny Bridge Imports of Ireland, OH
Executive Director
Anne Tarrant
Board of Directors
Michael Cox, The Scottish and Irish Store, Ottawa, ON
Lanora Davidson, Things Celtic, TX
Clinton Lloyd, Irish Import Shop, Rochester, NY
Patricia Lloyd, Irish & Celtic Imports, NY
Ilene Moss, All Things Irish, ID
Betty Flanagan Rohman, Harp & Thistle Imports, IL
Patricia Theobald, The Irish Walk, VA
Eve Turner, JMH Manufacturing Co., Ireland
The North American
Celtic Trade Association
27 Addison Avenue
Rutherford, N.J. 07070
Tel: 201-842-9922
Fax: 201-804-9143
Email: info@celticbuyers.com
www.celticbuyers.com
2
It is great to write this letter with the
sense of economic recovery that currently
pervades. Every NACTA retailer I spoke to
since the holidays reported a satisfactory,
if not very successful holiday season. For
us at Ballyhugh, it was the latter, with our
big seller being jewelry as always. Our print
advertising paid off again this year and it
was especially gratifying to see husbands and
boyfriends coming into the store clutching
the advertisement ready to make their purchase! We begin our ad campaign 5 weeks
before Christmas, so it takes some planning.
I usually start working on it - choosing
products, purchasing advertising space and
graphic design - right after the Lombard
show. It’s great to have that part of our
holiday preparations done well before the
pre-Christmas frenzy. This print advertising campaign has been successful for us for
about 8 years now, and I plan to continue. If
anyone would like more details, I’d be happy
to share my timeline and advertising plan
for the 2012 holiday season.
It appears that Showcase in Dublin exceeded
the expectations of both buyers and exhibitors this year creating a marvelous enthusiasm and an energetic atmosphere. About 50
NACTA retailer members made the journey
and the NACTA Networking Party provided
a great opportunity for buyers and vendors
to mingle in a relaxed setting. Thank you
to show organizers Gerry & Alan Murphy
and their team at Expo Events for another
successful show and for accommodating
everyone’s needs. And we applaud the Crafts
Council of Ireland for creating an unparalleled environment to showcase the best of
Ireland’s craft and design.
The NACTA / Enterprise Ireland Supplier
of the Year Awards were presented at the
Buyers Welcome Reception and we appreciated the impressive forum to acknowledge
and applaud our best suppliers. A list of
winners is featured on the front page and
one has to be impressed at the consistency
of the repeat winners. As well as the ‘big
names’, this year’s winners included a
number of new faces – smaller companies
who worked very hard to make the top five
in their respective categories. It’s a little
more difficult for smaller companies to have
the impact and garner the votes in such a
competitive field.
We are pleased to welcome two new faces to
the NACTA Board of Directors following
the recent election. Betty Rohman of Harp
& Thistle Imports in Peoria Heights, IL has
been an active member of our association for
several years and brings great energy and enthusiasm to the Board. And we are delighted
to have a board member from the state of
Idaho. Ilene Moss joins the board having
been a member of NACTA for 11 years.
Thank you both for your willingness to
participate at board level. I promise you will
find it enjoyable and rewarding! Having run
un-contested in the election, I am delighted
to continue to serve the association as
President and thank you for your confidence
in me. Neville Gardner has decided to step
down from the position of Vice President
and I am pleased to announce that our new
Vice President is Steve Hand of Legends of
the Celts, Hayward WI. Thank you Steve,
and thanks also to Neville for the many
years of service to our association.
The NACTA website has been updated and
has a new look. The Members Forum is better than ever and I encourage you to log-on
and see what a valuable resource it can be for
you. Retailer members can find a product,
ask a question or get ideas. Vendor members
can post special offers or clearance items and
generally keep in touch with their customers. You are missing out if you don’t use it.
Due to the success of the Celtic Gift Bag
which was launched in Lombard last year, we
have two new products to introduce: a Jewelry Gift Bag and matching Gift Cards. Many
of you asked us to produce a jewelry-size
bag, and the result is a 5½ x 3½ x 6½ bag
which can accommodate a small to medium
sized jewelry box while also working for
smaller gift items. It will be a great help for
gift-wrapping when the shop is busy – I sure
could have used them this past Valentine’s
Day! The Gift Cards coordinate with the gift
bags and are packaged in 10’s but can also
be sold individually. I want to thank you in
advance for supporting our association by
purchasing these and other NACTA products. And one more thing – Understanding
Celtic Symbols is now our best-selling book!
We keep them on our counter and also on
the shelves with other books and it flies out
the door. We also give one away with a large
jewelry purchase – a gesture that is very
much appreciated by our customers.
The NACTA office has been busier than ever
selling CIE Tours this year. That 5% discount coupon is really working! Many of you
have already earned commission and there
is still a lot of time left in the selling season,
so keep handing out the flyers or brochures.
It will eventually pay off. At Ballyhugh, we
hand it to our customers and ‘jokingly’ say
“and here’s your coupon for your next trip
to Ireland”. It usually starts a conversation
about travel and we have had three bookings
this year so far with a few more in the works.
If you or your staff needs a brief refresher
on the key selling techniques for travel, call
the NACTA office and Anne Tarrant will be
delighted to help you.
in full swing and as well as excellent seminars, networking and more show specials
than ever, we are offering fantastic room
rates and other incentives to make your trip
affordable, productive and enjoyable.
For those of you coming to Secaucus, we will
see you at the members meeting on Monday
morning where we will draw the Home to
Ireland winner.
Thank you for your ongoing participation in
your trade association. We all benefit from
the spirit of cooperation and partnership.
