The Survey Says …

Gift stores greet 380 visitors in an average week. Of those 380 prospects, 184 of them become customers by purchasing something. That's a close ratio of 71 percent. Those statistics are among the many that come from Gifts & Dec's Retailer Comparison Survey, which was conducted in January of this year. It's our third annual look at the independent specialty retailer, and the picture shows a pretty stable industry, albeit one populated by small, often family-run businesses. As a matter of fact, of the family-run businesses that responded to our survey, 61 percent said that their store profits were a second source of family income; 20 percent said it was their only source, while 19 percent said it was their primary source. To see how your store stacks up against the competition, turn to page 56 for Part 1 of "Today's Gift Retailer." Part 2, which covers advertising, promotion, and employee practices, can be found at Gifts & Dec's Web site, www.GiftsandDec.com.

The retailer survey presents an overall view of its respondents, factoring their experiences to produce a statistical analysis. But often it's more revealing to take a close look at individual retailers, and see first hand how they're succeeding. That's just what we've been doing for the past 51 years with our Retailer Excellence Awards. Judging for the 2002 awards is complete. The four finalists in the Store Design category are Gabriala's (Plymouth, MI); Hoypoloi (Disneyland, CA); Parchment (Orlando, FL); and Zehnders (Frankenmuth, MI). The three finalists in Promotion are Andrew Morton (Knoxville, TN); Black Sheep Designs (Trumansburg, NY); and The Little House (Vashon Island, WA). The three finalists in Visual Merchandising are Lasting Impressions (St. Petersburg, FL); Ruby & Begonia (Ogden, UT); and Welcome Home (San Anselmo, CA). Their stories begin in next month's issue, and the Silver and Gold Award winners will be announced at our annual gala at the Plaza hotel, Sunday, August 11, during the run of the New York International Gift Fair.