Here I am sitting at the computer in the back room of the store, the day after Christmas, thinking about the past month and how everything went.
This is the 22nd Christmas/Holiday season we have had at Sweet Tooth and I am always amazed at how fast the days go by during December. It is difficult to find time to reflect on the season. We are always barreling ahead, planning for customers, watching the inventory, waiting on customers (one day we had about 150 transactions and that is quite a bit for a store our size).
We attempt to satisfy each customer's request. We create individualized gifts for our customers and we hope that we have ordered the right amount of gifts and candy and that no one walks away dissatisfied.
Of course you know already that we cannot live up to 100% of our promises no matter how hard we try....and we try really, really hard. Our staff is courteous and helpful. They are full of information and suggestions. And when they have to say, "So Sorry, we are out of that" or "So Sorry, we do not have that item this year", our staff sincerely means what they say.
Let's pause to say that without a great group of staff members, Sweet Tooth would not exist. No matter how new or how "senior" our staff is, we are always grateful and pleased with their work.
Now back to reflections.
The past few years have not been the best for retail, especially for small, local stores like ours. It is impossible to know all the reasons for that; however the bottom line tells us that things could have been better.
This year felt better. The numbers aren't in yet, but we seem to have had more customers, ready to purchase candy and gifts. Our Trunk Shows were better attended and we were pleased with the outcome. The Shop Local Saturday brought us more customers aware that the way to have a thriving local business is to support those stores with purchases....we hope...year around. Local economy thrives when local businesses do well.
Today we met at the store to ready the store for our After Christmas Sale. Our staff was encouraged about the number of items we had left. In other words, we had less than expected. We also put "odds and ends" of other merchandise on sale.
We are ready for the customer who wants to know if we are going out of business because our merchandise is 50% off. Sometimes I wonder if that same customer walks into Dillard's on the After Christmas Sale and asks the clerk the same question. We do like the big guys.....we participate in a sale.
We are looking ahead to the next season....Valentine's and Easter. We hope it reflects the same sense of stability and hope that this past season has shown. And we appreciate all of YOU who have made it so.
Friday, December 26, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
2000 Pounds of Candy, oh yeah!
Here's an incredible day for you!!
Imagine receiving about 2000 pounds of candy in one day....boxes all over the store, no place to hide them and no place to store all the extra candy and gifts in the back room.
That is the scenerio for a small-ish retail store when almost all the candy ordered for the holidays, as well as the ingredients for making candy all come in on the same day.
This is a yeoman's job and I have to say that our staff took care of all of this in 2 days time, while at the same time, answering the phone, waiting on customers, making sure the candy section was clean and tidy and eating their lunches as quickly as they could
New staff are always amazed at the amount of boxes which come in at Christmas time. When the delivery truck opened his back door and we saw an 8 foot tower of candy boxes on his truck, eyes were opened in amazement, while we all took a deep breath. That pallet of boxes was only one of three we received that day.
When you walk down the promenade in an indoor mall, you get so accustomed to seeing little corridors breaking off the main one, you simply don't think about what is going on down that-a-way. I can tell you that the UPS and the FedEx trucks, not to mention other delivery services are pulling up to those outside doors, ready to unload tons of merchandise.
There are no little magical fairies who come out at night to unload, price, restock and back stock all that stuff. A person working in retail learns quickly how to juggle multiple tasks at the same time.
At Sweet Tooth, all of our staff are no longer rookies. It only takes one holiday season to eliminate the mystery of how things get done in a retail store.
We are stocked. We are ready. We have smaller and smaller aisles in the store and the shelves are almost up to the ceiling with all that candy. On the "gift side" Jeff has hauled box upon box of decorations, accessories, glass plates and ornaments, etc. from our garage to the store and with extreme and dedicated effort, it is all ready for the holiday shopper.
Will we see you soon? We hope so.
Imagine receiving about 2000 pounds of candy in one day....boxes all over the store, no place to hide them and no place to store all the extra candy and gifts in the back room.
That is the scenerio for a small-ish retail store when almost all the candy ordered for the holidays, as well as the ingredients for making candy all come in on the same day.
This is a yeoman's job and I have to say that our staff took care of all of this in 2 days time, while at the same time, answering the phone, waiting on customers, making sure the candy section was clean and tidy and eating their lunches as quickly as they could
New staff are always amazed at the amount of boxes which come in at Christmas time. When the delivery truck opened his back door and we saw an 8 foot tower of candy boxes on his truck, eyes were opened in amazement, while we all took a deep breath. That pallet of boxes was only one of three we received that day.
When you walk down the promenade in an indoor mall, you get so accustomed to seeing little corridors breaking off the main one, you simply don't think about what is going on down that-a-way. I can tell you that the UPS and the FedEx trucks, not to mention other delivery services are pulling up to those outside doors, ready to unload tons of merchandise.
There are no little magical fairies who come out at night to unload, price, restock and back stock all that stuff. A person working in retail learns quickly how to juggle multiple tasks at the same time.
At Sweet Tooth, all of our staff are no longer rookies. It only takes one holiday season to eliminate the mystery of how things get done in a retail store.
We are stocked. We are ready. We have smaller and smaller aisles in the store and the shelves are almost up to the ceiling with all that candy. On the "gift side" Jeff has hauled box upon box of decorations, accessories, glass plates and ornaments, etc. from our garage to the store and with extreme and dedicated effort, it is all ready for the holiday shopper.
Will we see you soon? We hope so.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
How To Make a 30 Second Commercial
Want to know how 30 second commercials are made here at Sweet Tooth? Want to know how Jeff has become the celebrity of 30 second commercials? Here goes.
In September we finally put a date on the calendar for videotaping our new ad for t.v. Our producer and videographer, Diane and Davis Ward presented us with 2 scripts...take offs on the really popular t.v. show
MAD MEN. They asked us to pick one of the scripts, we did and we were off and running.
Thanks to our hairdresser Erica, we had make up and hair mapped out. Thanks to Christa at the T.U. Costume Department, we had 1960's style dresses for our actresses, Lyle and Kayley. And thanks to Lyle and Kayley, who agreed to be poked and prodded, hair colored, wearing false eyelashes which can be very irritating, standing occasionally in high heels and re-taking each of the scenes several times, we had the pieces of the ad in the cannister.
Then along comes Sabrina, who has been the voice of all our ads except one, who went to the studio and recorded the voice over for the ad.
Let's not leave out Jeff, who had his hair and eyebrows colored, who had to eat several candy cigarettes, who stood in front of the green wall and pretended to be falling down and finally had to appear as Don Draper on a show that, frankly, he has never watched.
The entire filming process, except for a couple of pieces in Davis' studio, was videotaped in our store, That involved about 5 hours of getting ready and then doing the filming. Davis had to set up the exact lighting, there was lots of moving around of displays in the store and of course the obligatory standing around, kibbitzing, laughing, with hands on hips and several opportunities to give our opinion to Davis, who is very good at politely ignoring our intrusions.
Davis' final effort was to find just the right music to go along with the MAD MEN idea. That was a bit of a longer process.
The day came when Jeff and I went over to Davis' studio to see the finished product. Each time we do this we bring M & Ms to eat...it's tradition. Of course we had to see the 30 second ad over and over to catch all the nuances and we gave it a big thumbs up.
Now it is your turn. The ad begins running on various cable shows November 1. Don't fast forward through the ad....it is a lot of fun.
In September we finally put a date on the calendar for videotaping our new ad for t.v. Our producer and videographer, Diane and Davis Ward presented us with 2 scripts...take offs on the really popular t.v. show
MAD MEN. They asked us to pick one of the scripts, we did and we were off and running.
Thanks to our hairdresser Erica, we had make up and hair mapped out. Thanks to Christa at the T.U. Costume Department, we had 1960's style dresses for our actresses, Lyle and Kayley. And thanks to Lyle and Kayley, who agreed to be poked and prodded, hair colored, wearing false eyelashes which can be very irritating, standing occasionally in high heels and re-taking each of the scenes several times, we had the pieces of the ad in the cannister.
Then along comes Sabrina, who has been the voice of all our ads except one, who went to the studio and recorded the voice over for the ad.
Let's not leave out Jeff, who had his hair and eyebrows colored, who had to eat several candy cigarettes, who stood in front of the green wall and pretended to be falling down and finally had to appear as Don Draper on a show that, frankly, he has never watched.
The entire filming process, except for a couple of pieces in Davis' studio, was videotaped in our store, That involved about 5 hours of getting ready and then doing the filming. Davis had to set up the exact lighting, there was lots of moving around of displays in the store and of course the obligatory standing around, kibbitzing, laughing, with hands on hips and several opportunities to give our opinion to Davis, who is very good at politely ignoring our intrusions.
Davis' final effort was to find just the right music to go along with the MAD MEN idea. That was a bit of a longer process.
The day came when Jeff and I went over to Davis' studio to see the finished product. Each time we do this we bring M & Ms to eat...it's tradition. Of course we had to see the 30 second ad over and over to catch all the nuances and we gave it a big thumbs up.
Now it is your turn. The ad begins running on various cable shows November 1. Don't fast forward through the ad....it is a lot of fun.
Monday, October 20, 2014
A Little Bit of Candy Trivia
I really love the ShopSmart magazine (part of Consumers Report); however I really hate the fact that this magazine from which I get so much information, encourages its readers to shop on line.
Now shopping online is something I occasionally do as well, although by now you know that I absolutely insist that people shop locally if the item they are searching for is available in town.
You may think that I am simply saying these things because I own an independent retail store....well, you are partly right!! Nonetheless, I shop locally because I want to see the item, touch the item, determine if it is the size, the color, the shape, the whatever that I will truly be satisfied with. I can't do that online with most products and I actually would not want to box something up, get a call tag, or try to find out how much postage would be to send it back. I do enough of that at work....I wouldn't want to do it with personal purchases. And of course I want immediate action, something that even the internet can't do at this time.
All of that said, ShopSmart did have a few fun "Treat Trivia" which I have to pass on to all readers.
We carry the Oh Henry chocolate bar. ShopSmart tells me that the name came from an office boy who flirted with the women making candy. When the women needed something, they were constantly calling out, "Oh, Henry!" You can't pass up that name for a good ole nostalgia candy bar!
As for candy corn, which I have been selling for 22 plus years, I found out from ShopSmart that originally candy corn was called "chicken feed". I'm not sure if it is the shape of the candy corn or the fact that it looked like the feed for chickens. Back in the 1880's when candy corn was first made, someone gave it that name.
Now candy corn is a mellow creme....and ask Jeff what happens if you eat too many pieces in one sitting!!
Of course you should know that PEZ dispensers were originally invented as a breath mint. "Pez" got its name from the German word for peppermint: "pfefferminz." Remember that when you are dispensing chocolate PEZ candy....obviously PEZ has branched out with its flavors.
4th quarter....that's what retailers call October-November-December. Interest in candy goes way up and it is fun to hear about Candy Trivia.
Stay tuned.
Now shopping online is something I occasionally do as well, although by now you know that I absolutely insist that people shop locally if the item they are searching for is available in town.
You may think that I am simply saying these things because I own an independent retail store....well, you are partly right!! Nonetheless, I shop locally because I want to see the item, touch the item, determine if it is the size, the color, the shape, the whatever that I will truly be satisfied with. I can't do that online with most products and I actually would not want to box something up, get a call tag, or try to find out how much postage would be to send it back. I do enough of that at work....I wouldn't want to do it with personal purchases. And of course I want immediate action, something that even the internet can't do at this time.
All of that said, ShopSmart did have a few fun "Treat Trivia" which I have to pass on to all readers.
We carry the Oh Henry chocolate bar. ShopSmart tells me that the name came from an office boy who flirted with the women making candy. When the women needed something, they were constantly calling out, "Oh, Henry!" You can't pass up that name for a good ole nostalgia candy bar!
As for candy corn, which I have been selling for 22 plus years, I found out from ShopSmart that originally candy corn was called "chicken feed". I'm not sure if it is the shape of the candy corn or the fact that it looked like the feed for chickens. Back in the 1880's when candy corn was first made, someone gave it that name.
Now candy corn is a mellow creme....and ask Jeff what happens if you eat too many pieces in one sitting!!
Of course you should know that PEZ dispensers were originally invented as a breath mint. "Pez" got its name from the German word for peppermint: "pfefferminz." Remember that when you are dispensing chocolate PEZ candy....obviously PEZ has branched out with its flavors.
4th quarter....that's what retailers call October-November-December. Interest in candy goes way up and it is fun to hear about Candy Trivia.
Stay tuned.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Sweet Tooth: a Tulsa Wedding Merchant
Last night 4 Sweet Tooth staffers attended the Tulsa Wedding Merchants meeting at Philbrook Museum. The gathering was attended by approximately 35-40 merchants in the Tulsa area whose businesses connect with people planning a wedding. We are talking about prospective brides, prospective grooms, moms of bride and groom as well as wedding planners.
Sweet Tooth has been a member of this group for a number of years. We are also participants at the Tulsa Wedding Show planned by expert Vicki Taylor and her staff each year in January and August. Most recently the show has been at the Renaissance Hotel.
Currently our staff member Jesse Wilson is serving as our primary consultant to those folks who are planning a Candy Buffet for their wedding, or for birthday and anniversary parties, corporate events, fundraisers, etc. Personalty and customer service are 2 of the outstanding qualifications required to work with our clients, along with creativity and the ability to visualize the Candy Buffet as it stands at an event.
All staff at Sweet Tooth are trained to take initial information from prospective Candy Buffet clients. And we are all good at it! It is our job to ferret out information on what the client is wanting, thinking and budgeting for the Candy Buffet. Armed with our information sheet, if Jesse isn't at work, we all begin the process of obtaining information so that Jesse can follow through with the client.
After 22 years in business, Candy Buffets have entered the scene and taken up a good part of our candy sales. We purchased gorgeous glass containers to rent for this purpose; we keep up to date on colors and styles and trends for this part of the candy industry. We advertise our service, particularly the fact that we are perhaps the only place in town where a client can actually see the candy we have available rather than ordering online or depending on another in-home business to do just that.
