The following retailers volunteer their time to help shape the future of RetailSpeaks by sharing wisdom, experience, and insight. They represent all points in the spectrum: north, south, east, and west...new stores and more established stores...gifts, stationery, and home accessories...brick and mortar only, plus those who add a website.... Just like real life.
All rights reserved
Stationery and gifts; owned since 1996
Tanja’s journey to retail was an eventful one. While researching a future investment in a bread company franchise, she learned she was pregnant. Ten weeks before her daughter was born, the medical company she worked for was bought out. And upon the baby’s arrival, Tanja found no one in sight sold creative birth announcements. Six months later, she opened RSVP.
This is no run of the mill stationery and gift store. Rather than watch Snapfish and Shutterfly gut her photo card business, Tanja created a successful alternative that reclaimed the lost revenue. Before the launch of O Magazine, she made it her mission to provide as many of Oprah’s Favorite Things featured on the annual gift episode as possible—an approach that allowed her to take advantage of the über-celebrity’s marketing machine. Thinking out of the box is a standard concept for this Michigan retailer.
It’s not numbers or sales that matter most, though. “I think one of the things I am proudest of is that two years ago, RSVP had a team that participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-day breast cancer walk,” shares Tanja. “‘RSVP to Life’ walked 240 miles and raised $7,600.”
Stationery, invitations and gifts; owned since 2006
Westwood Paper “is the prettiest store in town with unique, beautiful papers and personalized gifts,” says Jill. “Custom designed invitations and wedding stationery are what we do best.”
She’s been part of the retail gift and paper business for close to twenty years...and really enjoys it. After the death of her son in 2000, she needed to make a change—the goal wasn’t to reach sales quotas or grin and bear it while someone else called the shots, but to find peace and joy in her life. After taking time off to spend time in prayer and learn more about herself, Jill opened Westwood Paper, a natural evolution from the desire to surround herself with people, creativity, happiness, and things that comfort her heart.
What’s been the best part of her retail experience? The people. Becoming friends with customers, vendors, other retailers, employees, and designers “has enriched [her] life tremendously.”
Hip and trendy gifts; owned since 2005
If ever there’s been a perfect fit between a store and its name, this is it. “The best complement I get is when I hear people giggle as they peruse the store. It tells me that glee gifts is living up to its name,” explains Ann. “I love seeing the ‘glee’ in their eyes and joy in their voice as they tell me thier stories.”
Biking the three miles to work, where she’s only blocks from her childrens’ school, gives Ann the opportunity to stay connected to the community—something near and dear to her heart as President of the Downtown Business Association. “I love having a storefront; I can dress my windows, greet customers as they walk in the door, and wave to people in their cars as they ride by. My store is like a community center!”
The past five years have brought a few accolades along the way, including multiple nods for Regional Best Gift Store, First Choice for Gift Shop, and First Choice for Jewelry Store, and Honorable Mention for Home Decorating Store in the Reader’s Choice Awards Community Newspapers.
As is the case with any retailer, even the most accomplished can have her comic moments. “I once gift-wrapped a slipper, not a pair of slippers,” recalls Ann. “I forget the right foot.”
Upscale gift boutique; owned since 1993
Des was originally elected into the position of retail store owner. As she tells it, “We had a family conference with the children and we voted 4 to 1 to go for it” after her husband first suggested the idea. Apparently, her five year old daughter held out, who “thought she was not going to recieve meals any longer, and started whining, asking who was going to feed her.”
That wasn’t the last time Des would be subject to an election. “In 2008 we were voted one of the top gift stores in Tulsa by Tulsa People Magazine readers,” she adds. Designated a Brighton Heart Store, The Perfect Touch continues to excel as a favorite destination for customers.
Of course, life in a store still holds its surprises. This past Christmas, one of those customers approached the staff with a handbag she’d found on the shelf...with $250 inside. As firm believers in “Do unto others,” Des rewarded the honest customer with a $25 thank you, then joined her staff in trying to locate the customer who’d returned the bag earlier, still unaware she’d left money inside. No doubt that was a merry Christmas indeed.
