This past week we had a mother and her 3 younger children come shopping in our store. We had a good time observing the kids who were walking around the candy section checking out all the candy we had.
The mom had apparently said each could spend a certain amount of money and when that happens, it is truly amazing how much time and thinking a kid puts in to not waste their "allowance"on just any ole thing.
These 3 kids were searching for the sorts of candy they were familiar with: Hershey bars, Snickers and so on.
Sweet Tooth just doesn't carry those brands of candy. We gently explained to them that Sweet Tooth attempts to offer all sorts of candy which cannot be found in drugstores and groceries.
All of that presented a problem for these kids and was just exactly what the mom wanted to see happen. It was her intention to bring her children to a store which wasn't part of the mainstream, didn't carry the "ordinary" chocolates and candies. In her world she wanted to broaden the awareness and the taste of what we at Sweet Tooth think of as "specialty candy and chocolates".
It was actually fullfilling to hear a customer comment that our store was different...that we had items not always available elsewhere, and that the "allowance" given to her children should be spent in a new world of confections.
Toeing the delicate line between very special candy and the perceived value of these confections is a tricky challenge. The media is full of warnings about unhealthy eating, about calories and weight. There is, of course, a great need for this information. Who has time to read all the labels and count calories and carbs? Those who make it a part of their shopping experience are fewer in number than those whose time is spent otherwise.
As a retailer, we want to adhere to many of the healthy guidelines while at the same time offering a special treat in our candy section for "just the right price and value".
It actually takes a lot of time, research and effort to make that happen. We attempt to know what candy might be gluten free (not too much yet), what will happen if someone eats a candy which has been manufactured in a factory where nuts are used (peanut allergies being very prevalent), how many carbs are in a Sugar Free chocolate for those who can't or don't want to eat sugar.
Not many people who work in groceries or drug stores can answer those questions for their customers. Being able to do that is what small specialty retailers like Sweet Tooth call "customer service". We are aware of the available information and want to provide it for our customers. Many times we hear from a new staff member that they never realized how much there is to know about candy or how many questions we will get from customers.
In the world of Sweet Tooth, we are both sweet and serious about the work we do.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Valentine's Day Observations: Part 2
We are 9 days away from Valentine's Day. I have been speaking to a few other retailers about the observations they have concerning buying habits for this holiday. So far we all agree on the ones I posted last time.
So what other observations can I provide?
Observation OneA: No matter what, chocolate is always high up on the list of gifts for Valentine's Day. Someone could be giving jewelry (a typical V Day gift) or clothes or hopefully not a vacuum cleaner, but just like Christmas, most folks want to add some truffles or other chocolates to the gift.
Observation TwoA: I remember when people used to wear Green on St. Patrick's Day and Red or Valentine's Day. I'm not so sure that coordinating colors with the holiday is as typical as it was years ago. The color Red is firmly associated with Heart Health for Women and Pink for Breast Cancer. We need to go around to apparel stores and see if the clothes departments are full of red.
Observation ThreeA: Jeff is bound to get out all his Valentine's Day ties to wear at the store. Think about it!! What accessory do men have to coordinate with holidays? Ties, of course and Jeff has a few very clever ones. On the other hand, I may be found wearing my Betty Boop jewelry because there is no other icon for Valentine's Day which equals America's Sweetheart, Betty Boop.
Observation FourA: I have absolutely no research or data to back up this observation, but I just bet that lots of couples get engaged on Valentine's Day. We have often been asked to hide an engagement ring in a box of chocolates or a bag of Valentine's candy. Or I've heard of putting the ring in a cocktail....how many have almost choked on that ring? This is the stuff that Trivia games are made for.
Observation FiveA: This observation is true for every holiday.....no one wants to buy Valentine's Day candy at half-price on February 15. Come on, peeps. It is chocolate and at half-price who cares if it says "Be Mine"???
Since Observation Five A is the truest of the true, all the Sweet Tooth staff are hoping to be Sold Out of Valentine candy on February 14. Don't wait too long to shop for your sweeties...what we have now is all we will have for Valentine's Day.