Our Candy Buffet brochure outlines the various services we offer: for Do It Yourself clients as well as full serve clients.
Being a part of the Tulsa Wedding Merchants has introduced us to all sorts of businesses and people who provide wedding services. Weddings are an important part of our economy, with some people spending at least $20,000.00 on a wedding and many spending more. Hotels, bridal shops, lighting companies, entertainers, photographers, novelty businesses, printers, caterers, bakeries, calligraphers, travel agents, rental businesses and of course, Sweet Tooth are working together to make every special occasion memorable.
Sweet Tooth has been a member of this group for a number of years. We are also participants at the Tulsa Wedding Show planned by expert Vicki Taylor and her staff each year in January and August. Most recently the show has been at the Renaissance Hotel.
Currently our staff member Jesse Wilson is serving as our primary consultant to those folks who are planning a Candy Buffet for their wedding, or for birthday and anniversary parties, corporate events, fundraisers, etc. Personalty and customer service are 2 of the outstanding qualifications required to work with our clients, along with creativity and the ability to visualize the Candy Buffet as it stands at an event.
All staff at Sweet Tooth are trained to take initial information from prospective Candy Buffet clients. And we are all good at it! It is our job to ferret out information on what the client is wanting, thinking and budgeting for the Candy Buffet. Armed with our information sheet, if Jesse isn't at work, we all begin the process of obtaining information so that Jesse can follow through with the client.
After 22 years in business, Candy Buffets have entered the scene and taken up a good part of our candy sales. We purchased gorgeous glass containers to rent for this purpose; we keep up to date on colors and styles and trends for this part of the candy industry. We advertise our service, particularly the fact that we are perhaps the only place in town where a client can actually see the candy we have available rather than ordering online or depending on another in-home business to do just that.
Our Candy Buffet brochure outlines the various services we offer: for Do It Yourself clients as well as full serve clients.
Being a part of the Tulsa Wedding Merchants has introduced us to all sorts of businesses and people who provide wedding services. Weddings are an important part of our economy, with some people spending at least $20,000.00 on a wedding and many spending more. Hotels, bridal shops, lighting companies, entertainers, photographers, novelty businesses, printers, caterers, bakeries, calligraphers, travel agents, rental businesses and of course, Sweet Tooth are working together to make every special occasion memorable.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Brooms Do More Than Sweep
Every once in a while I get the itch to do something related to retail, yet challenging all of us to do something creative with the talent we have among our staff.
When OSU Poets and Writers under the leadership of Teresa Miller brought the novelist Khaled Housseini, author of The Kite Runner to Tulsa, I got the urge for all of our staff to take a plain kite and decorate it in any manner they wished. Occasionally, when approached by one of my ideas, there are a few sighs among the group; nonetheless everyone got to work and brought in some of the cleverest kites ever made.
When Teresa visited our store, she was thrilled to see that we had 6 or 8 kites flying from the ceiling of the store. We giggled and smiled and were glad that we took the time to turn Teresa's wonderful program into a creative project for our store.
With Halloween on the way, I thought it might be fun to take brooms and turn them into characters or themes inspired by our staff.
You will have to come by the store and see what we have done. Each of us took the challenge and put together some of the cutest brooms even made.
Alyssa is a big Sooner fan. Her broom is a horse head cut out and stitched by Alyssa herself, wearing a OU scarf. Broomer Sooner, Alyssa!! Jesse, distracted by bling, created a broom which is truly a Disco Work of Art.
We laughed the entire afternoon at the desert humor of Lisa's Broom With a View. Doris is always full of color and owls. Her Death by Candy broom will brighten up your day.
Olivia, our young free spirited T.U. nursing student created the best representation of Hippie-dom...so pink and cute.
Sabrina has taken the challenge of creating a Weeping Broom. This broom is totally in the spirit of the Halloween season.
Jeff, our T.V. star of 30 second commercials, has taken one of his alter egos and turned it into Sweeper Man.
And lastly, my broom is inspired by candy and Groucho Marx. I never knew what Hot Glue was all about until I glued some licorice wheels and wax lips onto a broom. By the way, Hot Glue melts chocolate.
What are you waiting for? Get out your glue, scissors, beads and things, put on your creative top hat and have the most fun ever being silly and clever and totally talented.
When OSU Poets and Writers under the leadership of Teresa Miller brought the novelist Khaled Housseini, author of The Kite Runner to Tulsa, I got the urge for all of our staff to take a plain kite and decorate it in any manner they wished. Occasionally, when approached by one of my ideas, there are a few sighs among the group; nonetheless everyone got to work and brought in some of the cleverest kites ever made.
When Teresa visited our store, she was thrilled to see that we had 6 or 8 kites flying from the ceiling of the store. We giggled and smiled and were glad that we took the time to turn Teresa's wonderful program into a creative project for our store.
With Halloween on the way, I thought it might be fun to take brooms and turn them into characters or themes inspired by our staff.
You will have to come by the store and see what we have done. Each of us took the challenge and put together some of the cutest brooms even made.
Alyssa is a big Sooner fan. Her broom is a horse head cut out and stitched by Alyssa herself, wearing a OU scarf. Broomer Sooner, Alyssa!! Jesse, distracted by bling, created a broom which is truly a Disco Work of Art.
We laughed the entire afternoon at the desert humor of Lisa's Broom With a View. Doris is always full of color and owls. Her Death by Candy broom will brighten up your day.
Olivia, our young free spirited T.U. nursing student created the best representation of Hippie-dom...so pink and cute.
Sabrina has taken the challenge of creating a Weeping Broom. This broom is totally in the spirit of the Halloween season.
Jeff, our T.V. star of 30 second commercials, has taken one of his alter egos and turned it into Sweeper Man.
And lastly, my broom is inspired by candy and Groucho Marx. I never knew what Hot Glue was all about until I glued some licorice wheels and wax lips onto a broom. By the way, Hot Glue melts chocolate.
What are you waiting for? Get out your glue, scissors, beads and things, put on your creative top hat and have the most fun ever being silly and clever and totally talented.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Annual Halloween Candy Concerns
The upcoming candy holiday of Halloween presents several annual concerns. Here's one: What does black candy taste like? People generally avoid candy which is black because they think that it will have a bitter taste. The same goes for black icing on cookies and cakes.
The retail lesson for today is this: why would candy manufacturers or cake and cookie bakers use an icing or color which is bitter tasting? Talk about a nose drive in sales, huh?
Get the word out: black candy is normally a berry flavored candy and tastes quite sweet, never bitter. And how could we have Halloween candy without the color black?
The second annual candy question for Halloween: why can't I buy the Giant Candy Corn in the red and white color only?
The answer is: I don't know, you just can't. Giant Candy Corn comes in an assortment and as assortments go, we cannot separate one flavor (in this case, it is cinnamon) from the other flavors.
Our best advice is to find 2 friends who like the other 2 flavors, candy corn original and chocolate. That way you can buy 3 times the amount of Giant Candy Corn, separate out the flavors for you and your 2 friends and Problem Solved!!
Here's my favorite question: why does Jelly Belly company make the gummi rats in orange, red and other such colors? Rats are not orange or red. Our customers are pretty darn savvy; they actually get it. The correct color for rats is black or white or grey. Grey is not such a great color for candy, so why not just stick with white and black?
And finally, what ever happened to the wax whistle which used to be a part of Halloween candy and had that taste sort of like teaberry? I really did love that whistle and when we first bought Sweet Tooth, we could order it for Halloween. Bring back the teaberry whistle!! My motto for Halloween season.
The retail lesson for today is this: why would candy manufacturers or cake and cookie bakers use an icing or color which is bitter tasting? Talk about a nose drive in sales, huh?
Get the word out: black candy is normally a berry flavored candy and tastes quite sweet, never bitter. And how could we have Halloween candy without the color black?
The second annual candy question for Halloween: why can't I buy the Giant Candy Corn in the red and white color only?
The answer is: I don't know, you just can't. Giant Candy Corn comes in an assortment and as assortments go, we cannot separate one flavor (in this case, it is cinnamon) from the other flavors.
Our best advice is to find 2 friends who like the other 2 flavors, candy corn original and chocolate. That way you can buy 3 times the amount of Giant Candy Corn, separate out the flavors for you and your 2 friends and Problem Solved!!
Here's my favorite question: why does Jelly Belly company make the gummi rats in orange, red and other such colors? Rats are not orange or red. Our customers are pretty darn savvy; they actually get it. The correct color for rats is black or white or grey. Grey is not such a great color for candy, so why not just stick with white and black?
And finally, what ever happened to the wax whistle which used to be a part of Halloween candy and had that taste sort of like teaberry? I really did love that whistle and when we first bought Sweet Tooth, we could order it for Halloween. Bring back the teaberry whistle!! My motto for Halloween season.
Monday, September 1, 2014
Happy 22nd Anniversary to Sweet Tooth
Today, September 1, is the 22nd anniversary of our owning Sweet Tooth Candy & Gift Co. On this day in 1992, we stepped into the store at the Farm Shopping Center to take possession of Sweet Tooth from the previous owner whose husband was transferred to Houston, forcing her to sell the store.
On that day my sister Shirley, husband Willie (our business partners at the time), my Mom and Dad and our friend and attorney Richard all gathered to sign the papers and beginning looking at the store with new eyes.
How did we get there? Along with Shirley and Willie, we already owned 2 laundromats and a cleaners. Shirley thought that we should get into another business and through the classifieds in the Tulsa World, she found Sweet Tooth, which was less than a mile from where we all lived.
We had never been in retail and really knew nothing about this business. It sounded fun, it was close to where we lived and we just did it!
The store was a bit "Farm-like" and the previous owner was a gourmet cook, so along with candy, she had a section of gourmet cookware....long before the Food Channel or any other cookware licenses from well known chefs.
The next summer in our Sidewalk Sale, we sold all the cookware and began searching for giftware which we could add to the store. Many Sweet Tooth customers know that our first big category was Mary Engelbreit cards and other products. Some people even referred to us as "The Mary Engelbreit Store".
A move across the parking lot landed us in a larger store and our last move to our current location on Harvard about 14 years ago put us in Mid-town and in a purple haven of gifts, jewelry and candy. Although the walls have been recently painted a sea foam green and Mary Engelbreit is no longer the focus of our gift side, we are still in our Happy Place.
We are taking a big risk posting a photo of Jeff and me outside our first Sweet Tooth store on our Facebook page....as you will soon notice, Fashion was not a big part of our presentation.
So Happy Anniversary to us, to all the staff who have worked with us, to my family which has always supported us and to the thousands of customers who have made it possible for us to spend most of our time in our Happy Place.
Check our photo our on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetToothOK?ref=bookmarks
On that day my sister Shirley, husband Willie (our business partners at the time), my Mom and Dad and our friend and attorney Richard all gathered to sign the papers and beginning looking at the store with new eyes.
How did we get there? Along with Shirley and Willie, we already owned 2 laundromats and a cleaners. Shirley thought that we should get into another business and through the classifieds in the Tulsa World, she found Sweet Tooth, which was less than a mile from where we all lived.
We had never been in retail and really knew nothing about this business. It sounded fun, it was close to where we lived and we just did it!
The store was a bit "Farm-like" and the previous owner was a gourmet cook, so along with candy, she had a section of gourmet cookware....long before the Food Channel or any other cookware licenses from well known chefs.
The next summer in our Sidewalk Sale, we sold all the cookware and began searching for giftware which we could add to the store. Many Sweet Tooth customers know that our first big category was Mary Engelbreit cards and other products. Some people even referred to us as "The Mary Engelbreit Store".
A move across the parking lot landed us in a larger store and our last move to our current location on Harvard about 14 years ago put us in Mid-town and in a purple haven of gifts, jewelry and candy. Although the walls have been recently painted a sea foam green and Mary Engelbreit is no longer the focus of our gift side, we are still in our Happy Place.
We are taking a big risk posting a photo of Jeff and me outside our first Sweet Tooth store on our Facebook page....as you will soon notice, Fashion was not a big part of our presentation.
So Happy Anniversary to us, to all the staff who have worked with us, to my family which has always supported us and to the thousands of customers who have made it possible for us to spend most of our time in our Happy Place.
Check our photo our on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetToothOK?ref=bookmarks
Monday, August 18, 2014
We Are In The Wedding Biz
One of the memberships we have is in the Tulsa Wedding Merchants. We joined this group when we began our Candy Buffet service about 4 years ago.
Our hard working leader is Vicki Taylor of the Tulsa Wedding Show, an event which happens each January and August at (currently) The Renaissance Hotel. All sort of vendors who somehow are involved in serving the wedding business assemble for a day long exhibit of our "wares".
In between shows, Vicki arranges for meetings at different venues in the Tulsa area. She also arranges for a caterer to serve some yummy goodies. Sometimes other vendors provide demonstrations of what they offer, as well as donating door prizes for those who attend.
Earlier this month the Tulsa Wedding Merchants met at a new venue, Okapi Center on West Edison. This new facility was put together by 2 doctors whose practice is just across the street from the Okapi Center. They saw a need for a facility in Northwest Tulsa and by golly, they just put it together and did it.
Their story was very inspiring to us, along with the fact that each year they offer a day long health fair where 1,000 people receive free testing and referrals, if needed. Can you just imagine what a day must be like where 1,000 people are given health check ups? What a wonderful commitment from these 2 terrific doctors.
At our Merchants meetings a representative from each group speaks about the services their group offers. The variety of possibilities is stunning. I really don't think that the Tulsa community realizes how many vendors there are for the wedding business, not to mention the creativity involved.
We were asked to think about a Bridezilla story to tell at our meeting. Most of those there had to admit that they have rarely, if ever, run into a difficult Bride. To think that people can get through one of the most stressful and joyful days in their lives without offending anyone is miraculous.