Fran Siefert
President
A quick reminder about Celtic Marketplace
in Lombard this September 18-20. Plans are
New Faces on the NACTA Board of Directors
Ilene Moss, All Things Irish, Coeur d’Alene, ID
“All Things Irish has been a member of NACTA for 11 years and
we have participated in almost every promotion and program
offered. We were the first shop to win the ‘Home to Ireland’ trip.
This promotion has helped us compile thousands of names for
our customer contact list and has helped a great deal in selling
CIE Tours to our customers. Membership has brought endless
opportunities for networking with other shop owners, suppliers,
Enterprise Ireland and the FJMI. Their jewelry program has been
extremely educational, as have been the countless seminars and
presentations that NACTA has provided or helped coordinate.” Ilene is a board member
of the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association, is a Vice Chair of the Chamber Executive
Committee, and a board member of Coeur d’Alene’s Convention and Visitor Bureau. “I
have benefited greatly by being involved with these organizations and enjoy volunteering
my time to give back as much as I can”.
Betty Flanagan Rohman, Harp & Thistle Imports, Peoria Heights, IL
I am very honored and proud to serve on the board of NACTA.
Harp & Thistle Imports has been in business for just over 12 years.
We have been members of NACTA for approximately 10 years.
Without a doubt NACTA has consistently provided information
on every aspect of business that has been both helpful and
profitable. I know our membership in NACTA has played an
important part in our success. We have forged many friendships
and business relationships through our affiliation with NACTA.
I look forward to great opportunities and possibilities in the
coming years”.
Welcome New
NACTA Members
Top Floor Designs / Celtic Belle
Port Townsend, WA
Handcrafted jewelry featuring real Irish
postage stamps and coins.
O’Neills Sports
Dublin, Ireland
O’Neills is the largest sportswear
manufacturer in Ireland and supplies the Gaelic
football jerseys for 28 out of 32 counties.
American Cargo Express
Elizabeth, NJ
Licensed US Customs Broker with 7 offices
across the USA, with US customs bonded terminals, warehousing & distribution services. ACE
offers a wide range of services including
US customs consultancy.
IrishWholesale.com
Orlando, FL
Wholesale Irish/Celtic giftware including
posters, prints, shirts, caps, pins, stickers,
glassware, flags.
A complete list of all NACTA members
is available on our website
www.celticbuyers.com
3
The Shop Corner
Casey’s Irish Imports,
Rocky River, OH
A Céad Míle Fáilte awaits you at Casey’s
Irish Imports, Inc., located in Rocky River,
Ohio. Original owners and founders Vera
and Tom Casey fulfilled a lifelong dream of
importing the treasures of their native Ireland to America when they established their
business in its current location in 1988. But
that is not where their story begins.
Veronica “Vera” Holian was born in
Cong, Co. Mayo and her husband Tom
Casey hails from Carrick, Co. Galway. They
met at a dance and were married ironically
on St. Patrick’s Day. This year they celebrate
59 years of marriage! In 1956 Vera and Tom
immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio where Vera
started her career as an entrepreneur in the
hair and beauty business. After completing beauty school, she went on to own and
operate hair salons in both Ireland (in Eyre
Square in Galway City) and in the United
States, moving back and forth with Tom and
her four children. She combined her lifelong
dream of importing the treasures of her
native Ireland with her career and formed
Casey’s House of Beauty and Irish Imports
in 1985 in Lakewood, OH. In 1988, after
three years of operating both businesses she
officially retired from the hair salon business
and opened Casey’s Irish Imports, Inc. in
Rocky River, OH which they still run today
with the help of their four children. This
past October Casey’s celebrated its 22nd anniversary in its current location.
4
Today Vera and Tom are still involved
seen a lot of changes in the Irish importing
with the business with two of their daughbusiness and have had good and bad days.
ters, Maureen and Kathleen, who run the
They have been members of NACTA since
store on a day to day basis. In addition,
it was established and have found it to be a
their son Tom runs the website and IT side
great resource to the store in helping it to
of their business and another daughter,
succeed through the years. They love receivPatricia helps out during holidays and the
ing the Seanchai Newsletter and learning
rush when she is not working as a nurse.
what other Irish stores are doing and trying
Casey’s was recently voted the Best Gift
what works for others in their own store.
Shop in Cleveland on the Fox 8 Hotlist
“One of the customer’s favorites is the 17%
beating out more than 90 other gift shops
off coupons and sales for Half-Way to St.
in the Greater Cleveland area. Their cusPatrick’s Day in September and during the
tomers voted for them online through their
Month of March” says Maureen.
local Fox News station.
The Casey’s frequently attend the SecauBesides word of mouth
cus and Lombard gift shows and they love
and in store advertising
to attend the seminars which they find to
Casey’s sent emails to
be inspirational and educational. They love
customers asking for their
going back to the store and implementing
support and for the first
what they have learned from other store
time set up a Facebook
owners, vendors and seminars.
Page for the store. They
“The key to our success has always been
were amazed at the results
putting our trust and faith in God, and the
and how customers spread
love and support of family and friends”,
the word to family and
says Vera. And anyone who knows Vera and
friends. They found out
Tom know that the most important things
how truly loyal their cusin their life are family, faith and heritage.
tomers were! “It was fun and exciting”, said
They have four children: Tom, Maureen
Kathleen “and the winners were determined
(Brubaker), Patricia (Lowery), and Kathleen
right before Christmas which was great
(Proctor). They are “Nana and Papa” to
publicity. We now update our Facebook
nine grandchildren: Shannon, Sara, Colin,
page frequently to reach out to our social
Deirdre, Jack, Clare, Leah, Jack, Molly, and
media customers, and we will definitely run
have one great grandchild, Kaylee. Through
again next year!”
the years their children and grandchildren
Casey’s believe they were given this
have danced at various Irish dance schools,
honor because they are a unique family
marched in the parade, and supported nuowned business with wonderful employees.
merous Irish groups and events.
