Year-Round Christmas Stores

Where Santa Makes Sales (From page 207)

holiday best sellers as also being “home-oriented.”

“Right now, dog ornaments, cat ornaments, more family-oriented ornaments are big, because people have spent and still are spending more time at home, and many have pets,” she related. “There is a new emphasis on the value of family right now that has come out of this, so we are selling a lot of things that denote family.”

Jenkins-Gibson said the store personalizes and dates everyone’s ornaments free of charge. Tourism shapes the bulk of most of the store’s customers due to its location right along the Pacific Ocean.

“While locals do come in, there would not be enough business without tourists,” she explained. “With visitors in mind, we not only personalize with names and dates, even sayings if they wish, but we also name drop ornaments with the name of our town or ‘Oregon Coast,’ things like that.” Additionally, the store devotes an entire section to nautical and beach-themed items. “Visitors like to have something they can take home as a great souvenir of their visit, so I do try to find things that are unique to the beach area and beach experience. We do a lot of sea-life shapes and handblown glass pieces, for example,” Jenkins-Gibson said.

The 3,000-square-foot store is open 362 days a year, and she keeps the Christmas glow going in a variety of ways. “We change the store up with new items often so that seasonal customers always see something different. But I always have one tree that’s lit and filled with Mark Roberts fairies. We also have the fairies hung all over our store, from the ceiling, in the windows. That creates a special atmosphere,” she said.

In San Diego, Calif., at City Lights, store Director Brian Young caters to a mix of tourists and locals. “In the summer, tourism is the draw, while in winter, it’s locals closer to the holidays,” he said, citing a similar seasonal dynamic to that of South Carolina’s Charleston Christmas Collectibles store. “We sell a lot online as well, and we ship worldwide every day.”

Beacon Design

By Teagan Orlando

Beacon Design is proud to be the leading ornament manufacturer in the United States. Their unique metal-etched ornaments are designed, tooled, assembled, and packaged within their Lincoln, R.I., headquarters. As a veteran founded company and leader in the industry, Beacon Design holds its product to the highest quality standards. With hundreds of ornament designs to choose from, their retail line offers something for everyone. Categories consist of Name Drop Banner, Coastal, Nature, Snowflakes, Seasonal, Annuals, Americana, Military, and General. In addition, they offer customization with an oval name drop as well as full custom designed ornaments, that reflect their client’s vision.

One of their greatest success stories is a 41-plus year partnership with the White House Historical Association. Since 1981, Beacon Design has been the official manufacturer of the Annual White House ornament. Their annual program is the largest of its kind in the United States, generating millions of dollars in revenue to support the association's mission. Each year close to a million ornaments are sold nationwide and abroad.

All products are 100% Made in the U.S.A at their state-of-the-art facility allowing them to offer short lead times, competitive pricing, quantity breaks, superior quality, low minimums and exceptional service.

As to best-sellers, “We do a lot of Christopher Radko as well as with Old World Christmas items name dropped with San Diego on them. People like to take these home as keepsakes,” Young stated.

The 27,000-square-foot store keeps things in the holiday spirit with an all-year series of Christmas tree displays. “We have 18, seven and nine-foot-tall trees predecorated. And we have a big mix of 72 racks of ornaments displayed, too,” he said.

In short, holiday spirits are merry at permanent Christmas stores from coast to coast, where personalizing items, and offering ornaments that reflect the stores’ unique locations, are key to 12 months of seasonal sales. ❖

With full custom designed product, you can maximize sell through because the product is unique to your organization and audience. All aspects of your design can be customized, from plating finish, to dimension, packaging, etc. Beacon Design strives to meet your needs, work within your budget and give you product that maximizes results and drives revenue.

(Whether you are interested in shopping their retail line or creating a one-of-a-kind custom piece, please contact their sales team by emailing sales@beacondesign. com or by calling 800-521-5001. For additional information, circle 11 on the reader service card.) ❖