Of course, since our business is Candy Buffets, how can we ever have a problem, selling sweetness and color? We had no Bridezilla stories to tell.
Recently we had to bid farewell to Sarah, who for several years has been our lead on Candy Buffets. Sarah has gone on to a teaching position and we know she will do a great job.
As a result of her departure, Jesse has stepped up to take the lead on Candy Buffets. Jesse is very enthused about this part of his job and since Jesse is a creative person, with attention to detail, we are pleased to have him as our "front man".
If you are thinking of a wedding, a birthday party, a corporate event, etc., give Jesse a call to see just how fabulous a Candy Buffet would go with your theme!
Our hard working leader is Vicki Taylor of the Tulsa Wedding Show, an event which happens each January and August at (currently) The Renaissance Hotel. All sort of vendors who somehow are involved in serving the wedding business assemble for a day long exhibit of our "wares".
In between shows, Vicki arranges for meetings at different venues in the Tulsa area. She also arranges for a caterer to serve some yummy goodies. Sometimes other vendors provide demonstrations of what they offer, as well as donating door prizes for those who attend.
Earlier this month the Tulsa Wedding Merchants met at a new venue, Okapi Center on West Edison. This new facility was put together by 2 doctors whose practice is just across the street from the Okapi Center. They saw a need for a facility in Northwest Tulsa and by golly, they just put it together and did it.
Their story was very inspiring to us, along with the fact that each year they offer a day long health fair where 1,000 people receive free testing and referrals, if needed. Can you just imagine what a day must be like where 1,000 people are given health check ups? What a wonderful commitment from these 2 terrific doctors.
At our Merchants meetings a representative from each group speaks about the services their group offers. The variety of possibilities is stunning. I really don't think that the Tulsa community realizes how many vendors there are for the wedding business, not to mention the creativity involved.
We were asked to think about a Bridezilla story to tell at our meeting. Most of those there had to admit that they have rarely, if ever, run into a difficult Bride. To think that people can get through one of the most stressful and joyful days in their lives without offending anyone is miraculous.
Of course, since our business is Candy Buffets, how can we ever have a problem, selling sweetness and color? We had no Bridezilla stories to tell.
Recently we had to bid farewell to Sarah, who for several years has been our lead on Candy Buffets. Sarah has gone on to a teaching position and we know she will do a great job.
As a result of her departure, Jesse has stepped up to take the lead on Candy Buffets. Jesse is very enthused about this part of his job and since Jesse is a creative person, with attention to detail, we are pleased to have him as our "front man".
If you are thinking of a wedding, a birthday party, a corporate event, etc., give Jesse a call to see just how fabulous a Candy Buffet would go with your theme!
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Trending UP: Peeps and Frozen Candy
Some folks might think that being a candy and gift retailer is a snap. Some might think we just unlock the doors in the morning, help customers, pay bills, do a bit of ordering and close up at night.
Sounds a little boring doesn't it?
In reality, in order to create a "happy place" (have you been paying attention to our ads in Tulsa People and Intermission magazines??) a candy and gift retailer has to work hard to stay on top of what is new and exciting.
Recently I have noticed that Peeps Candy is multiplying like little cute bunnies. Not long ago, Peeps were Easter candy, just a one of kind marshmellow-y confection. Well buddy, that is not the case any longer!! Peeps are coming in all sorts of shapes, colors and sizes, dipped in milk or dark chocolate and available more than just at Easter. In fact, I am kind of excited about the Despicable Me Peeps we ordered for Christmas.
And what about that "Frozen" movie phenomenon? It has moved over into clothes, shoes, purses, tins, jewelry and lo and behold, CANDY!!
We have been anticipating the Jelly Belly packets of Jelly Bellys with those loveable characters, Olaf, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna on the packages.
Truth be told, the packaging is great and maybe even worth saving for a while. Inside you will find the new shimmery Jelly Bellys in ice-y colors and flavors. Those little packets just flew out the door and now we are waiting rather impatiently for our distributor to get more inventory....we are temporarily sold out.
Wait until Christmas!! There is a lot more to anticipate from the "Frozen" license.
How do we know about these things? There are trade magazines, email newsletters and just general gossip which we have to investigate every day. Can't afford to be 2 steps behind what everyone is looking for.
Just like any other profession, retailers should be educated, involved and investigating what is available in the world of candy and gifts.
Here's the tricky question: how do you know if you have ordered a real bummer of a gift or candy? Only time will tell. Are the customers buying or turning away?
Sounds a little boring doesn't it?
In reality, in order to create a "happy place" (have you been paying attention to our ads in Tulsa People and Intermission magazines??) a candy and gift retailer has to work hard to stay on top of what is new and exciting.
Recently I have noticed that Peeps Candy is multiplying like little cute bunnies. Not long ago, Peeps were Easter candy, just a one of kind marshmellow-y confection. Well buddy, that is not the case any longer!! Peeps are coming in all sorts of shapes, colors and sizes, dipped in milk or dark chocolate and available more than just at Easter. In fact, I am kind of excited about the Despicable Me Peeps we ordered for Christmas.
And what about that "Frozen" movie phenomenon? It has moved over into clothes, shoes, purses, tins, jewelry and lo and behold, CANDY!!
We have been anticipating the Jelly Belly packets of Jelly Bellys with those loveable characters, Olaf, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna on the packages.
Truth be told, the packaging is great and maybe even worth saving for a while. Inside you will find the new shimmery Jelly Bellys in ice-y colors and flavors. Those little packets just flew out the door and now we are waiting rather impatiently for our distributor to get more inventory....we are temporarily sold out.
Wait until Christmas!! There is a lot more to anticipate from the "Frozen" license.
How do we know about these things? There are trade magazines, email newsletters and just general gossip which we have to investigate every day. Can't afford to be 2 steps behind what everyone is looking for.
Just like any other profession, retailers should be educated, involved and investigating what is available in the world of candy and gifts.
Here's the tricky question: how do you know if you have ordered a real bummer of a gift or candy? Only time will tell. Are the customers buying or turning away?
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Black Jack, Clove & Beeman's: A Gum Tragedy
This summer I have been receiving "candy world gossip"....remember my last blog about Lindt purchasing Russell Stover?
Yesterday my candy sales rep Gary dropped by the store and in our conversation we spoke about whether Black Jack, Clove or Beeman's gum will be manufactured and available this year.
To catch you up, years ago the company which manufactured these 3 gum flavors sold their recipes to Wrigley's. Wrigley's realized that the popularity of these 3 gum flavors was based on scarcity, so Wrigley's began manufacturing this gum every few years and in limited quantities.
We attempted to let our customers know about this policy and each time the gum was available, we ordered a large quantity for the store.
Recently the 3 flavors started to appear in the U.S. at some Cracker Barrel restaurants. It turned out that the gum was released in Canada but not in the U.S. and some people were illegally importing it from distributors in Canada.
Reporting this information back to the manufacturer, our distributor was told that the importing was going to be stopped and the company was thinking of never again manufacturing Black Jack, Clove or Beeman's gum.
We hope that doesn't come true. Right now the manufacturer is unwilling to sell it's recipes to another manufacturer. The whole thing is up in the air.
If we hear more about this gum tragedy, we will let you know.
Yesterday my candy sales rep Gary dropped by the store and in our conversation we spoke about whether Black Jack, Clove or Beeman's gum will be manufactured and available this year.
To catch you up, years ago the company which manufactured these 3 gum flavors sold their recipes to Wrigley's. Wrigley's realized that the popularity of these 3 gum flavors was based on scarcity, so Wrigley's began manufacturing this gum every few years and in limited quantities.
We attempted to let our customers know about this policy and each time the gum was available, we ordered a large quantity for the store.
Recently the 3 flavors started to appear in the U.S. at some Cracker Barrel restaurants. It turned out that the gum was released in Canada but not in the U.S. and some people were illegally importing it from distributors in Canada.
Reporting this information back to the manufacturer, our distributor was told that the importing was going to be stopped and the company was thinking of never again manufacturing Black Jack, Clove or Beeman's gum.
We hope that doesn't come true. Right now the manufacturer is unwilling to sell it's recipes to another manufacturer. The whole thing is up in the air.
If we hear more about this gum tragedy, we will let you know.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Boondoggle or Blockbuster?
Boondoggleor Blockbuster?? That is the question of the day for people thoroughly invested in the world of chocolate.
What has happened is that Lindt & Sprungli has purchased Russell Stover Candies for $1.5 billion. And just to be clear, Lindt also purchased Ghiradelli chocolates earlier in the year.
The question some are asking is whether a supreme chocolate maker like Lindt can match itself with a very mainstream chocolate like Russell Stover (which by the way, annually receives a very poor review from Consumer Reports).
Some speculate that Lindt wants to increase their exposure in the U.S. by integrating with a company which has a great many outlets. Others are wondering if Lindt will work to improve the quality of Russell Stover chocolate. Are you familiar with Whitman's chocolates, because those are also a division of Russell Stover.
Through this acquisition Lindt becomes the 3rd largest chocolate maker in North America, with a 10% share of the market.
Others are commenting about the 2008 acquistion of the Wrigley company by Mars. Did that match actually do anything for either company? Some insiders also point to the recent 8% increase in prices by Hershey. After all, commodity prices do go up, which forces chocolate and candy companies to increase their prices as well.
Did you know that there is so much excitement in the world of chocolate? It's not just a candy bar....it is a $1.5 billion box of chocolates!
What has happened is that Lindt & Sprungli has purchased Russell Stover Candies for $1.5 billion. And just to be clear, Lindt also purchased Ghiradelli chocolates earlier in the year.
The question some are asking is whether a supreme chocolate maker like Lindt can match itself with a very mainstream chocolate like Russell Stover (which by the way, annually receives a very poor review from Consumer Reports).
Some speculate that Lindt wants to increase their exposure in the U.S. by integrating with a company which has a great many outlets. Others are wondering if Lindt will work to improve the quality of Russell Stover chocolate. Are you familiar with Whitman's chocolates, because those are also a division of Russell Stover.
Through this acquisition Lindt becomes the 3rd largest chocolate maker in North America, with a 10% share of the market.
Others are commenting about the 2008 acquistion of the Wrigley company by Mars. Did that match actually do anything for either company? Some insiders also point to the recent 8% increase in prices by Hershey. After all, commodity prices do go up, which forces chocolate and candy companies to increase their prices as well.
Did you know that there is so much excitement in the world of chocolate? It's not just a candy bar....it is a $1.5 billion box of chocolates!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Go Skylar Diggins! Go Shock!
I subscribe to Oprah's magazine and I just had to comment on this month's (August) issue which features Skylar Diggins, the WNBA star for our own Shock team.
First, Skylar is a beautiful woman and I love the dress she is wearing (page 33).
Second, her go to snack seems to be sour gummi worms. At Sweet Tooth we call those Sour Brite Crawlers and what a better way to pump up interest in those sour worms than having Skylar Diggins say that along with pizza, watching reality TV, eating sour gummi worms is like being "in heaven."
Go Skylar! Go Shock! Go Sour Brite Crawlers!!
First, Skylar is a beautiful woman and I love the dress she is wearing (page 33).
Second, her go to snack seems to be sour gummi worms. At Sweet Tooth we call those Sour Brite Crawlers and what a better way to pump up interest in those sour worms than having Skylar Diggins say that along with pizza, watching reality TV, eating sour gummi worms is like being "in heaven."
Go Skylar! Go Shock! Go Sour Brite Crawlers!!
Monday, July 7, 2014
Do You Know What Merchandise on Wheels Means?
In conversation the other day my friend Brian taught me a new "retailer's phrase": Merchandise on wheels.
I have never heard that phrase and when I found out the meaning from Brian, I also realized that we have rarely experienced "merchandise on wheels".
Brian learned the phrase from his father. It means that a manufacturer will guarantee the product and if it is not working in your store, the manufacturer will take it back.
So the merchandise is "on wheels"...going out the manufacturer's warehouse and coming back to the warehouse if necessary.
Very few manufacturers offer retailers a guarantee like that. When you order a merchandise line, you are taking the chance that it will "sell through"....another phrase meaning you will never have to discount it or put it in your Sidewalk Sale!!
Ah, that is a retailer's dream.
In an earlier blog, I wrote about merchandise "flying out of the store". Sell through merchandise is probably merchandise that is flying out of the store.
It seems that larger retailers, department stores for example, know ahead of time that they are going to have to put a great deal of merchandise on sale. And the consumer has learned to wait for that moment when the store offers a discount. In fact we are now in the season of department stores and other large retailers putting summer mechandise on sale in order to make space for fall and winter merchandise.
One would think that a small store like Sweet Tooth can do the same thing, when in fact it doesn't always work that way. Thus, the Summer Sidewalk Sale.
Our Sidewalk Sale is coming up on Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19. We began that practice when we were in The Farm Shopping Center which annually sponsored a Sidewalk Sale in July. When we moved to our current location, we continued the practice.
Summer Sidewalk Sales are good for customers to begin their holiday shopping. There is always a lot of great stuff at the sale, discounted to 50% or 75% off the retail price. Some consumers like to get ahead of the holiday shopping season and feel some relief when they get a great price on upcoming gifts.
So we hope our Sidewalk Sale merchandise will Fly Out Of The Store, cuz there are no wheels on that stuff!!
I have never heard that phrase and when I found out the meaning from Brian, I also realized that we have rarely experienced "merchandise on wheels".
Brian learned the phrase from his father. It means that a manufacturer will guarantee the product and if it is not working in your store, the manufacturer will take it back.
So the merchandise is "on wheels"...going out the manufacturer's warehouse and coming back to the warehouse if necessary.
Very few manufacturers offer retailers a guarantee like that. When you order a merchandise line, you are taking the chance that it will "sell through"....another phrase meaning you will never have to discount it or put it in your Sidewalk Sale!!
Ah, that is a retailer's dream.
In an earlier blog, I wrote about merchandise "flying out of the store". Sell through merchandise is probably merchandise that is flying out of the store.
