Resort Report

Quality Gifts (From page 79) high end. We really want to focus on it and make the experience great.” He said the return guest motivates the retail team to keep the inventory fresh and new. “Someone who comes to Lake Quinault Lodge—[most] have been coming for many, many years. They have lots of experience going back and forth with their families. It’s a nice way to purchase items for the gift shop—I’m always challenged to find something new, exciting, and local. That’s the beauty of Lake Quinault—the return customer who always wants to find something new. It’s fun.”

Johnson strives to give customers a visual recreation of the average home in the 1,200-square-foot Boutique to determine what items may look like in various rooms. “I have the store set up in such a way that there is actually furniture—wooden tables, wooden shelving units. Display is very important,” Johnson stressed. “We have a large wooden table [in place] right as you walk in the door—on it, we display everything from an $11 candle to a $200 afghan which was made by a local island resident. Flow is so important. I make it so when a customer walks in, it’s almost like walking into your own home. Can you look at a piece and see it in your home? For the clothing, I have complete outfits on mannequins. You have just a few seconds to capture your guests’ attention. Most people come in and say, ‘Wow, this place is so welcoming,’ then you have a quality product, and a locallymade product—it’s a win-win for everyone. We see the boutique as a small reflection of the hotel and its focus on customer service and supporting local—that’s our goal at the end of the day.”