Special Gifts and Home Décor Section

Country Charm (From page 45) in country giftware have migrated from maroon and navy to creams, burlap, and buffalo plaid.

Around Christmastime, Nightingale fields multiple requests for the fresh candies she carries (including peach rings, or chocolate covered coffee beans, which she stocks in milk and dark chocolate, and a mix of milk, dark and white chocolate). Customers want them for stocking stuffers, and as gifts for all ages. Nightingale’s strategy to getting fresher candies in store? She buys them in bulk (ie. not individually packaged) so that there is less processing involved, and the candies are still fresh when they arrive.

To boost sales, Nightingale likes to display items so customers can visualize the merchandise in their homes. She changes her displays roughly once a month, placing new items in the center of the display. And when a customer purchases an item, she fills that empty spot.

“People don’t like empty places,” said Nightingale. “The more things you have, the more likely they are to pick up something.”

The Flying Pig Mercantile is based in the nearby city of Dalhart, Texas. Owner Lacynda Hunter started the shop in her barndominium and then moved it into downtown Dalhart (where the store portion is approx- imately 5,600 square feet). Soon after, they purchased the coffee shop next door as well. They live in a small town (about 8,000 people live in the town, and 14,000 in the area) with other gift and general/country stores in the area. So, her strategy has been to purchase merchandise to complement–and not compete–with her competitors’ merchandise.

Their sales figures have been growing since 2018. At the end of 2018, the figure was $75,000, at the end of 2019, it grew to $150,000. This year, they’ve already sold $150,000. The coffee shop has brought in a phenomenal amount of travelers to the store, Hunter said.

Hunter said some of her most successful country-themed products include cutting boards and glasses, etched with pictures of pigs, cows, and pewter serving pieces decorated with deer heads.

When it comes to edible merchandise, Hammond’s candies are great sellers, as are The Great San Saba River-branded products, including their popcorn, jellies and pecan pie in a jar. Locally grown tortilla chips have also been strong sellers. The chips come in three flavors–blue, multigrain and chili lime. Offering taste tests–while remaining COVID-conscious–works like a charm to sell edible gifts.