It seems that larger retailers, department stores for example, know ahead of time that they are going to have to put a great deal of merchandise on sale. And the consumer has learned to wait for that moment when the store offers a discount. In fact we are now in the season of department stores and other large retailers putting summer mechandise on sale in order to make space for fall and winter merchandise.
One would think that a small store like Sweet Tooth can do the same thing, when in fact it doesn't always work that way. Thus, the Summer Sidewalk Sale.
Our Sidewalk Sale is coming up on Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19. We began that practice when we were in The Farm Shopping Center which annually sponsored a Sidewalk Sale in July. When we moved to our current location, we continued the practice.
Summer Sidewalk Sales are good for customers to begin their holiday shopping. There is always a lot of great stuff at the sale, discounted to 50% or 75% off the retail price. Some consumers like to get ahead of the holiday shopping season and feel some relief when they get a great price on upcoming gifts.
So we hope our Sidewalk Sale merchandise will Fly Out Of The Store, cuz there are no wheels on that stuff!!
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Dallas Gift Market: The Aftermath
Here we are on July1, with catalogues from the Gift Market piled high on the table in my "office area". This is the Aftermath of the 4 days we spent at the Market.
What's it all about (Alfie)? Right now it is about straightening out the orders which we placed at the Market and then moving on to the orders we didn't place at the Market.
Most of the time a few days after returning from Dallas we start to see a flood of orders come into the store. Quite obviously manufacturers want to empty their warehouses and us retailers want to have something new to show our customers. It generally works out just fine, although occasionally it doesn't.
Reasons for not working out:
(1) sales reps didn't give us copies of our orders and we have forgotten what we did
(2) the people who pick the orders just go whacky and pick items we didn't order and then we have to make multiple phone calls, emails and faxes to straighten out that problem
(3) manufacturers take orders at the Market for merchandise which they haven't actually manufactured. We used to have just such a manufacturer. When we'd see him at the Market, we'd say: "Jack, are you just taking orders to see what people are going to buy?' That was Jack's way of assuring himself that his stuff would sell....at least to retailers.
(4) at the Market we are promised a certain date when merchandise will arrive and then it doesn't....or as is the case with one of our vendors, it takes about 6 months to get all the items we ordered...just in time for the next Gift Market!!
And then there are the manufacturers who are organized, got their stuff together and merchandise comes just as ordered, on time.
Here's the really important thing: we are so excited every time a new line arrives. We can't wait to get it on the shelf, send out the email newsletter or post on Facebook, and then with an aniticipatory smile on our face, we watch the door for people to tumble in and buy it. The term is "flying off the shelf".
The stack of catalogues is getting smaller, going into the recycle box and at this point we are getting closer to being done with the ordering phase.
It's summer though and people are vacationing, going to the lake, working in their yards, or just plain taking it easy. Hopefully people will eventually remember that retailers are waiting for them and like a horse race, we will be off and running.
What's it all about (Alfie)? Right now it is about straightening out the orders which we placed at the Market and then moving on to the orders we didn't place at the Market.
Most of the time a few days after returning from Dallas we start to see a flood of orders come into the store. Quite obviously manufacturers want to empty their warehouses and us retailers want to have something new to show our customers. It generally works out just fine, although occasionally it doesn't.
Reasons for not working out:
(1) sales reps didn't give us copies of our orders and we have forgotten what we did
(2) the people who pick the orders just go whacky and pick items we didn't order and then we have to make multiple phone calls, emails and faxes to straighten out that problem
(3) manufacturers take orders at the Market for merchandise which they haven't actually manufactured. We used to have just such a manufacturer. When we'd see him at the Market, we'd say: "Jack, are you just taking orders to see what people are going to buy?' That was Jack's way of assuring himself that his stuff would sell....at least to retailers.
(4) at the Market we are promised a certain date when merchandise will arrive and then it doesn't....or as is the case with one of our vendors, it takes about 6 months to get all the items we ordered...just in time for the next Gift Market!!
And then there are the manufacturers who are organized, got their stuff together and merchandise comes just as ordered, on time.
Here's the really important thing: we are so excited every time a new line arrives. We can't wait to get it on the shelf, send out the email newsletter or post on Facebook, and then with an aniticipatory smile on our face, we watch the door for people to tumble in and buy it. The term is "flying off the shelf".
The stack of catalogues is getting smaller, going into the recycle box and at this point we are getting closer to being done with the ordering phase.
It's summer though and people are vacationing, going to the lake, working in their yards, or just plain taking it easy. Hopefully people will eventually remember that retailers are waiting for them and like a horse race, we will be off and running.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Wrapping Up The Dallas Market Trip
We are now back at Sweet Tooth, with multiple bags of catalogues, a long list of orders and some thoughts about our experience.
If someone asked me what I thought were some of the main themes at the Gift Market I would reply: Burlap, Monograms, Collegiate and more Christmas merchandise.
It seemed that every showroom had some merchandise in burlap. I really can't say that I know why that was so, but I will say that we did order some goodies made from burlap. The Oklahoma basket is one of my favorites and I think it will be a big hit.
As for Monograms, apparently this will be the year when customers will see monogrammed merchandise everywhere, including many upscale department stores. We certainly couldn't be left out of that trend so we ordered some really pretty white ceramic mugs with initials which can be used for everyday as well as holiday gifts.
Collegiate is all over the place. Not a single category is left out of collegiate colors...and that means clothes, shoes, hats, scarves, jewelry, tailgating supplies, head bands and tons and tons more. Sweet Tooth will be selective but you will see our collegiate section grow.
In the past few years, Christmas merchandise offerings seemed to have slowed down. People can only collect so much holiday stuff before there is no more room for another ornament or wreath or sweater. However, this year that segment of the market has returned. As you can imagine, every year more young people move to their own place and begin the process of accumulating decorative pieces for the holidays. There is always a new crop of collectors and shoppers. This is a catagory which will always be with us.
As for conversation, there was more talk about shopping locally. The cost of overhead for showrooms has begun to leave the Dallas Market with many unleased showrooms. Big corporations have moved out and we have to believe that part of the reason is the internet.
It astonishes me that local officials don't see what is happening when people begin to use the internet more than shopping locally. The city's revenues from sales tax decrease and we find ourselves thinking about cutting out services which make our city more liveable and more attractive to out of state businesses and people moving to Oklahoma.
So along with the trends we saw at the Gift Market, I am hoping that we will see another trend: shopping locally which benefits everyone. What do you think about that?
If someone asked me what I thought were some of the main themes at the Gift Market I would reply: Burlap, Monograms, Collegiate and more Christmas merchandise.
It seemed that every showroom had some merchandise in burlap. I really can't say that I know why that was so, but I will say that we did order some goodies made from burlap. The Oklahoma basket is one of my favorites and I think it will be a big hit.
As for Monograms, apparently this will be the year when customers will see monogrammed merchandise everywhere, including many upscale department stores. We certainly couldn't be left out of that trend so we ordered some really pretty white ceramic mugs with initials which can be used for everyday as well as holiday gifts.
Collegiate is all over the place. Not a single category is left out of collegiate colors...and that means clothes, shoes, hats, scarves, jewelry, tailgating supplies, head bands and tons and tons more. Sweet Tooth will be selective but you will see our collegiate section grow.
In the past few years, Christmas merchandise offerings seemed to have slowed down. People can only collect so much holiday stuff before there is no more room for another ornament or wreath or sweater. However, this year that segment of the market has returned. As you can imagine, every year more young people move to their own place and begin the process of accumulating decorative pieces for the holidays. There is always a new crop of collectors and shoppers. This is a catagory which will always be with us.
As for conversation, there was more talk about shopping locally. The cost of overhead for showrooms has begun to leave the Dallas Market with many unleased showrooms. Big corporations have moved out and we have to believe that part of the reason is the internet.
It astonishes me that local officials don't see what is happening when people begin to use the internet more than shopping locally. The city's revenues from sales tax decrease and we find ourselves thinking about cutting out services which make our city more liveable and more attractive to out of state businesses and people moving to Oklahoma.
So along with the trends we saw at the Gift Market, I am hoping that we will see another trend: shopping locally which benefits everyone. What do you think about that?
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Dayb 4: Final Day at the Gift Market
At 4:00 a.m. I woke up thinking that I had come down with a cold. Over the 21 years we have come to Dallas for the Gift Market, we have had some close calls with health issues. Colds were standard, as well as the flu and the major emergency at the Las Colinas Medical Center with a bleeding ulcer. Luckily it was just a slight moment of panic and I felt fine all day long.
It was raining when we left for the Market...no fun walking several blocks from the parking lot. Once we are inside the buildings we have no idea what so ever if there is rain or sunshine. There is no need to go outside and the vendors here have every reason to keep the buyers inside.
We met our staff around 9:15 a.m. and they left with a list of showrooms to visit. Thank goodness for Lisa, Doris, Jesse and Sarah. That makes 4 more experienced pair of eyes and more time to check out the Market, finding lines and ideas Jeff and I would never be able to find time to work on.
They found a line of watches we will consider. They double checked me, reminding me of items I had not put on our orders. It was a matter of re-tracing our steps and making sure those items got on our orders.
So what are we considering? Possibility of bangles with sorority charms, other licensed charms like The Wizard of Oz, Betty Boop and tons more. The national rep for this line was once our national sales manager for Kameleon...so it indulged in some gossip and shared experiences to catch up with old friends.
Lisa's size 6 foot helped us to get a handle on the new Lindsay Phillips shoes...we picked 3 styles which we are going to order for August. Around the corner from LP was the cutest purse and tote line featuring great appliques which we snapped up for our store.
How about Frozen? In about 2 weeks we will have charm bracelets with the Frozen characters...no doubt those bracelets will "fly out the door".
We ordered some great ceramic pieces for Christmas..remember the name Mud Pie??And our sales rep clued us in that all the major stores will be showing monogrammed mugs, etc this fall. What we did was order a 72 piece collection of gorgeous mugs with initials. Put that on your list.
We met with the people from Sweet Shop and got the low down on what is coming out from the chocolate company which has been our standard for 21 years. There is none better. Sweet Shop has the license for Price's Chocolate recipes which is why we have been able to continue carrying Annaclairs all these years.
We packed in quite a few other stops during the day, left the Market to eat dinner at the new Mediterrean restaurant we love. Staff went off to he airport and after a slight delay, took off for Tulsa.
The make over at Sweet Tooth began this weekend...new paint color which should be finished next weekend. We are really excited about that. Thank you Steve W., our painter.
Come check out Sweet Tooth...you'll be a very important part of the story we are re-writing.
It was raining when we left for the Market...no fun walking several blocks from the parking lot. Once we are inside the buildings we have no idea what so ever if there is rain or sunshine. There is no need to go outside and the vendors here have every reason to keep the buyers inside.
We met our staff around 9:15 a.m. and they left with a list of showrooms to visit. Thank goodness for Lisa, Doris, Jesse and Sarah. That makes 4 more experienced pair of eyes and more time to check out the Market, finding lines and ideas Jeff and I would never be able to find time to work on.
They found a line of watches we will consider. They double checked me, reminding me of items I had not put on our orders. It was a matter of re-tracing our steps and making sure those items got on our orders.
So what are we considering? Possibility of bangles with sorority charms, other licensed charms like The Wizard of Oz, Betty Boop and tons more. The national rep for this line was once our national sales manager for Kameleon...so it indulged in some gossip and shared experiences to catch up with old friends.
Lisa's size 6 foot helped us to get a handle on the new Lindsay Phillips shoes...we picked 3 styles which we are going to order for August. Around the corner from LP was the cutest purse and tote line featuring great appliques which we snapped up for our store.
How about Frozen? In about 2 weeks we will have charm bracelets with the Frozen characters...no doubt those bracelets will "fly out the door".
We ordered some great ceramic pieces for Christmas..remember the name Mud Pie??And our sales rep clued us in that all the major stores will be showing monogrammed mugs, etc this fall. What we did was order a 72 piece collection of gorgeous mugs with initials. Put that on your list.
We met with the people from Sweet Shop and got the low down on what is coming out from the chocolate company which has been our standard for 21 years. There is none better. Sweet Shop has the license for Price's Chocolate recipes which is why we have been able to continue carrying Annaclairs all these years.
We packed in quite a few other stops during the day, left the Market to eat dinner at the new Mediterrean restaurant we love. Staff went off to he airport and after a slight delay, took off for Tulsa.
The make over at Sweet Tooth began this weekend...new paint color which should be finished next weekend. We are really excited about that. Thank you Steve W., our painter.
Come check out Sweet Tooth...you'll be a very important part of the story we are re-writing.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Day 3: Dallas Gift Market
This morning the Dallas traffic was sparse and we arrived at the Market in about 10 minutes. Off to see Trudy at Demdaco, who was running a little behind.
Another sales rep, whose name is Janet, took us over to the new Demdaco product: Glowology, a brand of body lotions, hand balm, cream and body wash. After hand massages provided by Hannah from Demdaco, we were convinced to bring this line into the store in September. Go ahead...sign up for a hand massage!!
Another wonderful gift item is Art Hearts, designed by a variety of artists who are licensed by Demdaco, including Kelly Rae Roberts. You are going to love these hearts with beautiful sentiments, packaged and able to hang or by using the key which comes with the heart, you can sit them on a shelf. Loved this group!
After stopping shortly at Erin Smith's booth where Jeff provided Erin with a sentiment for a Chanukah card, we went to the cafeteria for lunch....by the way, no DJ playing music.
We wandered through a few showrooms, met with our sales rep Sandy who now has Elly Preston jewelry and a few other terrific lines, then onto Emerson where we ordered more OU and OSU scarves, wraps and bangle bracelets. Check out the Emerson scarves we have in the store and you will have an idea of the great new apparel coming from Emerson.
Speaking of OU and OSU, a company called Glory Haus has some well designed and priced just right plates, chips and dip, Christmas ornaments and more.
For those who have loved the Snoozies slippers.....more on the way, including new velvet, new crocheted and very cozy winter slippers.
