Atlanta Market Feature

Still a Spot (From page 138) who buys an ornament for each child every year,” he explained. Tradition, quality, and iconic lines are all traits of the Hallmark brand. Jilek said selling cards has changed over the years as younger customers use social media and text messaging to stay in touch, yet there is still a big market for cards. He said, “The key driver for [Hallmark stores] is to have the biggest, broadest, and best selection of greeting cards anywhere, for any occasion—even ‘Happy birthday from the dog/cat’, or having cards available in different languages. There used to be approximately 5,000 Hallmark stores across the country, but now just about every grocery store or big box department store has a sizable greeting card section, so what that has done is dilute our once very strong niche in the marketplace.”

Some Hallmark retailers have branched out beyond their Gold Crown inventory and offer shoppers a mix of the standard Hallmark favorites and eclectic new finds from other vendors. Susan Hendershott , manager and co-owner of Lee’s Hallmark in Fargo, N.D., said theirs is an independent store and one of the few gift shop options in the area, “so we have more leeway in what we carry.” Among the recognized Hallmark brands, the

Demdaco gift line

(especially the Willow Tree figurines) is a strong seller. Outside of the Hallmark lines, Lee’s carries a wide range of inventory, including a selection of Christian-themed jewelry and gifts. Hendershott said customers have certain expectations when they walk into a Hallmark store, namely “a broad selection of gifts, and good quality gifts at decent prices. They also expect friendly service, and we try to deliver that.”

Another independent store, Winkie’s Hallmark and Gifts in Whitefish Bay, Wis., has been a fixture in the community for over 90 years—visitors and locals alike shop for name-dropped Whitefish Bay-themed souvenirs, unique gifts, and the tried-and-true, recognized Hallmark brands, according to Vice President Leah Steger . “We were a store way before we started carrying Hallmark. We sell a lot of mugs, usually ones with relevant or funny sayings. Outside of that and strictly within the Hallmark lines, the keepsake ornaments are one of our best sellers. So many people buy for themselves, but there is a lot of gift-giving with that. Hallmark has so many licenses—there is some really relevant content they partner with. There is truly an ornament for everyone—there is so much depth and breadth to the assortment.” Steger said shoppers at Winkie’s look to their store for items you can’t find anywhere else; they have a strong souvenir business. “We have a very loyal customer base. Whitefish Bay is your quintessential small town with businesses all along the Main Street.

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Still a Spot (From page 140)

People have either moved away, so they come in looking for sentimental items, such as ornaments or ball caps. We’re in Milwaukee County so we sell a lot of Milwaukee and Wisconsin-themed items. We sell apparel, stickers, and we’re branching out into the other towns we serve, like Mequon”

Retailers choose the merchandise they carry in various ways. “I believe Hallmark stores have the most beautiful gift selections coming from Hallmark, or the many other vendors they carry in their stores. Here at Cynthia's, we try very hard to stay on trend by meeting with our Buying Group of over 40 rooftops, by going to markets to shop, feel, and see the hot new products, and by listening to our customers,” Holden said. “We are celebrating 37 years in business this year, and I believe that is due to our ability to meet our customer's expectations. Our customers know we try to build beautiful stores with great products.”

Steger said she and her mother choose the merchandise together. “We have so much fun together,” she said. “My mom gives me a lot of leeway to find items. We go to the Atlanta gift show and seek out the latest and greatest… what’s unique and different. We have a lot of young families in our community. What we’ve found in the last few years is we’ve had a lot of success with items curated from different countries. When you come into the store, it almost looks like we’ve gone to different parts of the world to bring in these items.” She cited their popular line of Fair Trade, African markets baskets handmade by women in Ghana as one example of the diverse merchandise they carry. Jilek said he chooses items based on his key customer demographics. “The gifts will vary from region to region. My store has an older clientele, and [they prefer] some of the older lines that continue to plug along—Vera Bradley, Demdaco. As far as other gifts, I’ll go to trade shows. I’ll also look at what other Hallmark shops are carrying that’s successful, but that doesn’t always work. What works for me here in Washington may not work in New York or Miami.”

When merchandising, “you don’t want clutter or a messy display with everything packed in. You want to make the product shine, so don’t pack it in too tightly,” Jilek suggested. “In some cases, we’ll use different ‘props’ to break it up a little bit—risers so not everything is just lined up—maybe some greenery or plant material to jazz it up a little bit.” Holden lets her staff at each store create their own displays; generally, she said a good display is neat and clean, and shows a bit of the staff’s individual flair and personality. Steger said, “[Creating displays] is a lot of fun. I love putting together displays and curated moments. As we’re buy - ing, we’re purchasing from different brands/suppliers that help to create those moments. [We] tell a whole story based on our buying.” She added, “We are very close to our customers. We’ve been in business over 90 years—we like to personally be on the floor of the store and engaging with the customer; [we] know who they are and understand their needs. When we go on buying trips, we think about these people, their story, and needs and what might be attractive to them. What might they want to purchase?”

Each retailer continues to find unique ways to work around the ongoing supply chain challenges. Most order early and request immediate shipping. “It’s been tricky for sure,” Steger said. “One thing that’s changed for us—we’d order our Christmas products in January and have them ship it to us in October. Now we’re telling them to ship it to us whenever they get it in, even if it’s in August. We’ve been taking product as soon as we can get it, rather than waiting.” Steger said freight and surcharges “are something we’ve had to take on.”

Jilek said, “I tend to not carry a lot of inventory in the spring and summer months. A typical Hallmark shop will have half the entire store’s revenue come in the Christmas season. I really build up gift product lines in fall/Christmas season.” Steger said they have broadened the number of vendors they work with to accommodate shortages among any of the companies. “We’ve just had to get creative. We’ve had to be nimble and do things differently than we did before. We’ve also trained our customers—if you see something and you like it: buy it. It may not be there the next time you come in, or we may not be able to get it in.” ❖