IMC Retailer Q&A

Corporate Director of Merchandising Yvonne Miles

San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, Calif.

IMC: How are you making decisions about whether, or not, to attend winter markets? What factors are important in your decision-making process?

Yvonne Miles: Many factors are considered in the decision to attend any of the winter trade shows. Due to COVID-19 concerns and travel restrictions, we have no plans to attend any shows through the remainder of this year and into the first quarter of 2021. We are, however, planning to participate in virtual trade shows being offered.

IMC: What do you anticipate will be different about your preparation for markets this year?

Miles: We will not be traveling for the remainder of this year (2020).

IMC: How are you determining your spending by category, as well as your open-to-buy?

Miles: Our open to buy is based on quarterly planning, each segment (kids, adults and home) has division budgeting targets. The top-100 best-sellers within each category are planned out and ordered. It is the 80/20 rule, those orders are placed for the quarter and 2-4 weeks of supply is carried in our warehouse. The balance is considered “direct” orders based on need.

IMC: What are some of the best-sellers you’ll want to reorder? And, in which categories are you going to be looking for something new?

Miles: The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park are very fortunate to have been open since mid-June, when so many other family experiences are still unable to accommodate guests. We have our own website (www. shopzoo.com) that saw a huge increase in sales during the Zoo and Park closure due to COVID-19, and our website sales are still doing very well after reopening. Currently, custom facial masks dominate our sales. We have an assortment of animal face masks, including custom holiday masks, and will continue to have these for sale through the remainder of this year and into next year. In addition to masks, other top-selling items include plush, toys and kids’ apparel. The trend seems to indicate that parents are looking for opportunities to provide something fun for their children to contrast the challenges we are facing due to the pandemic. As a not-for-profit organization, merchandise purchased in our gift shops or online helps support our mission of saving wildlife around the world.

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IMC: How have you used digital tools - market websites, B2B ecommerce platforms, etc. - for sourcing and shopping during the pandemic? How do you anticipate that these tools will augment your at-market purchasing this winter?

Miles: Serving our San Diego Zoo and Safari Park supporters is our priority, and we want to provide them the best merchandise possible. We use all the above tools when sourcing and shopping. We follow and view all market websites, sourcing for products and follow some of the big store chains to see how they’re positioning their sales. We will participate in any virtual market and source new products with our current vendors. If we are looking for a specific item, we’ll research via the internet and market web sites.

IMC: How do you anticipate adapting to the “new normal” as it comes to attending markets that look and feel differently from ever before?

Miles: When the time comes and it is safe to travel, we will consider attending an actual trade show. Until then, the “new normal” is to work remotely with occasional office visits, when needed.

Director of Retail Operations Dan Ayers-Price

Key West Art & Historical Association, Key West, Fla.

IMC: How are you making decisions about whether, or not, to attend winter markets? What factors are important in your decision-making process?

Dan Ayers-Price: With market changes I am having to rethink strategies for getting back to some normalcy with my market schedule. I am, as a lot of us are, at the mercy of my budget. Our new fiscal year has just begun but I haven’t seen a copy of my budget just yet. For a lot of us smaller museum store buyers, I have a feeling that our market attendance may be curtailed by our institutions or that we will be forced to pay out-of-pocket to attend. To me, there is nothing that will replace the in-person market system, even though some will argue that it is slowly going away. Creative folks always want the in-person experience and I do believe that adjustments can be implemented, even after a viable vaccine, to ensure everyone’s safety while still allowing for a productive in-person market.

IMC: What do you anticipate will be different about your preparation for markets this year? How are you determining your spending by category, as well as your open-to-buy? What are some of the best-sellers you’ll want to reorder? And, in which categories are you going to be looking for something new?