Jeepers, Peepers, where's we get those totally cool reader glasses? We met with one of the owners of this company, who helped us pick out 18 new styles of readers which will all arrive in September (or before) in a brand new displayer which allows you to "see" the readers as they would fit on your face.
We ended the day with a visit to Leigh at Obsidian jewelry. We spent some time picking out sterling silver and gemstone pendants, earrings and rings. We have been building a following for Obsidian jewelry, which several years ago was in Miss Jackson's. It is our advantage that Miss Jackson's is no longer carrying Obsidian...we love it. Next week come by and see the new Obsidian jewelry hand picked by yours truly and Jeff.
Tomorrow our staff comes for the day. We will send them around the Market to see what gems they can discover. Hint: it's Lindsay Phillips shoes, possibility of sorority jewelry and a whole lot more.
Another sales rep, whose name is Janet, took us over to the new Demdaco product: Glowology, a brand of body lotions, hand balm, cream and body wash. After hand massages provided by Hannah from Demdaco, we were convinced to bring this line into the store in September. Go ahead...sign up for a hand massage!!
Another wonderful gift item is Art Hearts, designed by a variety of artists who are licensed by Demdaco, including Kelly Rae Roberts. You are going to love these hearts with beautiful sentiments, packaged and able to hang or by using the key which comes with the heart, you can sit them on a shelf. Loved this group!
After stopping shortly at Erin Smith's booth where Jeff provided Erin with a sentiment for a Chanukah card, we went to the cafeteria for lunch....by the way, no DJ playing music.
We wandered through a few showrooms, met with our sales rep Sandy who now has Elly Preston jewelry and a few other terrific lines, then onto Emerson where we ordered more OU and OSU scarves, wraps and bangle bracelets. Check out the Emerson scarves we have in the store and you will have an idea of the great new apparel coming from Emerson.
Speaking of OU and OSU, a company called Glory Haus has some well designed and priced just right plates, chips and dip, Christmas ornaments and more.
For those who have loved the Snoozies slippers.....more on the way, including new velvet, new crocheted and very cozy winter slippers.
Jeepers, Peepers, where's we get those totally cool reader glasses? We met with one of the owners of this company, who helped us pick out 18 new styles of readers which will all arrive in September (or before) in a brand new displayer which allows you to "see" the readers as they would fit on your face.
We ended the day with a visit to Leigh at Obsidian jewelry. We spent some time picking out sterling silver and gemstone pendants, earrings and rings. We have been building a following for Obsidian jewelry, which several years ago was in Miss Jackson's. It is our advantage that Miss Jackson's is no longer carrying Obsidian...we love it. Next week come by and see the new Obsidian jewelry hand picked by yours truly and Jeff.
Tomorrow our staff comes for the day. We will send them around the Market to see what gems they can discover. Hint: it's Lindsay Phillips shoes, possibility of sorority jewelry and a whole lot more.
Yesterday we had 3 appointments with our sales reps.
We started with Angie and her lines of Kameleon jewelry and the new double ring which is only available to order at the Market; more beautiful scarves and a artistic and marvelous line of greeting cards called Quilling....we'll have more to say about this card line in the future.
We stopped by to talk with Erin Smith and ask her about her trendy and edgy greeting card which we carry at Sweet Tooth. I discovered that the person I email at Erin Smith cards is her husband Fred. Fred and Erin still have their pizza restaurant; however Erin's cards and gift lines are on the top of the list for her.
Early lunch helped us get past the usual overcrowding in the cafeteria . We weren't too sure that the DJ in the cafeteria was going to be a hit or the cause of a louder, noisy environment.
Then we were off to our sales rep Lisa where we ordered fabulous scarves, men's jewelry (Jeff selected all the bracelets for men...great prices and very attractive),. We checked out some collegiate pieces...love the melamine plates for OU and OSU and finally ordered burlap baskets branded for OKLAHOMA. We even stopped for a short chat with James R. one of our friends and once a sales rep for our store.
Meeting with Sue mid-afternoon was fun. Watch for the new apparel in our store....totally up to date and the fake fur jacket has my name on it. Ordered some Carson windchimes with the latest designs,some great cups and plates for Christmas and for the kids, "moving" books and a Slow Cooker recipe book from Mary Engelbreit. Thanks to George, we had a night light candle which we are considering for the store.
Walking the halls and showrooms can bring you face to face with friends....we literally walked up to Hughla who is back with Stephanie Dawn purses and Lesley from Snow Goose who is always full of pep, smiles and loving hugs.
Today we have 2 appointments and we plan to go through some other showrooms in the Trade Mart. The weather has been warm and overcast...looks the same this morning.
And we truly wish that the Mediterrean restaurant where we ate dinner would open up a restaurant in Tulsa.
Stay tuned....more insider news on the way,
We started with Angie and her lines of Kameleon jewelry and the new double ring which is only available to order at the Market; more beautiful scarves and a artistic and marvelous line of greeting cards called Quilling....we'll have more to say about this card line in the future.
We stopped by to talk with Erin Smith and ask her about her trendy and edgy greeting card which we carry at Sweet Tooth. I discovered that the person I email at Erin Smith cards is her husband Fred. Fred and Erin still have their pizza restaurant; however Erin's cards and gift lines are on the top of the list for her.
Early lunch helped us get past the usual overcrowding in the cafeteria . We weren't too sure that the DJ in the cafeteria was going to be a hit or the cause of a louder, noisy environment.
Then we were off to our sales rep Lisa where we ordered fabulous scarves, men's jewelry (Jeff selected all the bracelets for men...great prices and very attractive),. We checked out some collegiate pieces...love the melamine plates for OU and OSU and finally ordered burlap baskets branded for OKLAHOMA. We even stopped for a short chat with James R. one of our friends and once a sales rep for our store.
Meeting with Sue mid-afternoon was fun. Watch for the new apparel in our store....totally up to date and the fake fur jacket has my name on it. Ordered some Carson windchimes with the latest designs,some great cups and plates for Christmas and for the kids, "moving" books and a Slow Cooker recipe book from Mary Engelbreit. Thanks to George, we had a night light candle which we are considering for the store.
Walking the halls and showrooms can bring you face to face with friends....we literally walked up to Hughla who is back with Stephanie Dawn purses and Lesley from Snow Goose who is always full of pep, smiles and loving hugs.
Today we have 2 appointments and we plan to go through some other showrooms in the Trade Mart. The weather has been warm and overcast...looks the same this morning.
And we truly wish that the Mediterrean restaurant where we ate dinner would open up a restaurant in Tulsa.
Stay tuned....more insider news on the way,
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Day 1: First Stop at the Gift Market
Today we drove through some serious rain in Oklahoma to finally see sun about the time we got to Stringtown and the prison. We were on our way to the Dallas Market. The rain slowed us down a bit but we were only late to our 4:00 p.m. appointment by 15 minutes.
Our first stop was the Anne McGilvray showroom which is the only showroom we visit which isn't in the World Trade Center.
It is in a renovated warehouse which houses a ton of merchandise lines. We only made it through 4 manufacturers before 7:00 p.m. when the showroom closed.
Our first stop: Hobbs and Dobbs and our friend Barry who owns that company out of Beverly Hills. We love Barry because he is always on the edge of the newest candy and is totally honest about which candies we should buy. If he doesn't think it will sell, Barry tells us and that means a lot to us. Our tradition for the last few years is to bring Barry a t-shirt with an Oklahoma or Tulsa logo. This time we brought a red t-shirt which says "Someone in Tulsa loves you." Barry wears t-shirts all the time and occasionally gets a great comment about the shirts we give him.
Barry did say that his wife doesn't like to wash his red shirts...the dye bleeds on other clothes. So apparently she saves up the red shirts until they make a laundry load. I told him about Color Catcher...if you don't know about it, let me know.
We also visited with Ari from Unemployed Philosophers. Ari's concern is that we buy items which will sell and if they don't, he'll take them back as credit against other merchandise.
What does Unemployed Philosophers sell? Those terrific disappearing mugs, the Sticky Notes themed just like you'd think a philosopher would create. We have ordered some great new pieces which you will find in our store about end of July. And the display of watches coming in November will knock your socks off. Think about Dr. Who, Freud, Charlie Chaplin, aand more.
We also found out that Ari is about to propose to his sweetheart....we even got a description of the gorgeous ring he had designed for her.
Tomorrow we are off to the Trade Mart. We have 3 appointments in showrooms and we will walk the rest of the Trade Mart. We hope to meet up with Erin Smith....love her greeting cards,mugs, totes....
Watch for our next blog.
Our first stop was the Anne McGilvray showroom which is the only showroom we visit which isn't in the World Trade Center.
It is in a renovated warehouse which houses a ton of merchandise lines. We only made it through 4 manufacturers before 7:00 p.m. when the showroom closed.
Our first stop: Hobbs and Dobbs and our friend Barry who owns that company out of Beverly Hills. We love Barry because he is always on the edge of the newest candy and is totally honest about which candies we should buy. If he doesn't think it will sell, Barry tells us and that means a lot to us. Our tradition for the last few years is to bring Barry a t-shirt with an Oklahoma or Tulsa logo. This time we brought a red t-shirt which says "Someone in Tulsa loves you." Barry wears t-shirts all the time and occasionally gets a great comment about the shirts we give him.
Barry did say that his wife doesn't like to wash his red shirts...the dye bleeds on other clothes. So apparently she saves up the red shirts until they make a laundry load. I told him about Color Catcher...if you don't know about it, let me know.
We also visited with Ari from Unemployed Philosophers. Ari's concern is that we buy items which will sell and if they don't, he'll take them back as credit against other merchandise.
What does Unemployed Philosophers sell? Those terrific disappearing mugs, the Sticky Notes themed just like you'd think a philosopher would create. We have ordered some great new pieces which you will find in our store about end of July. And the display of watches coming in November will knock your socks off. Think about Dr. Who, Freud, Charlie Chaplin, aand more.
We also found out that Ari is about to propose to his sweetheart....we even got a description of the gorgeous ring he had designed for her.
Tomorrow we are off to the Trade Mart. We have 3 appointments in showrooms and we will walk the rest of the Trade Mart. We hope to meet up with Erin Smith....love her greeting cards,mugs, totes....
Watch for our next blog.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
To Market, To Market
To Market, To Market to buy..............what?
It's June and June is Gift Market time. We attend the Gift Market in Dallas and we figure that this somewhere around the 50th time we have been to the Dallas Market.
I have memorized every pit stop along the way. I continue to dread the potential highway repairs, the crazy drivers (apologies, apologies) in the Dallas area and the potential heat wave that always seems to happen about this time in Dallas.
Over the years less people are attending the Dallas Market and one of the issues we are dealing with at this time is large showrooms shutting down because of the expense involved in keeping that showroom up year around.
I also think that showrooms are closing because more and more people are willing to forgo the actual experience of looking, touching, talking about the item they are about to purchase to simply going online and ordering it.
We come from the "old school": we want to see the lines we are purchasing. We want to ask questions and discuss each line with a sales rep who knows the line. We actually want to make sure that our store is filled with candy and gifts we can be proud to sell and not junk.
Over the past 21 years we have seen retail change a lot. The value of working with a competent sales rep is not the same. Understandably so, since most sales reps have to pay for all their expenses...they are generally not salaried. It is a lot less expensive to work from home, on the computer or making phone calls than to pay what is now $3.44 a gallon to drive around to retail stores.
Oklahoma is even more problematic because we have so many small towns and often times, sales reps orders are smaller when working with a store in a small town. Make sense?
Nonetheless, off we go to Market. The physical exertion of walking the floors in the Dallas Trade Mart and World Trade Center can be exhausting. Yet if we find one great item...something we know will be different from what other stores are carrying, it will be worth the effort.
Wish us "happy hunting!!"
It's June and June is Gift Market time. We attend the Gift Market in Dallas and we figure that this somewhere around the 50th time we have been to the Dallas Market.
I have memorized every pit stop along the way. I continue to dread the potential highway repairs, the crazy drivers (apologies, apologies) in the Dallas area and the potential heat wave that always seems to happen about this time in Dallas.
Over the years less people are attending the Dallas Market and one of the issues we are dealing with at this time is large showrooms shutting down because of the expense involved in keeping that showroom up year around.
I also think that showrooms are closing because more and more people are willing to forgo the actual experience of looking, touching, talking about the item they are about to purchase to simply going online and ordering it.
We come from the "old school": we want to see the lines we are purchasing. We want to ask questions and discuss each line with a sales rep who knows the line. We actually want to make sure that our store is filled with candy and gifts we can be proud to sell and not junk.
Over the past 21 years we have seen retail change a lot. The value of working with a competent sales rep is not the same. Understandably so, since most sales reps have to pay for all their expenses...they are generally not salaried. It is a lot less expensive to work from home, on the computer or making phone calls than to pay what is now $3.44 a gallon to drive around to retail stores.
Oklahoma is even more problematic because we have so many small towns and often times, sales reps orders are smaller when working with a store in a small town. Make sense?
Nonetheless, off we go to Market. The physical exertion of walking the floors in the Dallas Trade Mart and World Trade Center can be exhausting. Yet if we find one great item...something we know will be different from what other stores are carrying, it will be worth the effort.
Wish us "happy hunting!!"
Monday, June 9, 2014
Happy Father's Day!
Sunday June 15 is Father's Day. The National Retail Federation projects that $12.5 billion will be spent on gifts for Dads. That is truly an amazing figure and I won't deny that I hope some small part of that amount is going to be spent at Sweet Tooth.
Pardon me for being a little nostalgic. My Dad, Alvin, died in 2003 and when I come to holidays like Father's Day I miss the opportunity to buy a card, get a gift or help plan a little celebration.
My Dad wasn't much of a candy eater. I remember that the table next to his favorite chair in the den had a little drawer and the grandchildren, as well as their parents, knew that drawer usually held a Hershey bar, supplied to my Dad by Mom who did the grocery shopping.
