Special Gifts Section

Great Ideas for Gifts (From page 117)

always cautions customers about purchasing the latest trendy gift or home décor item. “I try to promote to people—put things in your home that you enjoy, not what others think you should have,” she said. Alonge said she and her co-buyer have several “go-to” brands that they constantly reorder season after season: “We have a few core lines we’ve been using since we opened. Our core lines are those that continue to sell well but come out with new things every year—products or patterns. A brand like Lily Pulitzer, or Swig cups—they are heavy sellers for us, but they change their patterns every year.” She added, “COVID made it a different kind of year. We’re not seeing as many trends as we would in a typical year. One thing I would say is trending is neoprene bags—they’re big in the South but are slowly trending up here, and also guitar straps for pocketbooks. You can clip them on. That’s been trending for a long time but it’s finally coming here.” One trend Credille has noticed at Square is brides opting out of the traditional, formal bone-white china, opting for something more casual and appropriate to use every day.

Niche retailers continue to look for new ways to serve customers. Branching out into new categories will likely become more commonplace. Small local retailers have the advantage of being the “one-stop shop” to meet a range of customers’ shopping needs, carrying everything from prescriptions to purses, paint to perfume. ❖