Success only runs one direction....
Congrats to Ann Fruland at the Chicago Mart, who was just transitioned into a new role with MMPI: Director of Marketing for The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair. Granted, the twice yearly consumer event will bring new challenges, but Ann can handle it. She’s a sharp cookie who’ll make things move.
Still…sure will miss you on the Gift Show side.
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Final stop: Findables (1643 N. Milwaukee Avenue).
We were welcomed with open arms, this time by someone who’s been paying his dues in Chicago retail for over twenty years. David James Ginople is a vivacious, highly respected local businessman in the community, and someone who’s weathered both good times and bad. He immediately jumped right in, sharing his wisdom and enthusiasm with attendees, reminding them they can survive this crazy economy if they simply think out of the box, giving customers what they want while making sure they (the store owners) simultaneously get what they need.
After hanging on his every word, the group spread out in the store…then at the register (if you can get a roomful of store owners to open up their wallets and pay retail, well…you’re doing something really right). From terrific table top to beautiful jewelry and hats, his eclectic product mix works well. If you make it from one end of the store to the other without being seriously tempted, well, then you’re not really paying attention.
David could teach a master class on running a successful store. And on how to light up a room. And on how to best serve the customer. Pretty impressive combination, if you ask me.
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Note to stores invited to be part of the Trolley Tour:
Allow participants to take pictures inside. They’re there to see and learn, and they paid money to do so. Would have been nice to feel like a welcome guest rather than a closely watched trespasser.
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The Trolley Tour on Sunday night was a lot of fun, due in great part to the fact I got the coolest trolley group to ride with (figuratively, not literally, since it was about 100 degrees in the front part of the car where windows refused to open). We had fun.
So…to the stores on the tour. First stop: Smitten (1041 W. Madison Street).
This fairly new endeavor on the Near West side of Chicago is geared toward engaged couples looking for one stop shopping as they create the wedding of their dreams. From bejeweled frames to cute attendant gift ideas, their offerings were lovely; the atmosphere of the store is a cross between Paris chic and warehouse hip, with white painted brick walls, a massive black chandelier, and French doors that open from the back into what will soon be a refreshing garden area.
Private consult rooms are set off the main floor, which is a bright idea–but not based on light level. In the words of a nearby tour member peering into the small, decidedly dark rooms decked out in black and white, they’re “kind of depressing.”
The attitude, however, was sunburst brilliant, as the owner, Kirstin (last name?) welcomed us with open arms. Undaunted by clicking cameras and a barrage of questions, she showed us all what retail hospitality is about.
If they bring in a solid selection of wedding invitation lines, this little gem could turn out to be one big, multi-carat diamond. So far, so good.
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To the retailers who attended my “Speed Networking” session on Sunday:
You guys rock. Big time.
It was my first fully interactive gig (as well as the first time I’ve allowed someone else to name the theme), which had the butterflies in my stomach flapping like mad over breakfast that day. As I told Mom, “Either this will work spectacularly, or it will bomb spectacularly. We’ll know in the first five minutes.”
Thankfully, you guys went with option A…and continued to do so for about an hour after the session officially ended. Felt like a proud parent on graduation day.
So…keep it rockin’ folks. You truly are someone’s Go To Guru* and the apple of my eye.
*If you were there, you know. If you weren’t, well…shoulda been.
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Prepare yourself. I’m about to climb on my soapbox.
We all know the economy’s tight. And we all know that a tight economy will have a negative impact on the gift industry. And we all know one of those negative impacts is lower attendance at the gift shows.
No shock there.
What is shocking, however, is the rampant rumor mill surrounding attendance at the Atlanta gift show last week. Granted, I’m partial to Atlanta as one of its Advisory Board members, but that doesn’t make me stupid. I’ve got it a bit more together than that.
Here’s where I climb up on my box, so buckle in.
A person (who shall remain nameless) told me Atlanta’s attendance was down 30%. I assured him that number was wildly (read: incomprehensibly, extraordinarily, over-the-moon-ily) inflated…which it was. Having attended last Monday’s meeting, I know the actual number, and folks, it ain’t even remotely close to this sky-high 30% stuff; attendance was significantly better than that.
As in double-digits-significantly.
What gets my goat, is that the same rumor found its way to Chicago in a mere six days, where it had grown to a whopping 30-40% drop. The person who told me (who shall also remain nameless) is someone of the highest moral character…the kind of guy who simply isn’t into rumors.
Needless to say, I nearly came out of my shoes.
Yes, marts and shows are competitive, and yes, many “fudge” on the numbers to gain a (perceived) advantage. But-—and this is a big but-—Atlanta is using hard data. They count the number of buyer badges printed on-site; they aren’t using eyeball estimates of how many people are in the hall or strolling through a showroom. They’re counting actual breathing, physically present bodies. Besides-—they’re audited on this stuff.
Face it-—with most buyers opting for shorter market trips these days, showrooms aren’t going to look like they did when everyone stormed the hallways all at once. Buyers are coming in shifts, which lessens bottlenecking, just like highway on-ramp meters do. No mystery there.
Also, they’re getting pickier about whose product to take a chance on this holiday season. If it’s a sure hit, they’re in. If it’s the least bit iffy, well…as Heidi Klum would say “Yow out.”
Folks, we have a choice to make. Either we get real about what’s going on in our industry, then adapt -or- we allow rumors to perpetuate a gloomier reality that we already have.
Of course, the latter will only make things worse, which is just plain ridiculous.
Some showrooms saw 30% drops in their traffic and their orders. Some showrooms saw 30% increases in their traffic and their orders. My bet is product and attitude have a lot more to do with which end of the numbers game someone’s on than attendance, regardless of where they’re showing.
So…whadaya say we all put our pointy sticks down and stop trying to poke holes in one another? Maybe, just maybe, we can float back to the top en masse when this thing passes.
There. End of rant. Thanks for listening.
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