Best-Selling Signs

Best-selling decorative signs vary from humor to signs that fit the distinct locale in which a shop is located. At stores throughout the United States, managers, owners, and staff members for this article revealed their top sellers.

At Jan’s Hallmark Shop in Allen Park, Mich., Manager Shell Starman said, “We don’t have a ton of them, but the Hallmark Wonderful Words signs do well for us. They are long narrow signs that feature uplifting one-liners. Some are humorous, some religious, some are family-themed.”

In Ridgeland, Miss., Sales Leader Alora Taylor related that Amy’s Hallmark Shop does best with family-oriented signs. “Family holiday signs are the most popular signs.”

Whittington said, “We group the signs together based primarily on the company that makes them or the feeling they convey, but if the best place to expose a sign is through crossmerchandising, or we have surplus merchandise, we crossmerchandise as well.”

One of the most important aspects when it comes to deciding on the signs to carry in the 1,300-square-foot store to begin with is the number of signs a company offers. “It’s important to make sure that a company offers a “good variety of statements, colors and sizes. Having one of anything just doesn’t sell, and that’s certainly true of signs. You want to have a good variety and a lot of them.” Color-themed areas are a good way to display signs as well, they attest. The shop often features a gradation of color in sign, ranging from teal to brighter blue as an example.

And, located in another California beach town, California Sea Shell Company in Seal Beach, displays

Continued on page 96 in general, and simple sayings like ‘My favorite people call me mom,’ or “Granny’s house is the best’ do great.”

Heidi Haneckow, manager of Aero gift shop in Laguna Beach, Calif., explained, “We have hanging decorative items rather than text signs at the moment. And things like a wooden star fish do well.”

But text-based signs are strong sellers in Dana Point, Calif., according to Manager Tyler Whittington and Owner Mark Hanson at Gift Chateau. “A combination of humor with a play on words does best. A single word sign isn’t typically the way we go anymore. I think it is all about connection,” they assert. “Things like ‘Eat, sleep, beach, repeat’ do well or amusing ones in the Primitives by Cathy line. The ones that sell the most are the funniest, signs that made people chuckle or describe a situation, like ‘Did I say that out loud?’ or ‘Let’s take a moment and be thankful spiders don’t fly,’ or ‘How long a minute is depends what side of the bathroom door it’s on. ‘Humor is the way to go or catchy phrases.”

Also in California at California Sea Shell Company in Seal Beach, Manager Rachel Robilotta said at this charming shop, “Some of our most popular signs say things like ‘Relax and Unwind’ or ‘Palm Trees and Ocean Breeze.’ Everything we carry in here is nautical or ocean-themed and that’s true of signs as well. Our location makes that theme popular.” ❖