So what other observations can I provide?
Observation OneA: No matter what, chocolate is always high up on the list of gifts for Valentine's Day. Someone could be giving jewelry (a typical V Day gift) or clothes or hopefully not a vacuum cleaner, but just like Christmas, most folks want to add some truffles or other chocolates to the gift.
Observation TwoA: I remember when people used to wear Green on St. Patrick's Day and Red or Valentine's Day. I'm not so sure that coordinating colors with the holiday is as typical as it was years ago. The color Red is firmly associated with Heart Health for Women and Pink for Breast Cancer. We need to go around to apparel stores and see if the clothes departments are full of red.
Observation ThreeA: Jeff is bound to get out all his Valentine's Day ties to wear at the store. Think about it!! What accessory do men have to coordinate with holidays? Ties, of course and Jeff has a few very clever ones. On the other hand, I may be found wearing my Betty Boop jewelry because there is no other icon for Valentine's Day which equals America's Sweetheart, Betty Boop.
Observation FourA: I have absolutely no research or data to back up this observation, but I just bet that lots of couples get engaged on Valentine's Day. We have often been asked to hide an engagement ring in a box of chocolates or a bag of Valentine's candy. Or I've heard of putting the ring in a cocktail....how many have almost choked on that ring? This is the stuff that Trivia games are made for.
Observation FiveA: This observation is true for every holiday.....no one wants to buy Valentine's Day candy at half-price on February 15. Come on, peeps. It is chocolate and at half-price who cares if it says "Be Mine"???
Since Observation Five A is the truest of the true, all the Sweet Tooth staff are hoping to be Sold Out of Valentine candy on February 14. Don't wait too long to shop for your sweeties...what we have now is all we will have for Valentine's Day.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
We are rounding the corner on February and on Valentine's Day at Sweet Tooth. After working 20 Valentine's Days at our store, I do have a few observations which I am willing to share.
Number One Observation: no matter what, men wait until the last minute to shop for Valentine's Day. If there is any truth to retail, it is this observation. And strangely so, because Valentine's Day on the calendar is always February 14. I can't say that I know why men wait until February 13 or 14 to shop, but I just know it is true.
Number Two Observation: when men wait til the last minute to shop they will spend any amount of money to impress their sweethearts. One might think that some men consider the amount they spend gets them out of some fantasy dog house they are in. Or one might be more generous and say that some men just want to show their sweethearts that they are worth their weight in gold (or chocolate or jewelry!).
Number Three Observation: the word "LOVE' is to be avoided at all costs. This particular truth is really puzzling. On a holiday where LOVE is the goal, fewer and fewer people want to buy anything with that word on it. Just like witches on Halloween, we try to avoid buying very much Valentine merchandise or candy with LOVE spelled out.
Number Four Observation: less and less people each year tell us that they are buying a gift for their children. I remember that my Mom always bought us a chocolate heart or a box of chocolate covered cherries.We really looked forward to that. Now this doesn't mean that people are loving their kids less. It might just be that a tradition like my Mom had for us is not so much a tradition for others these days. Thank goodness for the grandparents...they always want to treat their grandkids!!
Number Five Observation: although Valentine candy features the colors red, pink and white, pink Valentine boxes of chocolate don't sell near as well as red boxes. In the earlier days of Sweet Tooth, we'd always have a smaller pink heart shaped box of chocolate, assuming dads especially would buy that box for their daughters. Nowadays, we pretty much avoid pink boxes...they just sit on the shelf.
Number Six Observation: chocolate manufacturers are not using heart shaped boxes as much as they used to. I suppose it is because the cost of making that box is greater than a square or rectangular box and shoppers don't want to spend the extra money to have a heart.
I'll probably have a few more Valentine Observations as the days go forward in February. There are always surprises each year, new people, new attitudes, new shopping truths. I look forward to seeing just what will show up this year.