Grandkids especially hoped that their Zayde (grandpa) would offer them a square or two of that chocolate.
When we bought Sweet Tooth my Dad did develop a greater interest in chocolate. He would come to the store and look around on the shelves, pick up 3 or 4 chocolate bars (not Hershey) and purchase them.
He came often enough that we bought a bench so that he could sit and watch what was going on. Truly I think he bought those candy bars more to "help us out" than to eat them, since he often gave them away to staff who worked at the health care center where my Mom lived.
Everyone needs a Dad like mine, who in his later years was as soft sometimes as a creamy chocolate bar and generous to others. He really wasn't a retail person, not much of a regular shopper. However being an immigrant, living through the Depression, serving as a soldier in World War II, my Dad liked to stock up on "necessities" like toilet paper and denture cleaner. A trip to Sam's or even the grocery store was his opportunity to pile on the "necessities" and sometimes we had to steer him away from purchasing certain items (like cranberry sauce...who knows why he stocked up on that?).
Nonetheless, he always supported what we did at Sweet Tooth and loved coming in to talk to customers and get those candy bars.
Spending a little time and money getting just the right gift for Dad was always important to me. It wasn't until we had the Sweet Tooth that I paid attention to how important these holidays are to retailers.
Happy Father's Day to dads everywhere.
Pardon me for being a little nostalgic. My Dad, Alvin, died in 2003 and when I come to holidays like Father's Day I miss the opportunity to buy a card, get a gift or help plan a little celebration.
My Dad wasn't much of a candy eater. I remember that the table next to his favorite chair in the den had a little drawer and the grandchildren, as well as their parents, knew that drawer usually held a Hershey bar, supplied to my Dad by Mom who did the grocery shopping.
Grandkids especially hoped that their Zayde (grandpa) would offer them a square or two of that chocolate.
When we bought Sweet Tooth my Dad did develop a greater interest in chocolate. He would come to the store and look around on the shelves, pick up 3 or 4 chocolate bars (not Hershey) and purchase them.
He came often enough that we bought a bench so that he could sit and watch what was going on. Truly I think he bought those candy bars more to "help us out" than to eat them, since he often gave them away to staff who worked at the health care center where my Mom lived.
Everyone needs a Dad like mine, who in his later years was as soft sometimes as a creamy chocolate bar and generous to others. He really wasn't a retail person, not much of a regular shopper. However being an immigrant, living through the Depression, serving as a soldier in World War II, my Dad liked to stock up on "necessities" like toilet paper and denture cleaner. A trip to Sam's or even the grocery store was his opportunity to pile on the "necessities" and sometimes we had to steer him away from purchasing certain items (like cranberry sauce...who knows why he stocked up on that?).
Nonetheless, he always supported what we did at Sweet Tooth and loved coming in to talk to customers and get those candy bars.
Spending a little time and money getting just the right gift for Dad was always important to me. It wasn't until we had the Sweet Tooth that I paid attention to how important these holidays are to retailers.
Happy Father's Day to dads everywhere.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
And The Chocolate Award Goes To....
This weekend the Tony Awards will be on television. And of course we are all familiar with the Academy Awards.
Did you know that in the world of candy there are also Award Ceremonies? There are the Best in Show awards given at the Sweet & Snacks Expo. I thought I would share a few of the winners with you.
In the Non-Chocolate category, Jelly Belly was the winner with its new Jelly Belly flavor, Draft Beer. Who ever thought that a candy could come close to tasting like beer? Come on in to Sweet Tooth; we'll give you a sample.
In the Chocolate category, another Sweet Tooth winner was Tabasco Dark Spicy Chocolate Wedges. We have been selling these for a while. Most popular is the round tin which these chocolates come in, but there is also a box of these dark chocolate spicy goodies.
In the Seasonal category, the winner is Doodle Egg Paint. This is a candy item we should see on our shelves next Easter. It comes in a box and the whole idea is to use an edible paint pen, decorate the shell of the chocolate egg and then, by golly, eat that masterpiece!
The Sweet & Snacks Expo has many other categories, not all candy, so I only picked the ones related to what we sell.
Today we did receive some other goodies which may not be award winners but are definitely there to be tasted.
The Marvel Comics have taken over a big chunk of new candy and gum items. It is Captain America, Hulk, Batman, Spider Man.....and so forth.
Star Wars has claimed a large share of new candies. Taking characters from the various Star Wars movies, we have mint or sours tins with Darth Vader, Death Star, R2D2 and StormTrooper.
For the toddler set there is candy from My Little Pony, Lalaloopsie, Hello Kitty, Toy Story and Muppets PEZ dispensers.
I personally got a big laugh from the 3 new tins of the Grumpy Cat. Cat lovers will adore these mint tins.
And finally, let's not forget Dad whose special day is coming up on June 15. For that Dad who is a fan of John Wayne, we now have a tin with JW on the top and the saying: "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!" Love it.
No wonder most people fit the description: A Kid in a Candy Store.
See you at Sweet Tooth!
Did you know that in the world of candy there are also Award Ceremonies? There are the Best in Show awards given at the Sweet & Snacks Expo. I thought I would share a few of the winners with you.
In the Non-Chocolate category, Jelly Belly was the winner with its new Jelly Belly flavor, Draft Beer. Who ever thought that a candy could come close to tasting like beer? Come on in to Sweet Tooth; we'll give you a sample.
In the Chocolate category, another Sweet Tooth winner was Tabasco Dark Spicy Chocolate Wedges. We have been selling these for a while. Most popular is the round tin which these chocolates come in, but there is also a box of these dark chocolate spicy goodies.
In the Seasonal category, the winner is Doodle Egg Paint. This is a candy item we should see on our shelves next Easter. It comes in a box and the whole idea is to use an edible paint pen, decorate the shell of the chocolate egg and then, by golly, eat that masterpiece!
The Sweet & Snacks Expo has many other categories, not all candy, so I only picked the ones related to what we sell.
Today we did receive some other goodies which may not be award winners but are definitely there to be tasted.
The Marvel Comics have taken over a big chunk of new candy and gum items. It is Captain America, Hulk, Batman, Spider Man.....and so forth.
Star Wars has claimed a large share of new candies. Taking characters from the various Star Wars movies, we have mint or sours tins with Darth Vader, Death Star, R2D2 and StormTrooper.
For the toddler set there is candy from My Little Pony, Lalaloopsie, Hello Kitty, Toy Story and Muppets PEZ dispensers.
I personally got a big laugh from the 3 new tins of the Grumpy Cat. Cat lovers will adore these mint tins.
And finally, let's not forget Dad whose special day is coming up on June 15. For that Dad who is a fan of John Wayne, we now have a tin with JW on the top and the saying: "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!" Love it.
No wonder most people fit the description: A Kid in a Candy Store.
See you at Sweet Tooth!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
On My Soap Box
There are always burning questions in the world of Candy.
Here's one for you: 88.7% people who eat chocolate Easter bunnies eat the bunny ears first.
I am not sure how someone somewhere was able to obtain this information.
I do know that Easter candy sales account for more than $2.25 billion.
For me the real question is: Do you want to order your candy online and take a chance that it arrives melted, "old", "blooming" or just not what you wanted?
Would you rather come into a local store (let's say SWEET TOOTH), look at that candy, perhaps sample it, pick the exact number and kind you want in your own personalize selection, knowing that the staff at that store are experienced and knowledgeable about the candy they are selling?
Here's another burning candy question?
Are we going to be able to get candy from the movie FROZEN to satisfy the latest and perhaps the greatest animated film which is generating all sorts of interest? We have had a number of people purchasing FROZEN type candy for FROZEN parties. So far Rock Candy has worked well, but I am hoping for gummies, lollipops, characters, etc.
We are able to order locally made and superly delicious cookies which could be decorated with FROZEN characters. And when we say "fresh" cookies, we mean exactly that!
So I say "boo" to all those stories about how bricks and mortar stores are on their way out. Where else can you get the personal attention you need? Where else can you actually see, in living color, the gift or candy items available? And who actually stands behind online candy sales? Not very many online candy retailers.
Am I on my soap box! You are darn right I am.
Here's one for you: 88.7% people who eat chocolate Easter bunnies eat the bunny ears first.
I am not sure how someone somewhere was able to obtain this information.
I do know that Easter candy sales account for more than $2.25 billion.
For me the real question is: Do you want to order your candy online and take a chance that it arrives melted, "old", "blooming" or just not what you wanted?
Would you rather come into a local store (let's say SWEET TOOTH), look at that candy, perhaps sample it, pick the exact number and kind you want in your own personalize selection, knowing that the staff at that store are experienced and knowledgeable about the candy they are selling?
Here's another burning candy question?
Are we going to be able to get candy from the movie FROZEN to satisfy the latest and perhaps the greatest animated film which is generating all sorts of interest? We have had a number of people purchasing FROZEN type candy for FROZEN parties. So far Rock Candy has worked well, but I am hoping for gummies, lollipops, characters, etc.
We are able to order locally made and superly delicious cookies which could be decorated with FROZEN characters. And when we say "fresh" cookies, we mean exactly that!
So I say "boo" to all those stories about how bricks and mortar stores are on their way out. Where else can you get the personal attention you need? Where else can you actually see, in living color, the gift or candy items available? And who actually stands behind online candy sales? Not very many online candy retailers.
Am I on my soap box! You are darn right I am.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Ordering Halloween and Christmas Candy
Monday was the 21st time we have met with one of our candy sales reps, Gary to order Halloween and Christmas/Chanukah candy. Along with one other candy retailer in Oklahoma we may be the most consistent and one of the "oldest" stores which Gary has served.
We actually find that statistic amazing. These days so many retailers have been lost to the internet, to bad planning, bad marketing, location-location-location. We are still here and sometimes we find that amazing.
Let me give you a little insight into what a candy ordering day with Gary looks like.
In 1992, rookie me sat down with Gary to order candy for Halloween and Christmas. It took us 8 hours to get through that order! Yesterday Jeff, Gary and I finished in about 5 hours and that included a lunch break for barbeque sandwiches....Gary's favorite meal when he comes to Tulsa.
Halloween ordering was about 1 hour of that time. Over the years Halloween has become more of a party/costume/group holiday and not so much the ole Trick or Treating that I remember as a kid. So the candy we order is much different than the candy people give out to costumed kids who come to their doors. Our Halloween candy is more "gifty", more specialty and not so much a big bag of candy for distributing. As a consequence, it doesn't take as much time to look through Gary's samples and catalogue for Halloween goodies.
My favorite (just to give you a heads up) is the plush Witch with the little Peep candy witches.
The rest of the time was spent looking through over 300 pages of Christmas and Chanukah candy, checking out some of the samples Gary brings in these big coolers including a little bit of tasting, going back and forth between me and Jeff as to what we agree upon and then turning to Gary for his opinion.
Christmas is the biggest candy season and it lasts a lot longer than Valentine's Day or Easter. It begins with clients who want to purchase gift baskets (or hosting Candy Buffets) and need greater quantities of candy. It goes on to marketing Advent Calendars with chocolate, games and sometimes music.
Then we hit the more serious days leading up to Christmas.....oh, about December 5 or so. That is when individual customers come in to purchase Christmas or Chanukah candy before we start running out of seasonal candy.......which as you know cannot be re-ordered.
I will let you know some of my favorite Christmas candy in another blog...as you might imagine, 300 plus pages of a catalogue provides many wonderful candy possibilities.
I know it is only May 20 but retail is all about looking into the crystal ball for what lies ahead in the future.
We actually find that statistic amazing. These days so many retailers have been lost to the internet, to bad planning, bad marketing, location-location-location. We are still here and sometimes we find that amazing.
Let me give you a little insight into what a candy ordering day with Gary looks like.
In 1992, rookie me sat down with Gary to order candy for Halloween and Christmas. It took us 8 hours to get through that order! Yesterday Jeff, Gary and I finished in about 5 hours and that included a lunch break for barbeque sandwiches....Gary's favorite meal when he comes to Tulsa.
Halloween ordering was about 1 hour of that time. Over the years Halloween has become more of a party/costume/group holiday and not so much the ole Trick or Treating that I remember as a kid. So the candy we order is much different than the candy people give out to costumed kids who come to their doors. Our Halloween candy is more "gifty", more specialty and not so much a big bag of candy for distributing. As a consequence, it doesn't take as much time to look through Gary's samples and catalogue for Halloween goodies.
My favorite (just to give you a heads up) is the plush Witch with the little Peep candy witches.
The rest of the time was spent looking through over 300 pages of Christmas and Chanukah candy, checking out some of the samples Gary brings in these big coolers including a little bit of tasting, going back and forth between me and Jeff as to what we agree upon and then turning to Gary for his opinion.
Christmas is the biggest candy season and it lasts a lot longer than Valentine's Day or Easter. It begins with clients who want to purchase gift baskets (or hosting Candy Buffets) and need greater quantities of candy. It goes on to marketing Advent Calendars with chocolate, games and sometimes music.
Then we hit the more serious days leading up to Christmas.....oh, about December 5 or so. That is when individual customers come in to purchase Christmas or Chanukah candy before we start running out of seasonal candy.......which as you know cannot be re-ordered.
I will let you know some of my favorite Christmas candy in another blog...as you might imagine, 300 plus pages of a catalogue provides many wonderful candy possibilities.
I know it is only May 20 but retail is all about looking into the crystal ball for what lies ahead in the future.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
The Heart is Home
After 21 years of being in the Sweet Tooth business, we are more than ever dedicated to the idea that shopping locally is necessary for a robust economy. In the last few months we have seen a number of local retailers shut their doors and these are retailers who have been in business for a number of years. I am thinking of Steve's Sundries as an example.
On the other hand, while some stores have been closing, downtown is bustling with new restaurants and some new retailers.
For me, it is an odd coincidence since I grew up in Tulsa and remember the days before Tulsa Promenade and Woodland Hills and all of the development in south Tulsa, as well as the Tulsa Hills area.