They are blessed to have
an exceptional, knowledgeable staff that goes
above and beyond the
call of duty. All of their
employees are either from
Ireland or have Irish roots.
They pride themselves
on outstanding customer
service, always willing to
research or special order
a product to meet their
customer’s needs.
Being in business for
over 22 years they have
Vera Casey pictured with daughters Maureen & Kathleen
The Casey family has always joined
and supported Irish organizations in the
Cleveland area. They have been members
of West Side Irish American Club since
arriving in Cleveland in 1956. Having left
most of their family behind in Ireland, the
Irish community in Cleveland was like an
extended family to them. They belong to
the Mayo Society of Cleveland and were
founding member of the former Irish
Heritage Club and past members of the
East Side Irish American Club. Vera is a
member of the Ladies Ancient Order of
Hibernians and she and her daughters are
members of the Rocky River Chamber
of Commerce.
Throughout the years Casey’s Irish Imports, Inc. has always gone out of its way
to support their Irish community in any
way they can, whether by selling tickets
at the store; sponsoring a table at an Irish
function; donating an item or placing an
ad with the various Irish clubs, Irish dance
schools, Catholic school/churches, Irish
societies, organizations and events; or in
the past participating and having a booth
at various festivals. In response the Irish
Community in Cleveland has always supported Casey’s and made it the success it
is today.
Being an Irish store in the Cleveland
area has provided the Casey family with
many opportunities to promote their Irish
heritage and faith. Vera loves to interact
with customers to hear their stories of their
trips to Ireland and to share stories and
history of her Irish culture and faith by explaining the symbols and stories of Ireland.
Casey’s big sellers include all types of
jewelry, crystal, china, gift items, clothing,
and frozen and dry foods. They serve a
large community of first generation Irish
that stop in weekly for their groceries.
“We are fortunate to have so many
wonderful companies and product lines to
work with and choose from” said Kathleen. “We are regularly visited by wonderful reps many of whom have become
lifetime friends and we truly love being
part of the NACTA family!”
Better, Faster, Cheaper…
Now the Craft of Design
is in Your Hands!
A fantastic new tool for small business owners has come to our attention and we think
this will be extremely useful and beneficial to our members, both retailers and vendors (and what’s more – it’s headquartered in Ireland!). Tweak.com is a website that
allows you to design your own marketing and promotional materials in minutes and
achieve professional results without the expense of a graphic designer.
Created with the end user in mind, Tweak.com provides a complete design solution
with ground-breaking technology that is user-friendly and inexpensive. You can easily
create coupons, brochures, flyers, postcards, newsletters, newspaper advertisements –
even indoor and outdoor displays.
Simply go on-line to www.tweak.com, select your industry and business type and
choose from over 500,000 finished artwork designs and 100,000 logos. (You can also
upload your own logo and images). You are then presented with several artwork solutions, tailored for your business type. You can download a high resolution PDF and
print locally or ask Tweak.com to print for you. There are online tutorials to help you
get started and Live Chat is available from 4am to 9pm EST. Tweak.com will store your
designs free of charge so you can access them whenever you want.
Top 5 Customer Retention
Marketing Tactics
The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%. The probability of selling to a
new prospect is 5-20% (credit: Marketing Metrics). Research also shows that a 10% increase
in customer retention results in a 30% increase
in the value of the company (credit: Bain and
Co.). Many marketing plans are so focused on
customer acquisition that they largely ignore
customer retention. Here are some ideas to help
your customer retention marketing:
1. Regular Communication with Customized
Content and Special Offers – This is the
cornerstone of any good customer retention
program and careful attention should be paid
here. Most companies have some sort of
newsletter to communicate with existing customers but fewer are actively making offers to
their current client base that are customized
according to what is already known about
the customer.
2. Customer service – Poor customer service
accounts for 70% of customer loss. Marketing should take that number very seriously
and work with the support team to deliver
content that can help the service folks and
sales staff to do their jobs.
3. Listen (and then talk) – The overwhelming
majority of unhappy customers will never
communicate their dissatisfaction with you.
Regularly checking in on customers will help
you to see signs of an impending departure
while there’s still time to fix problems.
4. Loyalty programs, appreciation awards and
customer referral rewards – rewarding customers for referring new business or for repeat
buys is always a good idea. Even in markets
where that isn’t appropriate, you can still give
customers an award to recognize them (and
give them something to brag about).
5. Bring Your Customers Together – at large
companies an annual customer conference tends to be one of the most successful
marketing tactics. Companies with smaller
customer bases and budgets are doing similar
things by creating online spaces (in the form
of forums, custom social networks, facebook
or LinkedIn groups, etc) where customers can
connect, share their experiences and learn
from each other.
Copyright 2011. Reprinted with permission from
Tweak is headquartered in Killorglin, County Kerry, Ireland with offices in Dublin and
Barbara Wold’s Retail & Consumer Tips,
New York.
bwold@ix.netcom.com.
5
Vendor Profile
graphics. As an additional aid to their retail
partners they have set up the ShanOre.com
website which allows the end consumer to
purchase product and the local Irish retailer
benefits as if the consumer had purchased in
their store.
The most successful product in the history of the company has been the TARA’S
DIARY Collection. Launched in 2009, the
success has been mirrored by the amount of
repeat orders. To compliment this incredibly
successful product a range of Celtic Stackable Rings was launched in January 2011 at
Showcase Dublin to huge acclaim. Like the
bead and bracelet range the Celtic Stacking
Rings are collectables and will encourage
customers to return again and again.