Number One Observation: no matter what, men wait until the last minute to shop for Valentine's Day. If there is any truth to retail, it is this observation. And strangely so, because Valentine's Day on the calendar is always February 14. I can't say that I know why men wait until February 13 or 14 to shop, but I just know it is true.
Number Two Observation: when men wait til the last minute to shop they will spend any amount of money to impress their sweethearts. One might think that some men consider the amount they spend gets them out of some fantasy dog house they are in. Or one might be more generous and say that some men just want to show their sweethearts that they are worth their weight in gold (or chocolate or jewelry!).
Number Three Observation: the word "LOVE' is to be avoided at all costs. This particular truth is really puzzling. On a holiday where LOVE is the goal, fewer and fewer people want to buy anything with that word on it. Just like witches on Halloween, we try to avoid buying very much Valentine merchandise or candy with LOVE spelled out.
Number Four Observation: less and less people each year tell us that they are buying a gift for their children. I remember that my Mom always bought us a chocolate heart or a box of chocolate covered cherries.We really looked forward to that. Now this doesn't mean that people are loving their kids less. It might just be that a tradition like my Mom had for us is not so much a tradition for others these days. Thank goodness for the grandparents...they always want to treat their grandkids!!
Number Five Observation: although Valentine candy features the colors red, pink and white, pink Valentine boxes of chocolate don't sell near as well as red boxes. In the earlier days of Sweet Tooth, we'd always have a smaller pink heart shaped box of chocolate, assuming dads especially would buy that box for their daughters. Nowadays, we pretty much avoid pink boxes...they just sit on the shelf.
Number Six Observation: chocolate manufacturers are not using heart shaped boxes as much as they used to. I suppose it is because the cost of making that box is greater than a square or rectangular box and shoppers don't want to spend the extra money to have a heart.
I'll probably have a few more Valentine Observations as the days go forward in February. There are always surprises each year, new people, new attitudes, new shopping truths. I look forward to seeing just what will show up this year.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
We Came, We Saw, We Ordered
We have been back from the Gift Market since Monday and I am managing to clean up the overload of catalogues which we brought back and were everywhere in my so-called office. It normally takes me about 1-3 months to get that job done, but I have been more determined this time to deal with the mess. And I have learned to say "no" when someone at the Market pokes a catalogue in my face.
It was a good trip. I shouldn't really say this....after all, I am a retailer.....but I managed to avoid the knee-jerk, impulse purchases. At the June Market Jeff and I ordered some really cool overlays which you wear over your boots. We thought them cool, our staff and our daughter absolutely abhorred them. So we cancelled. And that was a good thing, too!
Our staff came for 2 days at the Gift Market. Oneday they focused on the Temporaries...vendors who have smaller booths on floors 12 and 13 of the World Trade Center. And they found us a good Fudge maker. We think that we will be ordering that yummy, soft, smooth and delicious fudge some time soon.
We debated over jewelry lines and like the Survivor show, we did vote some gift and jewelry lines out of our store. It is always necessary to re-invent yourself when you are in retail. And try to avoid being the 15th store on the block with the same gift line!
Soon we will be showing our new purchases on Facebook, website and email newsletter. It really is fun to open up a box of brand new merchandise.
One of our staff asked me what I thought the best "find" was at the Market. In addition to Fudge, I said RADZ...a new candy toy item which we all adored. I never thought I'd rank a candy item as the Number One Best Find for Sweet Tooth.
Stay tuned. I'll be writing more about our trip. I do want you to know that we had no horror stories about hotels, stolen cars or trips to the hospital. Uneventful in that way and yet a whole lot of fun.
It was a good trip. I shouldn't really say this....after all, I am a retailer.....but I managed to avoid the knee-jerk, impulse purchases. At the June Market Jeff and I ordered some really cool overlays which you wear over your boots. We thought them cool, our staff and our daughter absolutely abhorred them. So we cancelled. And that was a good thing, too!
Our staff came for 2 days at the Gift Market. Oneday they focused on the Temporaries...vendors who have smaller booths on floors 12 and 13 of the World Trade Center. And they found us a good Fudge maker. We think that we will be ordering that yummy, soft, smooth and delicious fudge some time soon.