My best friend and I would take the bus to downtown Tulsa where all the important clothing stores were located and we would spend the day going from store to store, browsing and attempting to find a little gift or two for our Moms.
Then came Utica Square and Southland and eventually the closing of retailers in downtown Tulsa.
No one ever spoke about shopping locally...of course, except for a few catalogues, there was only one choice and that was buying what we needed in our own town.
The internet, as you know, has forever changed that scenerio and one by one local stores are closing their doors, unable to compete with the 24/7 ease of ordering on line. And of course we can talk about no sales tax and free shipping....2 very alluring elements of online shopping.
For those of us still around, we are searching for ways of competing with the internet. Recently we began carrying a line called the Heart is Home, developed by a local woman who truly believes that Oklahoma is in her heart. The Heart is Home has sterling silver and gold Oklahoma state pendants, t-shirts, onesies for babies, Oklahoma shaped baskets and more.
When we finished the display of these products we had such a sense of satisfaction that the Heart is Home not only looked great but made a statement about what is essential to keep local business and local entrepreneurs alive.
Come take a look. I think you'll like the home-grown merchandise and find your heart is in Oklahoma too.
On the other hand, while some stores have been closing, downtown is bustling with new restaurants and some new retailers.
For me, it is an odd coincidence since I grew up in Tulsa and remember the days before Tulsa Promenade and Woodland Hills and all of the development in south Tulsa, as well as the Tulsa Hills area.
My best friend and I would take the bus to downtown Tulsa where all the important clothing stores were located and we would spend the day going from store to store, browsing and attempting to find a little gift or two for our Moms.
Then came Utica Square and Southland and eventually the closing of retailers in downtown Tulsa.
No one ever spoke about shopping locally...of course, except for a few catalogues, there was only one choice and that was buying what we needed in our own town.
The internet, as you know, has forever changed that scenerio and one by one local stores are closing their doors, unable to compete with the 24/7 ease of ordering on line. And of course we can talk about no sales tax and free shipping....2 very alluring elements of online shopping.
For those of us still around, we are searching for ways of competing with the internet. Recently we began carrying a line called the Heart is Home, developed by a local woman who truly believes that Oklahoma is in her heart. The Heart is Home has sterling silver and gold Oklahoma state pendants, t-shirts, onesies for babies, Oklahoma shaped baskets and more.
When we finished the display of these products we had such a sense of satisfaction that the Heart is Home not only looked great but made a statement about what is essential to keep local business and local entrepreneurs alive.
Come take a look. I think you'll like the home-grown merchandise and find your heart is in Oklahoma too.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Savory Plus Sweet Is The New Chocolate
For the past year or two we have been seeing many changes in the public's taste and the response to it from the candy industry.
Currently popular is the combination of savory with sweet in all sorts of recipes. Making a hit in the confectionery world is sea salt, olive oil, chilis, curry....you'd think we were making a salad, but instead we are selling chocolate combined with all these ingredients and more.
Our truffle case is a good example of response to what is popular in the greater world of food. Not only has Sweet Shop introduced the Sea Salt Caramel truffle which sells out more often than not, but the "cake" series including Wedding Cake, Birthday Cake and Italian Creme Cake are going up the ladder of popularity as well.
I was reading the latest issue of Food Network Magazine when I came across the history of Red Velvet Cake, which by the way is also a very good seller in our truffle case.
The article in Food magazine tell us that in the 1800's light textured, velvety cakes were popular and the Red Velvet cake probably got its name from the brown sugar used in the recipe, which at that time was called "red sugar".
By 1888 the Adams Extract & Spice Company began adding red dye to their cake recipe and Adams claims the title of Red Velvet as their own.
Finally the Waldof Astoria Hotel in NYC served red velvet cake in the 1930's. The legend says that a customer managed to buy the recipe for $100 and then began distributing the recipe free which caused the cake to become so popular.
Turn to 2014 and we see that not only is the cake still popular but red velvet is now a regular candy item in chocolate bars and in case chocolates.
What we know is that if it sells, its going to be part of what we offer at Sweet Tooth. Don't turn your nose up at sampling the olive oil and sea salt chocolates either. They have easily become headliners and there is more to come.
Next week we should have Curried Cashews with chocolate and coconut. Come by for a sample!!
Currently popular is the combination of savory with sweet in all sorts of recipes. Making a hit in the confectionery world is sea salt, olive oil, chilis, curry....you'd think we were making a salad, but instead we are selling chocolate combined with all these ingredients and more.
Our truffle case is a good example of response to what is popular in the greater world of food. Not only has Sweet Shop introduced the Sea Salt Caramel truffle which sells out more often than not, but the "cake" series including Wedding Cake, Birthday Cake and Italian Creme Cake are going up the ladder of popularity as well.
I was reading the latest issue of Food Network Magazine when I came across the history of Red Velvet Cake, which by the way is also a very good seller in our truffle case.
The article in Food magazine tell us that in the 1800's light textured, velvety cakes were popular and the Red Velvet cake probably got its name from the brown sugar used in the recipe, which at that time was called "red sugar".
By 1888 the Adams Extract & Spice Company began adding red dye to their cake recipe and Adams claims the title of Red Velvet as their own.
Finally the Waldof Astoria Hotel in NYC served red velvet cake in the 1930's. The legend says that a customer managed to buy the recipe for $100 and then began distributing the recipe free which caused the cake to become so popular.
Turn to 2014 and we see that not only is the cake still popular but red velvet is now a regular candy item in chocolate bars and in case chocolates.
What we know is that if it sells, its going to be part of what we offer at Sweet Tooth. Don't turn your nose up at sampling the olive oil and sea salt chocolates either. They have easily become headliners and there is more to come.
Next week we should have Curried Cashews with chocolate and coconut. Come by for a sample!!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor...
Recently I read something pretty astounding....sales of gum have gone down in the last year. Can you believe it? Maybe that is the reason why our jars of large, beautiful and colorful gumballs are just sitting around on the shelves with very little attention.
That could also be the reason why hardly anyone asks us about gumball machines which years ago were the go-to gift for Father's Day.
For years we have avoided carrying gum which you can regularly find in the grocery store, on the shelves at the drug store or at QuikTrip. We prided ourselves on carrying unusual gum flavors. We were especially excited when Black Jack, Beeman's and Clove gum were available to us. By the way, those flavors are not made every year which is why people searching high and low can't seem to find them.
And now we find out that gum just isn't as popular as it was in the past.
Does that mean no more sitting behind someone who is chewing gum like a cow chews its cud? Does that mean we will no longer be stepping on a wad of gum on the ground, stuck to the bottom of our shoe? Or a parent won't find gum stuck in their kid's hair?
How about all the times our parents warned us not to swallow our gum because it would grow in our stomach or not to throw our gum out the car window in case a bird would eat it and explode?
Or how about the warning that chewing gum would give you cavities? How many of us really liked chewing sugar free gum?
If gum was meant for something other than these things, I just don't know about it.....save one purpose. People who want to stop smoking often found chewing gum a substitute for inhaling.
Personally, I never really got much pleasure out of chewing gum. I think my favorite flavor was either Juicy Fruit or Spearmint. Even so, I could only chew gum for a few minutes....the flavor was gone about 5 minutes into a stick of gum. Well, I did like Dentyne but I always loved cinnamon.
Remember that little ditty....does your chewing gum lose it's flavor on the bedpost overnight? My gum lost its flavor right there in my mouth.
That could also be the reason why hardly anyone asks us about gumball machines which years ago were the go-to gift for Father's Day.
For years we have avoided carrying gum which you can regularly find in the grocery store, on the shelves at the drug store or at QuikTrip. We prided ourselves on carrying unusual gum flavors. We were especially excited when Black Jack, Beeman's and Clove gum were available to us. By the way, those flavors are not made every year which is why people searching high and low can't seem to find them.
And now we find out that gum just isn't as popular as it was in the past.
Does that mean no more sitting behind someone who is chewing gum like a cow chews its cud? Does that mean we will no longer be stepping on a wad of gum on the ground, stuck to the bottom of our shoe? Or a parent won't find gum stuck in their kid's hair?
How about all the times our parents warned us not to swallow our gum because it would grow in our stomach or not to throw our gum out the car window in case a bird would eat it and explode?
Or how about the warning that chewing gum would give you cavities? How many of us really liked chewing sugar free gum?
If gum was meant for something other than these things, I just don't know about it.....save one purpose. People who want to stop smoking often found chewing gum a substitute for inhaling.
Personally, I never really got much pleasure out of chewing gum. I think my favorite flavor was either Juicy Fruit or Spearmint. Even so, I could only chew gum for a few minutes....the flavor was gone about 5 minutes into a stick of gum. Well, I did like Dentyne but I always loved cinnamon.
Remember that little ditty....does your chewing gum lose it's flavor on the bedpost overnight? My gum lost its flavor right there in my mouth.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
.Draft Beer Jelly Bellys
St. Patrick's Day is a beer holiday.
Every year at Sweet Tooth we are asked what we have for St. Patrick's Day and we have to answer that we really don't have a lot to offer.
That is until this year when we have added Shamrock and Leprechaun Hat cookies from Cookiedoodle. Of course we have chocolate coins (gold foil covered) and we have green candy. We have shamrock cellophane bags to put candy in for a nice St. Patrick's Day favor.
And guess what?? Jelly Belly has discovered a way to manufacture Jelly Bellys which taste like Draft Beer!
Beer!!! At last we can say that we DO have beer for St. Patrick's Day. It's perfectly legal...no alcohol was used in the production of those Draft Beer Jelly Bellys.
Those beer Jelly Bellys are on their way to our store as I write this email.
I really can't think of anything else to top Draft Beer Jelly Bellys. Come see us on Friday or over the weekend. We'll give you a taste and help you put together a pseudo-real St. Patrick's Day gift which won't require that you have a designated driver.
Tootaloo!!
Every year at Sweet Tooth we are asked what we have for St. Patrick's Day and we have to answer that we really don't have a lot to offer.
That is until this year when we have added Shamrock and Leprechaun Hat cookies from Cookiedoodle. Of course we have chocolate coins (gold foil covered) and we have green candy. We have shamrock cellophane bags to put candy in for a nice St. Patrick's Day favor.
And guess what?? Jelly Belly has discovered a way to manufacture Jelly Bellys which taste like Draft Beer!
Beer!!! At last we can say that we DO have beer for St. Patrick's Day. It's perfectly legal...no alcohol was used in the production of those Draft Beer Jelly Bellys.
Those beer Jelly Bellys are on their way to our store as I write this email.
I really can't think of anything else to top Draft Beer Jelly Bellys. Come see us on Friday or over the weekend. We'll give you a taste and help you put together a pseudo-real St. Patrick's Day gift which won't require that you have a designated driver.
Tootaloo!!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
The Next Corner..Oh Me Oh My!!
Well, Sweet Tooth is becoming a nationally recognized store. After 20+ years it has finally happened...a national gift publication has noticed that in Tulsa we can do some interesting and fun things with a gift store.
The March issue of GiftBeat magazine is featuring a story about Sweet Tooth, me and Jeff. We haven't seen it yet, but we were interviewed over speaker phone a few weeks ago by the editor, Joyce and to tell you the truth, it was a great conversation.
She asked us how we went from owning laundromats to owning a gift store. The truth is we never really thought anything odd about that. My sister and brother-in-law owned the laundries with us. One day we just decided that we should try being business owners...although we all had other jobs.
One thing led to another and we found ourselves owning 2 laundromats, a dry cleaners with 2 pick up stations and...odd man out....Sweet Tooth Candy & Gift Co.
We were fearless....that comes from not knowing any difference. I also think it comes from my sister and I growing up with a immigrant father who set the example for us of starting out with nothing but ambition and owning his own company.
I suppose we wanted to be a little bit like our Dad.
Fortunately our husbands went along with us. We established procedures and policies. We felt like a team, which included employees we trusted and helped along the way. Our belief in customer service came from thinking how we would like to be treated when we shopped or used a service...and then we applied our beliefs to our 2 businesses.
It is actually a fairly simple philosophy...the "do unto others....." belief that when you treat others well, they will give back the same.
The laundromats are no longer under our ownership and my sister and brother-in-law are on to another business; however I think all of us still operate with the same attitude.
It is a lot of fun to think that what we had to say to the editor of GiftBeat will be read by other retailers in other places. And in a way it is a bit of a fantasy.
It just goes to show us that we never know what is around the next corner.
The March issue of GiftBeat magazine is featuring a story about Sweet Tooth, me and Jeff. We haven't seen it yet, but we were interviewed over speaker phone a few weeks ago by the editor, Joyce and to tell you the truth, it was a great conversation.
She asked us how we went from owning laundromats to owning a gift store. The truth is we never really thought anything odd about that. My sister and brother-in-law owned the laundries with us. One day we just decided that we should try being business owners...although we all had other jobs.
One thing led to another and we found ourselves owning 2 laundromats, a dry cleaners with 2 pick up stations and...odd man out....Sweet Tooth Candy & Gift Co.
We were fearless....that comes from not knowing any difference. I also think it comes from my sister and I growing up with a immigrant father who set the example for us of starting out with nothing but ambition and owning his own company.
I suppose we wanted to be a little bit like our Dad.
Fortunately our husbands went along with us. We established procedures and policies. We felt like a team, which included employees we trusted and helped along the way. Our belief in customer service came from thinking how we would like to be treated when we shopped or used a service...and then we applied our beliefs to our 2 businesses.
It is actually a fairly simple philosophy...the "do unto others....." belief that when you treat others well, they will give back the same.
The laundromats are no longer under our ownership and my sister and brother-in-law are on to another business; however I think all of us still operate with the same attitude.
It is a lot of fun to think that what we had to say to the editor of GiftBeat will be read by other retailers in other places. And in a way it is a bit of a fantasy.
It just goes to show us that we never know what is around the next corner.
Monday, February 10, 2014
What's This Thing Called Love?
