Share this on

The Gifted Retailer

GDA Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 8/26/2011 12:53:54 PM

Sean Nutley, owner of bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy in Rhinebeck, NY, makes sure to keep things interesting to get customers to come back for more. His most successful events are meet-and-greets with high profile chefs who come to the store to not only meet the master behind the recipes, but to try their tasty recipes.

Gifts & Decorative Accessories: What do you like best about being a retailer?
Sean Nutley: Opening the shop to wonderful clients that are design savvy. To both locals and Hudson Valley visitors. Gregory Triana, my business partner, and I have a strong passion for searching and finding products or lines that we feel is the top of the line for your home's kitchen! We enjoy educating our customers to find the same romance that we find within the products that are stocked at bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy. We love to hear the excitement from customers when they find the perfect product here at the shop. We enjoy traveling to the different gourmet/housewares shows both domestically and internationally, and sourcing the newest unique and innovative design products, as well as some time-honored classics. We enjoy finding the most hip kitchen related products that have both superior design and functionality. I enjoy meeting the faces behind the product lines, then developing unique relations that can only happen with a small shop. At bluecashew we are passionate to offer great customer service. We are very community driven, directing customers to our favorite shops, restaurants, local points of interests and day activities.

G&DA: What was the most valuable piece of business advice that you ever received?
SN: Be yourself and welcome each and every customer that walks through the door. Make them feel special and comfortable. You never know who will take out a Titanium American Express card. Trust your instincts and keep focused. bluecashew offers products that help you in the kitchen and we stick to that.

G&DA: What is/was your most successful promotion?
SN: Our in-store marketing events such as book signings and tastings are the most successful tool of the bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy. People come for the unique experience and opportunity to meet high profile chefs, try great-tasting recipes from their cookbooks, and purchase signed cookbooks. We are proud that our database has grown in leaps and bounds since moving to the Rhinebeck area.

G&DA: What three products/lines are you best sellers?
SN: In the summer and autumn months, many second home owners make the return to the Hudson Valley from New York City to enjoy the bounty of fresh produce, meats and cheeses cultivated by local producers. The kitchen and outdoor grill becomes the focus of the home and entertainment. Outside items have had great movement such as Outset Grill items, an especially good seller this spring Govino recycled plastic glassware and Bambu plates and accessories. Innovative, fun and interactive products like the ZOKU Pop Maker have been especially hot sellers this season. Finnish design collection ittala has consistently been in the top three designer product lines at the shop.

G&DA: What are you doing to attract new customers?
SN: Marketing and public relations again is key with our business. We don't do print advertising at all, so we really on what the media presents. In the beginning of August bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy was featured in the New York Times. That story increased web sales and visitors from far and near.
We created a very unique radio advertisement has been successful and ear catching. We like to see live results when a customer comes in and says, "Wow I heard your radio advertisement and had to see what bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy is all about."
In store events are especially important to bluecashew. We present cookbook signings, tasting events and book launches. Our building management team has also been doing a tremendous job of special promotional marketing efforts to bring new customers into the area. The retail community of Rhinebeck has grouped together to form Enjoy Rhinebeck, a unique group of shop owners that grants small businesses a special opportunity to do special co-op advertising, website promotion and social marketing, and offer customers a map of the historic town of Rhinebeck.

G&DA: What was your most effective display?
SN: Window merchandising is strong, we do very special windows that change monthly, and are sometimes designed by local artists such as Paul O'Conner. The store is merchandised and displayed by our own handmade fixtures. Customers get the feeling that they are in a design museum. The products are individually featured according to brand. The display and the design of the shop gives customers a very warm and comfortable feeling when visiting.

bluecashew kitchen pharmacy G&DA: How do you find your best employees?
SN: We are lucky that we have had a great team of employees. We are a small mom and pop shop so we work with a small group of staffers. Our bluecashew team is ex-New Yorkers so they have strong creative design backgrounds.

G&DA: What was your biggest retail problem and how did you solve it?
SN: The biggest problem really falls into the US economy. bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy was born in the historic hamlet of High Falls, NY, in 2005. The economy changed and sales began to slow down in High Falls. We made the decision to relocate the entire shop to an area with sidewalks and a four corner town such as Rhinebeck NY. Our decision to move has been a success. The first year was tough, it felt like we opened a whole new store, but we quickly began to gain customer support.

Share this on

Talkback

We would love your feedback!