We debated over jewelry lines and like the Survivor show, we did vote some gift and jewelry lines out of our store. It is always necessary to re-invent yourself when you are in retail. And try to avoid being the 15th store on the block with the same gift line!
Soon we will be showing our new purchases on Facebook, website and email newsletter. It really is fun to open up a box of brand new merchandise.
One of our staff asked me what I thought the best "find" was at the Market. In addition to Fudge, I said RADZ...a new candy toy item which we all adored. I never thought I'd rank a candy item as the Number One Best Find for Sweet Tooth.
Stay tuned. I'll be writing more about our trip. I do want you to know that we had no horror stories about hotels, stolen cars or trips to the hospital. Uneventful in that way and yet a whole lot of fun.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Hotels We Have Known at Market
Going to the Gift Market also brings to mind the numerous hotels we have stayed in during Market and some of the unbelieveable things which have happened to us there.
Early in our Market career we found a hotel which is just across the street "on the back side" of the Gift Market. No need to travel, we just had to walk. We were there in January and it was cold and damp. We started out from the hotel with our daughter Sabrina trying to figure out how to get across the ditch which bordered the land on which the Market is built.
Encouraged by Jeff, we walked along the ditch, further and further and could find no way across. We eventually crossed over through the cold water, socks and shoes wet. Our first stop was the Russ Berrie showroom where we asked if we could take off our shoes and socks to let them dry out! Fun, huh?
That same hotel under different ownership gave us more disasters, like a door to the room which was off its hinges and wouldn't shut.
That reminds me of the hotel where the wall shook when we shut the door. We had just arrived in our room when we discovered that problem. We immediately walked next door to a nice hotel and asked to see a room. The staff member took us up to a very nice, comfy room which we instantly liked and said we would stay in that hotel, in that room only!
Finally the biggest and most traumatic experience for Sabrina was a June Market a few years ago. We were dressed and ready for a long day at the Market when we walked out the hotel's back door where we had parked our SUV. The 3 of us just stood there in silence, looking around as if we were on another planet. The spot where we parked our car was empty.
Of course you know the end of the story. Our car was stolen sometime during the night, right under a big spotlight and a camera which was pointed away from the car. No wonder that hotel was one of the few we stayed in over the years which had a car rental service in the lobby!
That car was found almost exactly 1 year later, in Irving, Texas.
Life is a journey, some say. Hopefully this time, as with most times, we will encounter no problems and come back with lots of new ideas and merchandise for 2013!
Early in our Market career we found a hotel which is just across the street "on the back side" of the Gift Market. No need to travel, we just had to walk. We were there in January and it was cold and damp. We started out from the hotel with our daughter Sabrina trying to figure out how to get across the ditch which bordered the land on which the Market is built.
Encouraged by Jeff, we walked along the ditch, further and further and could find no way across. We eventually crossed over through the cold water, socks and shoes wet. Our first stop was the Russ Berrie showroom where we asked if we could take off our shoes and socks to let them dry out! Fun, huh?
That same hotel under different ownership gave us more disasters, like a door to the room which was off its hinges and wouldn't shut.
That reminds me of the hotel where the wall shook when we shut the door. We had just arrived in our room when we discovered that problem. We immediately walked next door to a nice hotel and asked to see a room. The staff member took us up to a very nice, comfy room which we instantly liked and said we would stay in that hotel, in that room only!
Finally the biggest and most traumatic experience for Sabrina was a June Market a few years ago. We were dressed and ready for a long day at the Market when we walked out the hotel's back door where we had parked our SUV. The 3 of us just stood there in silence, looking around as if we were on another planet. The spot where we parked our car was empty.
Of course you know the end of the story. Our car was stolen sometime during the night, right under a big spotlight and a camera which was pointed away from the car. No wonder that hotel was one of the few we stayed in over the years which had a car rental service in the lobby!
That car was found almost exactly 1 year later, in Irving, Texas.
