What's your biggest gripe about today's consumers? Do you have any special way of handling it?

I don't have many gripes. I'm a pretty happy retailer. But I think what I would like to see in the overall consumer attitude is one of appreciation for quality versus just comparing a look to a look based on price. Because we're losing quality to get a better price. I just feel that it would be for the overall good of the industry if we could retain some of the craftsmen that are in the United States, and other countries too, of course. But so many products in this industry are being made in third world countries just to get a better price. And we are sacrificing quality in some areas, though not all.

These days, the world seems to be faster- paced and more last-minute. Customers come in needing wedding invitations when the wedding's a month out — or party invitations when the party's in a week. The biggest problem is trying to accommodate them. We have a rush fee that we charge if people are really desperate. Or we'll suggest boxed paper stock that they can take home to print on their own printers. Or, if they don't want to print and they don't have time to wait, we also sell fill-in invitations. Still, they expect everything immediately. We want to have a good turnaround time, but it's not always possible and we have to suggest one of these other options.

My biggest gripe is that consumers are getting harder and harder to buy for. In our area, it's a real challenge to draw local customers to the store. They are always more interested when we offer expensive up-scale items. However, they tend to only purchase those items that don't cost very much, making it very challenging for us to buy. We handle it by buying very unique merchandise. If it's something a consumer doesn't feel they can find anyplace else, they're more willing to spend a little extra. If you mix the more expensive items with lower-priced offerings, then they tend to think that all of the items are unique and will purchase more.

Zehnder's Magic of the Seasons takes great pride in the appearance of our store and displays, and even expensive items are displayed where people can touch them. But one of our biggest frustrations is when people carelessly handle the merchandise or allow their children to play with expensive items. We even put signs in our Dept. 56 village display that read, "Please do not play in our beautiful display. Thanks, you made our day." Despite the signs, people are still compelled to pull on accessories until they break. And it's not usually the people who actually buy stuff, but the people who are "just looking." The worst is when they break something and just leave it lying there without an apology. We would never ask them to pay for a broken item, but it would be nice if they offered.