Ayers-Price: I do know that my spending will be based on how well our income is doing as we progress into our budget year. Regardless of what I am budgeted for, my Board will make ongoing adjustments as they monitor our comeback. I think markets will continue to serve as a showcase of new products along with wonderful new ideas on everything from display/design to the continuing trend of more Made-in-America items. I will be spending most of my money on nautical related items as my historic lighthouse museum store is outpacing my other museum stores by double. I’m constantly on the lookout for new items that will work in

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Retailer (From page 31)

that setting and for folk art items for another of my museum stores. Category wise, gifts and housewares are the best for me, followed by literature (books, etc.) and children’s educational gifts/toys. My focus will be on small quantity options (for budget reasons), a certain amount of custom and as much Made-inAmerica as I can.

IMC: How have you used digital toolsmarket websites, B2B ecommerce platforms, etc. - for sourcing and shopping during the pandemic? How do you anticipate that these tools will augment your at-market purchasing this winter?

Ayers-Price: My pre-market research typically starts about a month prior to market. I want to be able to map a plan so that I can maximize my time without accidentally missing a vendor that I might otherwise have overlooked. I have, in the past, visited literally every vendor’s website to quickly see if they would be someone who caught my attention. Obviously there are some that I can easily eliminate as my museum store niche wouldn’t necessarily utilize certain vendors. By doing this, last year as an example, I added 67 new potential vendors to my list simply because of their online presence. Online has become such a valuable tool in planning that I cannot imagine living without it now. The Museum Store Association has launched Marketplace as an online platform for MSA buyers to be able to easily and quickly buy from MSA Vendors and this will be a won- derful tool for those buyers to be able to utilize even after in-person markets are a thing again.

IMC: How do you anticipate adapting to the “new normal” as it comes to attending markets that look and feel differently from ever before?

Ayers-Price: I will always be in favor of an inperson market and I think we will all adapt to the inevitable changes if for no other reason than lack of choice. Markets are more than just simply finding new items and seeing new trends but also a chance to meet colleagues and to continue with professional relationships, in person, that oftentimes get relegated to emails or phone calls. If my budget wouldn’t allow for a market, then I would not hesitate to pay out-ofpocket to attend.

Museum Store Manager and Buyer Melody Caban Amon Carter Museum of Art Fort Worth, Texas

IMC: How are you making decisions about whether, or not, to attend winter markets? What factors are important in your decision-making process?

Melody Caban: Safety is my number one consideration. I’ve kept an eye on CDC reporting and unfortunately, like many things today, my plans to go to market change each day. I really appreciate the markets that are offering online options for “attending” and am most likely to attend those events.

IMC: What do you anticipate will be different about your preparation for markets this year? How are you determining your spending by category, as well as your open-to-buy? What are some of the best-sellers you’ll want to reorder? And, in which categories are you going to be looking for something new?

Caban: We all try to read the sales and trend tea leaves in hopes of getting it right on the money at market. For the winter markets, the unknowns have grown, and I will be analyzing sales even more as well as reaching out to colleagues across the nation who are in all stages of reopening to see what they’ve encountered.

Being in non-profit retail, our museum store is always dedicated to mission-based items. Some best-sellers I will be getting are books on creativity and wellness, along with a range of hands-on craft kits

With the latest accessory being the face mask, I will be taking a new look at our jewelry selection to find items that can be easily worn with or enhance masks.

IMC: How have you used digital tools - market websites, B2B e-commerce platforms, etc. - for sourcing and shopping during the pandemic? How do you anticipate that these tools will augment your at-market purchasing this winter?

Caban: The new host of digital tools added and enhanced during COVID-19 have made all the difference in following trends, finding new products, and getting the latest information from vendors. This allowed me to strategically buy for our own reopening without putting myself at risk.

Being able to use these tools paired with live and online markets, I will be able to better research products ahead of time and target the items I’m interested in. Plus, there will be fewer of those hard to read hand-written POs to try and decipher!

IMC: How do you anticipate adapting to the “new normal” as it comes to attending markets that look and feel differently from ever before?

Caban: I’m looking forward to attending markets again, however, they might look! Our industry is built on change, and I know the “new normal” will bring innovation. One thing that won’t change is the joy of seeing familiar faces and the amazing lightbulb moments you have in casual conversation.