Life is a journey, some say. Hopefully this time, as with most times, we will encounter no problems and come back with lots of new ideas and merchandise for 2013!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Take Me Back To Tulsa!!
Counting down to our trip to the Dallas Market causes us to reflect on the past 20 years of our attendance there. In the 60 plus times we have made that trip to Dallas, we have bought hundreds of gift and candy lines. The other day we were discussing what our Top 5 Finds have been. Here they are.
Sabrina's favorite Find was the Farkel dice game. For a number of years we carried that game in our store. One year the University of Tulsa had a big Farkel tournament on campus. Farkel is a really fun game and although we don't currently carry it, Farkel could make a Come Back some day.
Our surprise Find at the Gift Market was the Peppermint Pig. I had been searching for that candy item, having read about it in a trade magazine. I never expected to walk down the Gourmet Food Market aisle and find the owners of that company. We had so much fun with the Peppermint Pig, one of the few American companies which hand makes their candy in copper pots. One year they also made a chocolate Titanic ship, complete with the rock candy glacier which sunk that ship. It was Terri Bowers favorite gift from Sweet Tooth that year.
Number 3 great Find has to be our ongoing relationship with Barry Horn, owner of Hobbs and Dobbs, a candy distributor located in Beverly Hills. Twice a year we look forward to seeing Barry because he always has the latest, the greatest and the most fun candy. We hug and talk and order from his showroom....he is so honest and never lets us buy anything which he doesn't put his personal guarantee on. These days we bring Barry an authentic Oklahoma T-Shirt, his clothing choice. Barry's favorite t-shirt is the one we brought him which says I SPEAK OKIE.
Number 4 and Number 5 Top Finds have to be 2 of our all time best selling gift lines. The first is the North American Bear line of Muffy bears. No longer on the Market in the same format, Muffy and her friends and family allowed us to have a line of plush which could be dressed, which had accessories and had a wonderful story line. We even rented the Full Size Muffy Bear Costume and held Muffy parties in our store. Ask Sabrina...she was usually the one in the Muffy Costume.
Finally there was a great fun company called Our Name Is Mud. The ceramic mugs and plates from that company were a big hit...clever, witty and funny sayings on the ceramics which made the best gifts for just about everyone. Purchased by a larger manufacturer, Our Name is Mud lost its uniqueness and we had to give it up. What a shame!
Let me add one other Great Find. That was all the years we were known as the Mary Engelbreit store. Cherries, flat flowers, wonderful quotes and bright cheerful colors, Mary Engelbreit's creations were our longest running line of gifts and cards and books.
So...we are looking forward to the next Great Finds at the Dallas Market. We never can tell what will jump out at us and say TAKE ME BACK TO TULSA!!
Sabrina's favorite Find was the Farkel dice game. For a number of years we carried that game in our store. One year the University of Tulsa had a big Farkel tournament on campus. Farkel is a really fun game and although we don't currently carry it, Farkel could make a Come Back some day.
Our surprise Find at the Gift Market was the Peppermint Pig. I had been searching for that candy item, having read about it in a trade magazine. I never expected to walk down the Gourmet Food Market aisle and find the owners of that company. We had so much fun with the Peppermint Pig, one of the few American companies which hand makes their candy in copper pots. One year they also made a chocolate Titanic ship, complete with the rock candy glacier which sunk that ship. It was Terri Bowers favorite gift from Sweet Tooth that year.
Number 3 great Find has to be our ongoing relationship with Barry Horn, owner of Hobbs and Dobbs, a candy distributor located in Beverly Hills. Twice a year we look forward to seeing Barry because he always has the latest, the greatest and the most fun candy. We hug and talk and order from his showroom....he is so honest and never lets us buy anything which he doesn't put his personal guarantee on. These days we bring Barry an authentic Oklahoma T-Shirt, his clothing choice. Barry's favorite t-shirt is the one we brought him which says I SPEAK OKIE.