Flaircraft / Shanore
THE JOURNEY… SO FAR
Being made redundant from a jewelry
manufacturing company, IDJ Ltd, was the
trigger for Frank Maher to found Flaircraft Ltd in 1979 at the start of the 1980’s
recession. There were no jobs for someone
with his all round skills and experience in a
management role of a jewelry company, so
he had no other option but to start on his
own. Indeed the fact that he had four young
boys and his wife to support was enough
to inspire the above move! So Frank took
his savings and his redundancy money and
leased a premises on Talbot St. in the very
heart of Dublin where it continues today,
almost 32 years later.
It was difficult at first. Frank and Liz
sometimes worked 7 days a week as they
usually did the bookkeeping on Sunday afternoons. The company continued for some
years to supply the Irish market but felt this
alone was limiting their plans and so they
took a look at the US market with its many
Irish stores and extensive Irish diaspora.
Jerome Raleigh made a number of sales trips
to the USA and achieved a certain level of
success, however they felt that they needed
a full time presence in the market place so
they appointed a local agent which proved
successful for some time.
By then Shane Maher had returned from
working in London to join Flaircraft . While
in London, Shane trained with a diamond
dealer to get a full appreciation of this most
precious stone. The company appointed
Shane to do a root and branch review of its
activities including design and all aspects of
marketing. Shane took on the challenge with
great enthusiasm. He contacted a leading
Irish marketer John Clarke and employed
him on a consultancy basis and still does.
6
Having gathered vital information
from customers on their future requirements, Shane in turn commissioned
designs from their strong in-house
design team and produced a new
range of products. This led to
the introduction of a range
of Celtic diamond engagement rings and naturally was followed
by diamond set Celtic wedding rings. Soon
the complete range of product was renewed
while maintaining the old Celtic tradition
but with a modern accent. Thus was born
THE SHANORE RANGE and they had
finally branded a new and exciting range of
product and reinvented the company profile.
Now it was time to put the final piece
of the jigsaw in place and that meant a full
time representative based in the marketplace.
While Shane was attending the Secaucus
trade show in 2003 he was approached by
Alan Clancy who was looking for a career
change and the opportunity to represent an
Irish company in the USA. Discussions took
place and within a couple of months Alan
began his training in Dublin. He continues
to represent ShanOre in the US and is a very
important part of plans for the future.
As the company introduced new product
to the market, it has developed a complete
promotional package including point of sale
cards, romance pamphlets, gift boxes and
The company has been the recipient
of many awards for its performance in the
North American market from NACTA for
which it is very pleased and grateful. Thank
you members of NACTA!
The innovation principal adopted by the
company in both its product and marketing commitment is total and it allows it to
marry tradition with modern trends. Jewelry
is subject to fashion like many commodities
but you must not forget tradition in your
design brief.
The future view of the management
of Flaircraft / Shanore: THE FUTURE IS
BRIGHT–THE FUTURE IS GREEN–
THE FUTURE IS… SUPPLIERS
PROVIDING INNOVATIVE AND
INTERESTING PRODUCT AND THE
STORES RESPONDING POSITIVELY.
Vendor News
Once again at Showcase this year, Latchfords
of Ireland was busy sourcing new products
for 2011. The new range from Patrick Francis
is stunning and we have the latest in Aran
fashions from Tivoli Knitwear in Cork. New
this season from Kerry Woollen Mills is a collection of short capes which are really beautiful. We also have a selection of new caps all
of which we will be showing at Secaucus.
One gem we found at Showcase is BB the
also plan to ensure our trade customers world-
Wee One Collection is delighted to introduce
wide are always emailed with any special
our new products and our newest wee models,
offers, so everyone, no matter where they are,
Chloe & Christian, born July 2010. We are
has an opportunity to avail of them.
driven to bring you the highest quality in wee
baby clothing. We are your source of the finest
Lanora Davidson of Heritage Goods is proud
to be the new rep for McHarp Crosses. Come
see our new “Saints” line of wall plaques. We
are offering a 10% discount for all McHarp
orders over $200. www.HeritageGoods.com
U.S. Toll-free 1-888-921-9529
seeing business in North America double.
This is mostly due to our customers creating
exciting Keith Jack displays in their stores and
keeping the popular items in stock, for which
we thank you. By mixing our unique designs
in silver with 10k or 18k gold we aimed
our jewelry collections at the top end of the
silver market, providing a great alternative
any custom work for your shops, either as shop
shirts, or name drops. We are looking forward
to seeing everyone at the show. Susan B. Banks
Bewley Irish Imports is excited to see all of
our friends at the Ireland Show in Secaucus
Emarno reports that the official launch of the
Jean Butler jewelry collection at Showcase
2010 was an incredible year for Keith Jack Inc.
Always remember we are most happy to do
Tel: 512-472-CELT (2358)
Teddy. BB is the world’s first Irish-speaking toy
with 33 words to teach your child.
quality cotton materials and embroidery.
was a huge success. As well as significant
orders placed at the show we also received
excellent feedback on designs, packaging and
pricing (retail prices $49 - $159). All pieces
are hallmarked in the Assay Office, Dublin
& again at Celtic Marketplace in Lombard.
You can expect lower prices on some of our
more popular items, new products and free
shipping on show orders. We appreciate your
loyalty and look forward to seeing you!
