What They Had to Say
Staff -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 1/1/2001
When it comes to independent retailing, who do you go to for expert advice? The independent retailer, of course. That's what Gifts & Decorative Accessories does every month in our "We Asked.You Answered" column, which appears on the inside back page of each issue. Our experts are stores owners selected for their specialty (collectibles, decorative accessories, gifts, stationery, etc.) and for their geographic location (every region has its unique qualities, and we want the answers to reflect a cross-section of the country).
For our first issue of 2001, we've selected a number of questions and responses that appeared in Gifts & Dec over the past year. We believe the advice offered can prove invaluable to just about any specialty retailer. Continue to look for "We Asked.You Answered" in every issue of Gifts & Decorative Accessories.
How have you focused your personal care and aromatherapy merchandise mix?
Meredith Miller, Fair Oaks Pharmacy/Paper Parlor, South Pasadena, California: Bath is on an upswing for me, so I'm devoting more space to it and testing new lines. Blue Q has become a brand; everything it brings out, sells. I'm buying brand identity, because often small lines get lost. We do a lot of candles, but rather than work with a bunch of aromatherapy candle lines, I'll work with a line that carries bath scents out into candles. Customers get hooked on a fragrance, so it's an easier sell. Caswell-Massey and Crabtree and Evelyn candles do very well, and so do Primal Elements, which has become a staple; the more SKUs I bring in, the better I do. We also do well with Bloom from Australia Steamboat Co. These companies are always adding to their mix. You need that with trendy lines. We don't expect Caswell-Massey to come out with new things all the time, they're traditional. We like to offer a mix, especially now that the teen trend is dying down and we're going back to the basic older woman customer.
How are you solving your staffing problems in this labor-short market?
Dot Bardarson, Bardarson Studio, Seward, Alaska: Seward has a tight labor market during the summer, when tourists mean long open hours seven days a week. It's getting harder to find employees, so we have to start earlier. I look to the local community, because it is important that my employees don't leave me high and dry in August to go back to school. I even look through the telephone book for likely prospects. I also put an all-users bulletin on the local server, seward.net, describing what I want. Last year I got one of my best workers that way. I make the description humorous and colorful, so they know they'll have fun working for me. We also have a job service office in City Hall, where employers list opportunities. In the retail industry our wages can't compete with hotels, travel companies, and tours, yet we want the best people. So I look for other ways to entice employees, such as a 25 percent discount, flexible hours, work in gorgeous surroundings, and lots of appreciation.
What are your biggest challenges for the third and fourth quarters?
Caren Sturm, The Lagniappe, West Des Moines, Iowa: Our main third and fourth quarter challenge is inventory, both quantity and type. We need to beef up our stock for Christmas, but we're walking a tightrope so we don't end up with a lot left on December 31. Plus, I'm in an area where there are a lot of shops next to one another, and some of us overlap. We try not to carry what the next guy has, and it can be difficult to find distinctive things, especially when you're trying to add new items, and so is everyone else. Our other major challenge is staffing. We need to have enough people on hand, and they need to be experienced enough to give customers the attention they need. But we never know how much traffic we'll have to cover, and of course we want to avoid huge increases in payroll. So it's a delicate balance to maintain.
Who designs your displays?
Jill Wieder, Chelsea Galleries, Cleveland: I have always been personally responsible for the displays. We tried to hire someone to do them, but it didn't work. It's a big commitment, because we're particular. When we're busy its hard just to keep glass shelves dust-free, but everyone pitches in. Lighting is crucial. We use halogen track lighting and my husband ends up juggling bulbs whenever we change displays. Sometimes we arrange the same type of items together; other times we do vignettes. We look at height-we use acrylic risers-and we also consider medium, color, subject material, and try to bring these elements into balance. At shows I look at merchants' displays to get ideas. We don't spend much money on props. We've used lentils or oversized nuts and bolts to lend interest. I go to house sales for old books, or to discount fabric stores for backings.
What is your return policy?
Daniel Hill, Botanicals on the Park, St. Louis: If they return it within 30 days, they receive a refund. Without a receipt, they can exchange it. After 30 days it belongs to the customer. Even though the policy is posted on our counter and printed on each receipt, people still argue. We're service oriented, so we usually give in, unless we can tell that it's been horribly used, or they've used it for a party, then brought it back. Our merchandise can almost always be reticketed and put back on the floor. The rest are flawed or damaged items, and we just eat the cost. For Christmas gifts, starting September we put a gift receipt in the box, which is good until January 15.
How do you handle shoplifting by customers or staff?
Tony Falcone, Fast Buck Freddie's, Key West: Considering that we offer rewards and put a ton of energy into training, it's amazing how few shoplifters we catch. I'd love to think we don't have any, but inventories prove me wrong. Our staff members are upbeat and enthusiastic; it's hard to turn them into suspicious people. We can't lock up everything expensive. When we find significant theft of an item we increase the price to cover the cost. We put sensors into the doorways. They've never worked right, but their presence alone reduced theft by 50 percent. I wish I'd bought dummy security gates. In our clothing department we use stain tags. When we do catch someone, we call the police. For young children, we've worked out a deal where an officer will come and give them a good scare, and then let them go. We have prosecuted some people, especially for internal theft.