Number 4 and Number 5 Top Finds have to be 2 of our all time best selling gift lines. The first is the North American Bear line of Muffy bears. No longer on the Market in the same format, Muffy and her friends and family allowed us to have a line of plush which could be dressed, which had accessories and had a wonderful story line. We even rented the Full Size Muffy Bear Costume and held Muffy parties in our store. Ask Sabrina...she was usually the one in the Muffy Costume.
Finally there was a great fun company called Our Name Is Mud. The ceramic mugs and plates from that company were a big hit...clever, witty and funny sayings on the ceramics which made the best gifts for just about everyone. Purchased by a larger manufacturer, Our Name is Mud lost its uniqueness and we had to give it up. What a shame!
Let me add one other Great Find. That was all the years we were known as the Mary Engelbreit store. Cherries, flat flowers, wonderful quotes and bright cheerful colors, Mary Engelbreit's creations were our longest running line of gifts and cards and books.
So...we are looking forward to the next Great Finds at the Dallas Market. We never can tell what will jump out at us and say TAKE ME BACK TO TULSA!!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Stayin Alive in Retail!!
What's next on our Going to the Market schedule? It is taking inventory.
At Sweet Tooth we have some of the best inventory takers. Everything is done by hand or in these days, photos on cell phones.
By the time we leave for the Gift Market, we generally know which gift and candy lines are not going to make it in 2013. And our mailbox is flooded with promotional material from all sorts of companies. In addition, emails are flying, attempting to get us interested in visiting all the showrooms at the Gift Market to see new products. (Footnote: it is pretty ridiculous how many promotional post cards we receive AFTER we return from the Market. Some companies just can't get their act together!)
Our Going to Market file folder is full of possibilities. Don't you just love life when it is full of possibilities? Hope is on the horizon, hope that we find the newest, the trendiest, the coolest, the best priced....on and on.
Without inventories of what we have in the store, we might just order items we already have in stock. We aren't perfect! So it is worth while to get our ducks in a row. Jeff especially likes to take pictures of displays in the store, so when we are in the Dallas Market we can see what is actually on the shelves in the store.
We have a Staff Meeting before going to Market so that we can talk about our approach to looking for new lines. It is sort of like those Survivor television shows: we discuss and then we vote gift lines or candy OUT of the store. If a line can't survive 7 or 8 Sweet Tooth staffers, then we apply our version of Darwin's Survival of the Fittest.
Just so you know, there is a great deal of laughter and fun while taking inventory, while walking miles and miles on tile floors at the Gift Market and sharing some lunches and dinners in Dallas. Retail: we are going where we have never been before or have we? Let's check the inventory and the photos!!
At Sweet Tooth we have some of the best inventory takers. Everything is done by hand or in these days, photos on cell phones.
By the time we leave for the Gift Market, we generally know which gift and candy lines are not going to make it in 2013. And our mailbox is flooded with promotional material from all sorts of companies. In addition, emails are flying, attempting to get us interested in visiting all the showrooms at the Gift Market to see new products. (Footnote: it is pretty ridiculous how many promotional post cards we receive AFTER we return from the Market. Some companies just can't get their act together!)
Our Going to Market file folder is full of possibilities. Don't you just love life when it is full of possibilities? Hope is on the horizon, hope that we find the newest, the trendiest, the coolest, the best priced....on and on.
Without inventories of what we have in the store, we might just order items we already have in stock. We aren't perfect! So it is worth while to get our ducks in a row. Jeff especially likes to take pictures of displays in the store, so when we are in the Dallas Market we can see what is actually on the shelves in the store.
We have a Staff Meeting before going to Market so that we can talk about our approach to looking for new lines. It is sort of like those Survivor television shows: we discuss and then we vote gift lines or candy OUT of the store. If a line can't survive 7 or 8 Sweet Tooth staffers, then we apply our version of Darwin's Survival of the Fittest.
Just so you know, there is a great deal of laughter and fun while taking inventory, while walking miles and miles on tile floors at the Gift Market and sharing some lunches and dinners in Dallas. Retail: we are going where we have never been before or have we? Let's check the inventory and the photos!!
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