Have you ever looked around while shopping on Valentine's Day and noticed how many men are also shopping that day?
After 21 years of being in retail, we are fully aware that Valentine's Day is the one holiday every year, occurring on the same date, when men seem to feel most comfortable waiting until the day-of to purchase their gifts for loved ones and friends. For those men, price is no problem.
That is why last Saturday we were so surprised at the number of men shopping in our store. We joked with some of them who were completely aware of the fact that they were "out early" selecting their gifts.
Are behaviors changing? Is this because Valentine's Day is on Friday this year? Is that what people refer to as "date night"...a term this married person has puzzled over for quite some time. Do retailers need to plan for different behaviors in 2015?
Thinking about this question has also brought to mind other different behaviors concerning Valentine's Day.
When we first got in the retail biz, Valentine's Day meant pink for young girls and red for adults. Our experience recently is that pink is not as popular for young girls anymore. And we don't see as many Dads out buying gifts for their daughters.
Don't get me wrong. Pink is hugely popular...no longer the color for Valentine's day girls, pink is now a year-round color. It's purpose as a Valentine's gift is no longer relevant.
This thought is coming from a person who shared a pink bedroom with her sister. I guess our Mom was way ahead of the times.
We also observed that the holiday associated most with LOVE is the holiday where lots of people shy away from putting that word on their gifts. Strange.
Funny greeting cards have taken the place of serious, poetic cards. Older men are most likely to purchase the frilly cards....younger people go straight for the quick sentiment inside the card. "Hugs and Kisses" or some such greeting.
Moms and Grandmas still buy gifts for kids and are more tuned into what their kids like in terms of candy. My Mom always bought us a box of Cherry Cordials, something I don't see these days as a kids gift. Now it is sours and "jar" candy which we put in Valentine cellophane bags.
And of course the candy business is a lot different than it was when I was a kid. More choices, more color, more unusual combinations of flavors (just try Jelly Belly's Harry Potter beans!!).
Yet Valentine's Day remains a sentimental and lovely occasion...somehow "love" still shines through.
After 21 years of being in retail, we are fully aware that Valentine's Day is the one holiday every year, occurring on the same date, when men seem to feel most comfortable waiting until the day-of to purchase their gifts for loved ones and friends. For those men, price is no problem.
That is why last Saturday we were so surprised at the number of men shopping in our store. We joked with some of them who were completely aware of the fact that they were "out early" selecting their gifts.
Are behaviors changing? Is this because Valentine's Day is on Friday this year? Is that what people refer to as "date night"...a term this married person has puzzled over for quite some time. Do retailers need to plan for different behaviors in 2015?
Thinking about this question has also brought to mind other different behaviors concerning Valentine's Day.
When we first got in the retail biz, Valentine's Day meant pink for young girls and red for adults. Our experience recently is that pink is not as popular for young girls anymore. And we don't see as many Dads out buying gifts for their daughters.
Don't get me wrong. Pink is hugely popular...no longer the color for Valentine's day girls, pink is now a year-round color. It's purpose as a Valentine's gift is no longer relevant.
This thought is coming from a person who shared a pink bedroom with her sister. I guess our Mom was way ahead of the times.
We also observed that the holiday associated most with LOVE is the holiday where lots of people shy away from putting that word on their gifts. Strange.
Funny greeting cards have taken the place of serious, poetic cards. Older men are most likely to purchase the frilly cards....younger people go straight for the quick sentiment inside the card. "Hugs and Kisses" or some such greeting.
Moms and Grandmas still buy gifts for kids and are more tuned into what their kids like in terms of candy. My Mom always bought us a box of Cherry Cordials, something I don't see these days as a kids gift. Now it is sours and "jar" candy which we put in Valentine cellophane bags.
And of course the candy business is a lot different than it was when I was a kid. More choices, more color, more unusual combinations of flavors (just try Jelly Belly's Harry Potter beans!!).
Yet Valentine's Day remains a sentimental and lovely occasion...somehow "love" still shines through.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
January: The Sluggish Month
I have to tell you January is a sluggish month for retailers...at least retailers like Sweet Tooth.
We attempt to have our After Christmas sale; however no matter how careful and knowledgeable a retailer you are, there are always items left over after the holidays.
And if you put up your Clearance Sale banner you will always have some customers ask if you are going out of business. Do those same people think that Dillard's is going out of business because the entire month of January is devoted to Dillard's sales?
Pretty soon though the Sale Corner begins to look a bit sad and even our staff and us owners get tired of watching it shrink slowly during the month.
We too are anxious to see new merchandise, something with different colors, exciting possiblities. When the red, pink and white candy arrives, we are very excited. And this year with new kinds of candy (check out the Duck Dynasty boxed hearts and the gorgeous Sweet Shop boxed truffles) our weary faces brighten up. At last we have something new to talk to our customers about.
Little known fact: if you aren't in retail, you might not know that January is Gift Market time and there are hundreds and hundreds of orders ahead of the ones you put in. The wait for new merchandise is understandable when you realize that it takes time for manufacturers to gather the orders, get them to the shipping department, boxed up, picked up by UPS or Fedex, loaded onto trucks, and finally arriving at our door.
21 years ago when we started in retail, most owners and managers went to the Gift Markets and most big manufacturers had a presence in showrooms at the Market. Now days less people make the trip to the Market, preferring to order online or wait for a catalogue or a sales rep to come to the store. We prefer to actually touch, see and ask about the merchandise while we walk who knows how many miles down the corridors of the Gift Market. A picture on a lap top or in a catalogue does nothing for us.
Thank goodness it is now February and we are coming out of the doldrums of January. We have donated the Christmas candy to the Homeless Shelter and Western Neighbors, replacing it with hearts and chocolates. We are slowly packing away the left over merchandise for our annual Sidewalk Sale in July. We are putting up new displays,with new gift and jewelry items.
No matter how cold it gets, our hearts are warmed by the opportunity to start over again in 2014.
We attempt to have our After Christmas sale; however no matter how careful and knowledgeable a retailer you are, there are always items left over after the holidays.
And if you put up your Clearance Sale banner you will always have some customers ask if you are going out of business. Do those same people think that Dillard's is going out of business because the entire month of January is devoted to Dillard's sales?
Pretty soon though the Sale Corner begins to look a bit sad and even our staff and us owners get tired of watching it shrink slowly during the month.
We too are anxious to see new merchandise, something with different colors, exciting possiblities. When the red, pink and white candy arrives, we are very excited. And this year with new kinds of candy (check out the Duck Dynasty boxed hearts and the gorgeous Sweet Shop boxed truffles) our weary faces brighten up. At last we have something new to talk to our customers about.
Little known fact: if you aren't in retail, you might not know that January is Gift Market time and there are hundreds and hundreds of orders ahead of the ones you put in. The wait for new merchandise is understandable when you realize that it takes time for manufacturers to gather the orders, get them to the shipping department, boxed up, picked up by UPS or Fedex, loaded onto trucks, and finally arriving at our door.
21 years ago when we started in retail, most owners and managers went to the Gift Markets and most big manufacturers had a presence in showrooms at the Market. Now days less people make the trip to the Market, preferring to order online or wait for a catalogue or a sales rep to come to the store. We prefer to actually touch, see and ask about the merchandise while we walk who knows how many miles down the corridors of the Gift Market. A picture on a lap top or in a catalogue does nothing for us.
Thank goodness it is now February and we are coming out of the doldrums of January. We have donated the Christmas candy to the Homeless Shelter and Western Neighbors, replacing it with hearts and chocolates. We are slowly packing away the left over merchandise for our annual Sidewalk Sale in July. We are putting up new displays,with new gift and jewelry items.
No matter how cold it gets, our hearts are warmed by the opportunity to start over again in 2014.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Trollbeads: They Don't Live Under a Bridge
Today is the first day of a week of a Trollbeads Launch Event for the Spring Collection. The chilly nature of the weather is not an encouragement for shopping for luxury items. Some of us, though, think that jewelry is not only necessary but essential to the way we look and feel.
I dressed up today with my Trollbeads earrings, my Trollbeads blue bracelet and my Trollbeads ring. I could have gone for a Trollbeads necklace but I asked myself, "Would this be over kill?" and decided to leave well enough alone.
What about Trollbeads, you ask? Well, Sweet Tooth is the only retailer in the state of Oklahoma which carries Trollbeads. We have had this line for about 6 or 7 years and during the majority of that time we have continued to be an oasis in a desert for Trollbeads fans.
The line itself originated in Denmark probably 40 years ago, but has an international reputation and has made its mark in the U.S. A few years ago the family owned business established a headquarters in Princeton, N.J. and everything about the line has grown beautifully during that time.
The Spring Collection is a group of exotic silver and glass beads with names such as Arabian Nights, Hanging Gardens and Ancient Palace. Drawing upon the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (considered one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World) the jewelry designers have produced a luxuriant collection of beads.
I had a little fun with several of our staff explaining what a Dromedary is. The Dromedary, standing on an elegant glass bead, is an outstanding bead, as is the Falcon, the Swan and the Jewel Fairy Basslet.
I was especially drawn to the Moss Agate bead and will probably add that to a bracelet.
The down side of a Trunk Show is the possibility that all the new beads may not be available on the day the collection "launches". Sigh. And in the case of this show we are waiting for several beads to be delivered.
If you are curious about Trollbeads, come into the store and take a look. One of the continual questions we get from some customers is: Will Trollbeads fit on a Pandora bracelet? The answer is: Some beads will.
Hope to see you around the Trollbeads case....a perfect gift for oneself or for Valentine's Day.
I dressed up today with my Trollbeads earrings, my Trollbeads blue bracelet and my Trollbeads ring. I could have gone for a Trollbeads necklace but I asked myself, "Would this be over kill?" and decided to leave well enough alone.
What about Trollbeads, you ask? Well, Sweet Tooth is the only retailer in the state of Oklahoma which carries Trollbeads. We have had this line for about 6 or 7 years and during the majority of that time we have continued to be an oasis in a desert for Trollbeads fans.
The line itself originated in Denmark probably 40 years ago, but has an international reputation and has made its mark in the U.S. A few years ago the family owned business established a headquarters in Princeton, N.J. and everything about the line has grown beautifully during that time.
The Spring Collection is a group of exotic silver and glass beads with names such as Arabian Nights, Hanging Gardens and Ancient Palace. Drawing upon the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (considered one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World) the jewelry designers have produced a luxuriant collection of beads.
I had a little fun with several of our staff explaining what a Dromedary is. The Dromedary, standing on an elegant glass bead, is an outstanding bead, as is the Falcon, the Swan and the Jewel Fairy Basslet.
I was especially drawn to the Moss Agate bead and will probably add that to a bracelet.
The down side of a Trunk Show is the possibility that all the new beads may not be available on the day the collection "launches". Sigh. And in the case of this show we are waiting for several beads to be delivered.
If you are curious about Trollbeads, come into the store and take a look. One of the continual questions we get from some customers is: Will Trollbeads fit on a Pandora bracelet? The answer is: Some beads will.
Hope to see you around the Trollbeads case....a perfect gift for oneself or for Valentine's Day.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Gift Market and Valentine's Day: Random Thoughts
As we approach our annual trip to the Dallas Gift Show, we are beginning to analyze our store and our sales from last year. As Lisa said to me, "What are we going to look for?"
Not sure at this point. We know that jewelry and candy are our most popular lines and we will always be looking for what is new.
But the other 20% of our store is wide open. Sadly some lines have to go...for various reasons. Nothing new. The line has sort of died out. There needs to be more space for new lines. The trends are a-changing. On and on.
We know that when we discontinue a line we are occasionally regretful that we have to do that. Although we joke about "voting a line off the Island", we have still become attached to certain merchandise and we recognize that some of our customers are very attached to a particular line. Sorry Anna about Kelly Rae.
We are pouring through catalogues and emails. We will sit down for a Staff Meeting to discuss what our Market Plan will be and when we return from Dallas we will be jubilant and very excited about what we have found.
In the meantime, Valentine's Day is over the horizon. Next week we get our Valentine's candy. And bit by bit some gift items and jewelry will be arriving.
Footnote to Valentine's: This month's Food Magazine has a little article about the new Candy Hearts words.which often illustrate popular words and phrases we will be seeing a lot. This year Necco, which is the manufacturer of Candy Hearts, plans to bring back a few old favorites, including.....wait for it......LET'S READ. That puzzles me.
Other new phrases include OCCUPY MY HEART and #LOVE. What ever happened to BE MINE?
This is all in a day's work for a candy and gift store. Let us know if you #LOVE a line of gift items or candy. We will look around for it a the Gift Market.
P.S. Check us out on Instagram.
Not sure at this point. We know that jewelry and candy are our most popular lines and we will always be looking for what is new.
But the other 20% of our store is wide open. Sadly some lines have to go...for various reasons. Nothing new. The line has sort of died out. There needs to be more space for new lines. The trends are a-changing. On and on.
We know that when we discontinue a line we are occasionally regretful that we have to do that. Although we joke about "voting a line off the Island", we have still become attached to certain merchandise and we recognize that some of our customers are very attached to a particular line. Sorry Anna about Kelly Rae.
We are pouring through catalogues and emails. We will sit down for a Staff Meeting to discuss what our Market Plan will be and when we return from Dallas we will be jubilant and very excited about what we have found.
In the meantime, Valentine's Day is over the horizon. Next week we get our Valentine's candy. And bit by bit some gift items and jewelry will be arriving.
Footnote to Valentine's: This month's Food Magazine has a little article about the new Candy Hearts words.which often illustrate popular words and phrases we will be seeing a lot. This year Necco, which is the manufacturer of Candy Hearts, plans to bring back a few old favorites, including.....wait for it......LET'S READ. That puzzles me.
Other new phrases include OCCUPY MY HEART and #LOVE. What ever happened to BE MINE?
This is all in a day's work for a candy and gift store. Let us know if you #LOVE a line of gift items or candy. We will look around for it a the Gift Market.
P.S. Check us out on Instagram.
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