Bewley Irish Imports 888-239-5397
www.bewleyirishimports.com
Castle. We will be showcasing the collection
at the Ireland show in April (Suite 708). Jean
Stay Away Volcano! JMH Manufacturing can’t
will also be joining us at the show.
wait for the Ireland show this year! After miss-
www.jeanbutlerjewellery.com
ing out last year due to the Volcanic Ash, we
are really looking forward to meeting our old
for those who may have previously bought
friends again. We have plenty of new designs
gold. We enhanced our packaging and point
and ideas to show you. Stop by our Suite 413
of sale material, expanded our most popular
to catch up with Joe and Eve and see for your-
lines and introduced some new lines. We
self all that’s been happening in the last year!
hold 95% of the inventory in stock so we can
JMH Manufacturing, Dublin.
supply orders in 2 to 3 days. We are looking
Tel: +353-1-4508744
forward to another great year and to catch-
www.jmhmanufacturing.com
ing up with all our customers at the Secaucus
show in April and again at Celtic Marketplace
Fisher Sportswear would like to announce the
in Lombard in September.
addition of 9 brand new youth and infant designs to our line of Irish apparel. The response
Peter Townsend’s Irish Collection is excited to
to these items has been tremendously positive
debut our new collection of Irish watercolors
and the fun, fresh look of these new garments
to compliment our range of Irish Blessings
is guaranteed to add value to your existing
& Verse Prints. We also are proud to showcase Cross the Line Films latest DVDs: Liam
Clancy: The Yellow Bittern and Blood of the
Irish. Stop in and see us in Suite 913.
Tel: (219) 663-1756 www.irishcollection.com
Carraig Donn will shortly launch a completely
re-vamped website, still at same address, www.
irishknitwearonline.com. It will feature our
2011 brochure, itself dramatically improved
with many interesting features. While selling
online for some time now, going forward we
collection of Irish apparel. Please visit our
New NACTA Vendor Member Mary Lynn
website www.FisherSportswear.com to take a
Maloney of Top Floor Designs is pleased to
look. Contact Barry Fisher at 215-755-8565
introduce CelticBelle, her line of handcrafted
Email: barry@fishersportswear.com
jewelry featuring real Irish coins and postage
stamps. The casually elegant CelticBelle line is
affordable, unique and highly appealing to a
customer’s desire to express her Celtic heritage
and style! See CelticBelle at Celtic Marketplace
in Lombard Sept 18-20. Visit www.topfloorde-
Mundo Images is introducing several new Irish
greeting cards for all occasions.
Toll-free: 877-286-8636 (28-MUNDO)
www.MundoImages.com
signs.net to request wholesale information.
7
Vendor
News
(continued)
Irish Bundles returns to the Ireland Show this
exceptional service and continuous supply of
year with a new collection of infant and tod-
product to insure you have a successful year.
dler clothes. FireArte Jewelry first introduced
Our new collection was designed through
at the Celtic Marketplace Show in September,
direct customer feedback and we are eager
At Dublin Gift Company we base our deci-
has been gaining momentum with retailers.
to hear your new product ideas for 2012. We
sions on what you, the buyers, want. Our mis-
Both brands will be shown in Room 504.
would also like to hear all ideas on how we
sion is to continually improve and expand our
Irish Bundles original designs are made in
can assist further with e-marketing, merchan-
products to give you the most current and in-
America. There is a big movement now for
dising and point of sale support. Malham USA
novative items for your store, and provide you
products Made in America. I have been get-
www.hqireland.com Tel: 480-966-9661
with a level of customer service that treats
ting calls asking where my products are made
you as if you were our only customer. This is
and getting orders because they are made in
why we believe we were voted one of the top
America. Many retailers say they are trying
5 Suppliers of the Year by NACTA members.
to buy products either made in Ireland or
In response to retailers’ comments that you
America, because that’s what their customers
need new, vibrant products to rejuvenate your
want”. Katie Toland, Reed Enterprises / Irish
store, DGC increased our ranges of gift and
Bundles / FireArte Jewelry
clothing items. See over 300 new items which
further expands our already successful collections. Ireland Show Special: 10% off and Free
Shipping for orders over $500. Craig Lowy,
Dublin Gift Company LLC. Tel: 908-310-7855
Email: craig@dublingiftcompany.com
With Calzeat of Scotland missing last year’s
show due to the Ash Cloud problems, Tom
Renton wants to thank his customers for their
continuous support through difficult times
and is looking forward to meeting everyone
at Secaucus. The Calzeat Celtic Collection
Award winning
launched 10 years ago has gone from strength
designer Martina
to strength and this is mainly down to the suc-
Hamilton has created
cess from the Ireland and Celtic Marketplace
a new sterling silver
shows. For 2011 Calzeat is launching new
jewelry collection
Celtic Scarves, wall hangings, Floor Rugs, Gift
‘Heaven’ for her
Cushions and fabulous Celtic Warrior T-Shirts,
Spirit of Ireland
perfect for festivals. Contact Tom Renton at
brand. The collection
Tom.Renton@Calzeat.com
Through contract with Apple ‘n’ Eve Ltd
Ireland, Celtic Chaos is proud to be the
exclusive distributor of the exciting new
Philip Gray Living collection for the U.S.
market. Philip Gray’s landscapes, seascapes,
his extreme art adventures, and most recently
the “Philip Gray Living” collection puts him
on the map as one of the greatest artists of our
day. In his new line of products, Philip Gray
combines ancient art, earthy materials and
contemporary style that is sure to complement
is inspired by the
the décor of any home. Please visit Celtic
ancient Irish stone
Chaos in Suite 826 at the Ireland Show to
carvings of Knowth and Newgrange Co.
Boru will be launching a beautiful presen-
place your orders for this stunning product.
