Market Watch

As I noted last post, the California Gift Show starts this Tuesday. We’re anxiously awaiting the start of this year’s market season as the bellwether of what’s to come in subsequent months.

Fashion trends, always a fickle beast, are always best served with a grain of salt. Take too large a serving and it makes your feast unpalatable, too little and it may be too bland. For me, the pleasure of the market is the hunt for fabulous products and, of course, the challenges of putting it all together so it makes sense to the consumer (that would be you).

This year, things are a little different. The game has changed and I’m stalking a more uniquely different product. I’ll be searching out more local goods, more fair trade items and more American made merchandise.

We’ll soon be moving things around in the store as well, so expect to see an even more welcoming atmosphere in the coming year. Comfortable is our catchword and hopefully our store will reflect that along with our values of locality, hospitality and honest, friendly service. Come shop with us for a taste of the best of Altadena!

I’ll be updating you about what’s happening at the show throughout the week on our Facebook friend page, so be sure to check there to see what’s new, what’s cool and what’s so last week…..

Until next week, my friends. Have a wonderful week!

Lori & Scott

Loyalty For All

It's been quieter than I'd like at the store this week. But respites between busy times allows us to accomplish other things that need doing, like cleaning, straightening and writing. Writing? Oh yes, I've been writing....not just this blog, but an actual article in a nationwide retail industry publication!

I joined Giftbeat, Inc., http://www.giftbeat.com, about a year before Scott and I bought WFS. Retail friends reading this, if you aren't a member, you should be. Not only a monthly publication, Giftbeat offers the best retail-specific message boards since....well, ever. Here you can trade ideas, talk about products and performance with store owners from every region of the U.S. and Canada. Over these few years, their editor-in-chief, Joyce Washnik, and I have become friendly. I value her as a source of inspiration, knowledge and am grateful for her friendship.

I mentioned to Joyce that I had an idea for a possible article. When I explained the concept to her, she liked it. Not only liked it, but asked me to write the article! Probably in shock, I agreed to do it. So in the time I had between running a retail store and the seemingly endless drives home, I wrote an article for Giftbeat about loyalty to our manufacturers representatives.

In the past couple of years, gift buyers have been going directly to the manufacturer to order merchandise instead of using the services of their local rep. Many buyers consider going direct less hassle. I'm afraid I'm guilty of it as well....there have been times I've just picked up the phone and spoke to the manufacturer directly to order. Pre-economic melt-down it used to be ok to do that, as long as you told the manufacturer to give credit to your rep. But the majority of manufacturers are not crediting the rep with the direct order anymore. As a result, we're reducing the showroom's, and hence, the rep's, income. No wonder the once-bustling L.A. Mart, where the biannual gift shows are held, looks like a ghost town.

In this time of economic turmoil, when the loyalty of our customers is of prime importance to us retailers, why aren't we extending the same courtesy to our manufacturers reps? They're mostly all small businesses, too.

The lion's share of credit for this article goes to my friend, Laurel Schaeffer, our rep from The Lynn Mitchell Group at the Mart. She and I talked about this problem and she was kind enough to give me her viewpoint. Kudos to her for imparting such wise advice.

The article will be out in December, if I remember correctly. I'll copy it here, if I'm able to. Have a fabulous week, my friends, and stay dry....do come visit us, though, there's always good times at WFS!

Lori & Scott

To Market, To Market....The Winter Gift Show Report

January is the month of the winter Home Furnishing and Gift shows all across the country, and the Los Angeles show just ended this past Monday. According to the reports, attendance was down a bit due to the economic climate, but those who were there (and there were plenty of us) were buying, albeit a bit more cautiously. And that's fine, said many showroom reps. They'd rather the buyers buy less and reorder when needed. Michelle and I found a few new things to bring you this season and we're very excited about them.

When the economy slows, producers of new products go into what I call "safe mode". Nothing really innovative, just repetition of proven winners, maybe revamped a bit for a new look, so we had to look hard to find things that wowed us. But find them we did, all across the board from kids stuff to more sophisticated adult items. Here's a highlight of what we found that made our hearts flutter and what you can expect to see in store soon:

• Really cool lenticular design rulers, bookmarks and small journals - looks like the (cute) animals on face of the items are running, walking or trotting toward you. We predict this will be a hit with our school-age customers!
• Fabulously cute and soft stuffed monkeys that have little magnets in their hands and feet....they're adorable and are such a great price, you'll want to get two (just so they can "hold hands")! Also arriving are cuddly soft little animals that can be carried in backpacks made of the same soft materials. Very affordable, and the kids will love them!
• New inspirational pocket note pads from Punch Studio for Valentines Day. Also from Punch, gorgeous nesting book boxes that will add high impact design and function to your home office (or anywhere else). Beautiful file folders with coordinating notes will be arriving, too, along with their prettily designed boxed candles.....perfect for gift giving!
• Very high end looking (but not too costly) recycled glass terrariums from Roost. They're big....and sure to make a statement.
• A refresher for the Pacifica solid perfumes....an addition of a couple new scents plus candles to go with. All natural, all good....look for these to arrive soon. Waikiki Pikkaki is one of the sublime new scents you'll be excited to try!
• New books for the kids are on the way, with some great new titles that should keep them enthralled throughout winter, with an emphasis on Black History Month selections. Little Golden Books will entertain the younger crowd with their favorite characters - these will arrive in a month or so.
• For Valentines Day we've ordered the most luscious massage candles! Made by a local artisan in Venice, CA, they're made predominately of shea butter with just enough soy wax in them to allow them to burn. WOW, these are so fabulous....light the wick, let the solids liquify and pour on your lucky massagee. It doesn't get too hot so there's no danger of burns....this is all natural, pure hedonism at its best and it smells sublime. What a great gift for your significant other....make Valentines an evening to remember!
• New designs in paper ware are on their way....cocktail napkins, dinner napkins and paper plates for your next party or function. Wonderful new recipe journals and take out menu organizers....we all need things like this for our kitchens....just wait 'till you see them!
• More funny, funny office stuff from Knock Knock will be arriving soon. What a fabulous line - it had you in stitches at Christmas, just wait 'till you see what they've got on tap for Spring!
• We're excited as heck about the new greeting cards (sold individually at a reasonable price!) from Crane & Company....just gorgeous!

This is just a sampling of what's coming in....be sure to stop in soon to see the new arrivals!

I wanted to let you know, also, what other things we'll be doing in the coming months. We've got decorating on the schedule for Spring....I'd love to do a little seminar on how to freshen up your home without spending an arm and leg. Speaking of decorating, I'm proud to announce that WFS won 3rd place in the Gift and Home Channel's nation-wide Holiday decor contest! This makes two wins this past year....perhaps this year we'll take first place. Stay tuned and look for my next post about some exciting new plans we've got in store for our customers (that's you, right?).