Smoky Mountain Gift Show Section

Where Business Is Blooming (From page 46)

best-selling souvenirs at the busy store by the Salt Fork Reservoir and State Park in Lore City, Ohio.

At the two gift shops he owns at Allegany State Park in Salamanca, N.Y., John Marino relies on more experienced employees to train the newbies. “It’s leading by example,” he said. Marino’s top tip is to treat patrons “with respect, a smile and a hello,” while keeping them moving through 1,100 square feet of inventory. “Especially with the kind of inclement weather we’ve had this summer, we do get repeat customers, but if you aren’t pleasant, they won’t come back again,” Marino noted. With more than 20 years in the business, Marino has been fortunate to recruit the extra staff needed for a busy season. “But it’s been very, very tough,” he said. “We’ve extended our hours as well. We have a short window to make money; most state parks are very seasonal.”

Lately, Marino has transitioned his inventory from lower end souvenirs to higher quality garments — and the move is paying off. “Obviously everything has gone up in price, but they’re not shying away from that $40 or $50 sweatshirt,” or a tee that costs closer to $30 than $10, Marino noted. Ninety percent of his sales come from credit cards, and that could be a factor: Research has shown that people spend more when paying by card.

Apparel, all of it name-dropped with the state park, makes up approximately two-thirds of Marino’s retail business. Sales got an additional boost this year from the park’s 100-year anniversary. “Anniversary items did very well in general,” the retailer said. “And it’s been a very good year in regard to gift sales, compared to other years. People are just more apt to purchase that shirt — and it’s been continuing all season long.”

One thing that hasn’t worked well for Marino is e-commerce. While many American retailers have relied on online sales during the pandemic, Marino discontinued his own website operation after finding the shipping costs

Continued on page 52

Gifts Product News Brief NB

XPLORER MAPS Releases New Custom Map

XPLORER MAPS has been exhibiting at the Great Smoky Mountains Gift Show for over five years. And this year, we are proud to officially release our new hand-drawn, custom map of North Carolina; a great complement to our Great Smoky Mountains National Park map. Come by and see us at the show (Booth #4410) and check out our entire line of new best-selling products!

(For more information, visit www.xplorermaps. com or circle 105 on the reader service card.)