Meath. The ancient and universal symbols of
tation package commemorating the 1916
Tel: 812-357-2332 www.celticchaos.com
sun, moon and stars are contained within the
signatories, consisting of seven medallions.
tight symmetry of the circle and are then
Also we will be launching new Claddagh col-
Canberra Goose - Wild Goose pieces on sale
combined together both as organized patterns
lections. Full details will be on our Facebook
at National Museum of Australia
and as random charms. The Heaven Collec-
page over the coming weeks.
The National Museum of Australia has
tion features earrings, pendants, rings and
selected a range of pieces made by the Wild
bracelets. Visit Suite 611 at The Ireland Show
Timeless Irish Treasures will have a new Irish
Goose Studio to support a major exhibition
to view the collection. Martina Hamilton
Blessing Counter Top unit that encompasses
detailing the Irish influence on the country.
Collections. Tel: +353 (0)719143686
the entire line. Pick one up at The Ireland
The exhibition - Not Just Ned: A True History
www.martinahamilton.ie
Show at our biggest cash and carry ever.
of the Irish in Australia - opened on St Patrick’s Day and runs until the end of July at the
Amethyst of Dublin is offering a free silver
Malham USA invites you to drop by Suite 931
cleaning cloth to all our customers. Just come
at the Ireland Show to review new additions
and see us at the Ireland Show. Suite 629.
to our 2011 collection and to enter your
www.amethystdublin.com. Tel: +353 1 679 8964
store to win $500 worth of free merchandise.
Email: info@amethystdublin.com
Our focus for 2011 is to continue to provide
8
museum in Canberra. Wild Goose Studio is
delighted and honored that its work has been
chosen as representative of quality Irish craft
to sell at such a prestigious location as part
of this important event. The exhibition covers
the Irish presence in Australia from the day in
January 1788 when a small number of Irish
convicts, marines and officials walked off the
All these products will be available for cash & carry
in Suite 911 at The Ireland Show–or order now
by phone or email for immediate shipment.
transports of the First Fleet, to the continuing
Creating a
Celtic Wedding
arrival of young Irish backpackers today. This
exhibition remembers the Irish immigrants,
and their descendants, who have made the
continent their home, and have helped create
a uniquely Australian way of life. The Wild
Goose Studio, Kinsale. Tel: +353 21 477 2622
www.wildgoosestudio.com
John and Eleanor Hanna and all the staff at
Hanna Hats extend a “Céad Míle Fáilte” to
all our customers. Over the past fifty years we
at Hanna Hats made many friends and built
personal relationships with our customers.
My daughter Eleanor is now full time at
Hanna Hats and I expect it won’t be long before I am put out to graze! This October I will
celebrate my 50th year at Hanna Hats and I
would like to take this opportunity to thank
you all for your loyal support for our ‘Genuinely Irish Made Products’. It means so much
that you continue to buy ‘Irish Made’ as the
future of small and medium size companies
depend on you. We look forward to meeting
you all in Secaucus and at Celtic Marketplace
in Lombard in September.
Belleek Pottery is to target the American
market for significant export sales growth
through the setting up of its own direct sales,
marketing and distribution operation based
in Virginia. For the last 20 years Belleek
has been sold in the US market through a
distributor. Now, in a move aimed at expanding the brand’s penetration into the tableware,
giftware and home decor retail sector, the
company will be managing its US sales, marketing and distribution functions directly. The
new operation is headed up by Bill Follett,
President, Belleek Group North America. In
addition to the Belleek Classic and the more
contemporary Belleek Living ranges, the new
operation includes Galway Irish Crystal and
Aynsley China. For information contact
toll free 1-855-212-0547 or
email: SalesNA@Belleek.ie
Celtic Gift Bags
Following the popularity of the Celtic Gift
Bag introduced at Celtic Marketplace in
Lombard last year, NACTA members asked
us to create a similar bag designed specifically for jewelry items. The result is a 5½ x
3½ x 6½ bag which can accommodate a
medium sized jewelry box while also working for smaller gift items. The larger eurotote gift bag is a popular size for consumers at 8 x 10 x 4. Bar coded and ready for
resale, bags are available now for immediate
shipment. Both bags have a new braided
rope handle and the stunning design makes
them suitable for a variety of occasions and
celebrations. They are an easy add-on sale
and are especially useful for quick and easy
gift-wrapping. Bags cost $1.50 each and
retail for $3.95 and up.
Matching Gift Cards are the perfect
compliment and are
another easy add-on sale.
They are bar-coded and
packaged in 10’s but can
also be sold individually.
Pack of 10 cards: $3.95
Celtic Heritage Shopping Bag
With a design from the
Book of Kells, this attractive reusable ‘green’
shopping bag is a
consistent seller.
50¢ from every
bag goes to
the Alzheimer’s
Association.
Cost: $3.50.
POS materials
and hang tags
included.
Creating a Celtic
Wedding booklet is a
terrific sales tool for all
things wedding related.
Comes with vendor
flyers from Boru, CIE
Tours, TJH – The Jewellery House, Lochcarron of Scotland, J&Z
Blackman & Tara
Jewellery. Cost: $1 per copy
Traditional Irish
Wedding by
Bridget Haggerty
This best-seller is
available exclusively
from NACTA. Special
Members-only offer:
Only $6 per copy!
Retails for $23.95
or more.
Understanding
Celtic Symbols
features drawings and
explanations of the more
popular Celtic symbols such
as the Claddagh, the Trinity
knot and the Shillelagh
as well as explanations of
Ogham, Celtic crosses, the
thistle and more. Fantastic
sales tool for your store. Cost: $2 per copy.
Retails for $4.95 and up.
CIE Tours
Your fellow
members
are earning
commission by
selling CIE Tours!
Brochures and
discount flyers
are free of charge.
Pick up your
supply in suite 911 at The Ireland Show or
call us now for immediate shipping.
9
Groupon –
The Social Coupon Craze
Groupon is a deal-of-the-day type website,
which harnesses ‘collective buying power’
by sending out one major deal by email
to its subscribers (consumers) every day.
Launched in 2008, the first market for Groupon was Chicago, followed soon thereafter
by Boston, New York and Toronto. Groupon
now serves more than 150 markets in North
America and 100 markets in Europe, Asia
and South America and has amassed 35 million registered users.
The company offers one “Groupon” per day
in each of the markets it serves. The Groupon
works as an assurance contract: if a certain
number of people sign up for the offer, then
the deal becomes available to all; if the predetermined minimum is not met, no one gets
the deal that day. Retailers treat the coupons
as quantity discounts as well as sales promotion tools. Groupon makes money by getting
a cut of the deal from the retailers.
How to get the most out of Groupon
(and not let it get the most out of you!)
Groupon is hot right now -- not only with
customers who love getting deep discounts,
but also with businesses looking to attract
new customers and build business. Groupon
invites businesses of all sizes to participate
in their program and puts those businesses
in front of thousands of subscribers in each
Groupon city. Ideally these subscribers share
your offer with everyone they know via
Facebook, Twitter, and other social media
continuing to attract new customers for
months following your feature.
Groupon can be great advertising, but
it can also spell disaster for unprepared
small businesses.
For a deal to become valid, a certain number
of people must first purchase it. That way,
Groupon makes a certain amount of money,
businesses are guaranteed a certain number of customers, and customers get deep
discounts. Supposedly it’s a win-win-win
situation, but small-business owners should
be careful not to get swept up in the frenzy
of social coupons. As some small businesses
have learned the hard way, running a deeply
10
discounted deal can give you so much traffic, and so many customers, that it will cost
you money.
A recent study by Rice University surveyed
150 small to midsize businesses that had
used Groupon, asking about their experience and whether they would use the
service again. While 66 percent of the 150
respondents said that their Groupon deal
was profitable, 32 percent found it unprofitable. And 40 percent of the respondents
said they would not use Groupon again.
The study also found that newer businesses
might benefit more than established businesses and that Groupon promotions offer
the most benefit when they don’t cannibalize an existing customer base.
So before you jump on the social-coupon
bandwagon, make sure your business can
handle it. Here are five Groupon problems you
might encounter - and how to deal with them.
One-Time Customers
A one-time customer who buys nothing
extra is the worst situation, because you’re
basically giving your products away for
free. Businesses need to sell more than
the coupon is worth to make Groupon a
good investment, so “hitters and quitters”
won’t cut it. What you can do: Prep your
salespeople to sell additional products to
Groupon customers aggressively. Another
way is to use Groupon beyond the point of
purchase. In other words, use Groupon to
grow your distribution lists. Although Groupon cannot release the email addresses of
their customers, you can gather this information at checkout and use it to coax first-time
customers into becoming long-term customers with email blasts extending beyond the
actual Groupon promotion.
Brand Damage
Groupon is not for everyone. Some small
service businesses, such as salons, restaurants etc. might bite off more than they can
chew with social coupons. For example, a
small salon in Chicago sold 3915 Groupons
($40 for $110 worth of services). Unfortunately that was way more traffic than they
could reasonably handle, and their reputation suffered. Another downside is the possibility of devaluing your store image. Many
bargain hunters are unlikely to come back
and purchase your products at full price and
you may also be devaluing your product in
the eyes of your regular customers. A small,
exclusive store won’t benefit from 600 new
customers who now think of your store as a
discount brand.
Too Many Customers
Businesses use Groupon because they want
to attract more customers, but they could
end up with more customers than they can
handle. It’s important to be prepared for the
extra traffic. Expect to be serving Groupon
customers - and only Groupon customers - in the week following your promotion,
beginning with answering phone and e-mail
questions the day of the promotion. Get
ready for the extra traffic. Your website will
also get a flood of visitors, (Groupon suggests at least five times the normal volume
during the first few weeks) so contact your
Web hosting company and make sure your
site will be able to handle the extra traffic.
Important: Cap the Deal! Do the math and
use a deal cap to control the number of
Groupons that can be sold.
Consumer Bullying
The Groupon customer is generally craftier,
more aggressive, and more resourceful
than the average customer. Don’t let them
outsmart you (i.e., reuse coupons or use
multiple coupons). Stick to your store rules
and policies and be aware of your state laws
concerning coupon use, expiration dates,
and refunds. For additional precaution, take
advantage of Groupon’s redemption tracking services to keep a record of all the used
coupons. It may take a little more time at the
register, but it’s worth it.
High Redemption Rates
Even though the point of Groupon is to give
out coupons, the best case scenario is that
customers will not actually redeem them.
That way you’ll have extra cash and advertising, a win-win. Between 60% and 80% of
Groupon customers use their coupons, but
what you should do is calculate what would
happen if 100% were redeemed. Could your
business withstand it? Crunch the numbers
and make sure you’ll still be in business if
every coupon is redeemed. If the numbers
don’t work, either refigure the Groupon deal
or step away.
NACTA Presents Celtic Warrior Awards
NACTA
Networking Party
The Celtic Warrior Awards which honor outstanding retailers in our market were
presented in Dublin in January. The awards recognize retailer members who exemplify
the mission of NACTA: they participate, they communicate, they are open to growth and
education and they share their knowledge and resources. A Celtic Warrior Award also
acknowledges active participation in the wider Celtic Market thereby supporting and
promoting Celtic heritage in the community, in North America and in the Celtic Nations.
Selection was a two-part process based on nominations by vendors as well as a
number of criteria related to participation in the association. “The response from our
vendor members was terrific” said Anne Tarrant, Executive Director of NACTA. “They
appreciated the opportunity to nominate retailers they hold in high regard”.
Michael Siegert of Shamrock Imports,
Dubuque, IA with Pat Shannon of Facet
2011 Celtic Warrior Awards were presented to: Jim & Anne August, The Irish Shop,
Oak Park, Illinois; Tom McGrath, Tipperary at Tara, Troy, New York & Michael Cox, The
Scottish & Irish Store, Ontario, Canada.
Congratulations to all!
Susan Banks, Colm deRis & Cynthia McBurney
Jim & Anne August pictured with Fran Siefert
Michael Cox pictured with Fran Siefert
Showcase 2011 was a Resounding Success!
Martina Hamilton, Richard Cordover, Mike
Burns, Jan Chandler & Caroline Devins
Ireland has recently been overshadowed by negative economic reports but this wasn’t
evident for those attending and exhibiting at Showcase Ireland 2011 in January. Exhibitors, buyers and organizers were all pleased with an increased number of participants and
indications of a higher amount of trade then last year. This, we hope, reflects the positive
change in the economy of the US and Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland’s goal is increase exports from Ireland and anything we can do to increase sales in your store helps our companies so with this in mind at Showcase this year
Enterprise Ireland held an event exclusively for North American buyers.
We launched Enterprise Ireland’s Merchandising Handbook written by Céline Cummins.
The purpose of this handbook was to capture some of the main points and ideas that you
may have heard at seminars with Céline or other presenters. While these presentations are
terrific, it’s often hard to remember everything. The Merchandising Handbook captures some
key points making it a useful reference guide when you return to your store. Topics covered
include window display, store layout, lighting, fixtures and more - all focusing on common
problems and how to fix them without too much investment in terms of time or money.
Demand for the book has been high and we have no
copies available currently. We hope to do another print
run in the future.
Sue Bowden, All That Glisters, Noel Cochrane
& Linda Malone
Jennifer Dumas & Paul Mackey
Eoin Moore, Marketing Executive, Enterprise Ireland
11
■ Expert
Seminars of REAL value and
specific relevance to your business.
■ All
your favorite exhibitors
(and terrific new ones!)
■ Rock-bottom
timing for Christmas &
St. Patrick’s Day purchases.
Where the Celtic Market
meets to Network, Re-energize,
Learn & Prosper!
■ The
Discovery Room - a timesaving showcase of new products.
■ The
Shop Forum - a dynamic
and highly effective member-to-member exchange.
www.CelticShow.com
■ Networking
- no other show like it for
building business friendships.
■ Valuable
■ Friendship,
prizes & giveaways.
■ Great
entertainment &
complimentary food & drink!
Knitwear
■ Chunky
■ Celtic
Bracelets from All That Glisters
Astrology from Amethyst Dublin
■ Eco
Hats & Scarves from
Branigan Weavers
■
Rita Cape from Branigan Weavers
■
Kilt T-shirt from C.A.P.S.
■ Hand
■ Hats
Bags from Carraig Donn
from Galway Girl
■ McHarp
Celtic Crosses from
Heritage Goods
■ Celtic
■ Tree
Synergy Necklace from Keith Jack
of Life from Keith Jack
■ Window
CONGRATULATIONS…
■ Liza
Hendley, Failte Irish Imports, Lexington, KY gave birth to
Elodie Beaux Betz on November 17th, 2010. “She’s the best thing
that has ever happened to us” said Liza.
Weave Mug from Royal Tara
■ Insta
Kilt from Scotts Highland Services
■ Jeff
Caps from Shandon of Ireland
■ Celtic
■N
eville Gardner, Donegal Square, Bethlehem, PA was Grand Marshal of the first ever St. Patrick’s
■ Aura
■ Thistle & Pine’s Celtic Fiddlers won 1st place in the Performance category in the Punxsutawney Parade!
“It was a very cold night to play– 26 degrees and windy–but we persevered and won” said a delighted Teresa Perry owner of Thistle & Pine, Marion Center, PA.
NEW from NACTA!
Jewelry-size Gift Bag
and Matching Gift Cards
Pearl from Shanore
from Solvar
■ Celtic
■ Jim & Anne August, The Irish Shop, Oak Park, IL are celebrating 20 years in business!
to the Soul from Keith Jack
■ Irish
■L
isa Caress Beu, Celtic Treasures, Anchorage, AK just became an Irish citizen!
Day parade in Bethlehem.
Love & Laughter Bracelet
from Aces
■ Aine
■ Perfect
Embassy Suites Hotel, Lombard, IL.
as voted by NACTA retailers
hotel rates from $50.00
a night!
Sunday, Monday & Tuesday
September 18, 19, 20, 2011
Hottest Products of 2010
Beads from Solvar
■ Nation
■ Keys
Kilts from The Kilted Nation
of Ireland from TJH
■ WINNER: TARA’S
DIARY FROM SHANORE
Upcoming Events
NACTA Members Meeting
8:30am, Monday, April 18
Embassy Suites Hotel, Secaucus, NJ
The Ireland Show
Secaucus, NJ
April 16-19, 2011
www.irelandshowsecaucus.com
Celtic Marketplace Trade Show
Embassy Suites Hotel, Lombard, IL
September 18th, 19th, 20th, 2011
www.celticshow.com
Scotland’s Trade Fair
January 22-24, 2012
SECC, Glasgow
www.scotlandstradefairs.com.uk
Available now
See page 9 for details
Showcase Ireland
January 22-25, 2012
RDS. Dublin
www.showcaseireland.com