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The top retail trends in 2023

Square teamed up with Wakefield Research and surveyed 2,000 consumers and 500 retail owners and managers about where retail is headed. What they found reinforces the shopping trends towards digital online consumerism that we talk about so much here in the newsletter.

The shop on main street, the post on your Instagram feed, and the email to the online store may all come from the same retailer. It will be hard to thrive in the coming decade without social and mobile commerce or marketing. Augmenting consumer access to your shop and its merchandise will be imperative (think, omnichannel retailing).

“The who, what, where, and why behind our shopping experience is going through a metamorphosis.”

OmniChanneL Retailing
– Social media – Online store / website – Mobile devices / text message – Kiosks / pop-up – Lobby / cafeteria / atrium – Brick & mortar store
Retailers now sell their goods on an average of four different channels.

Take, for example, the fate of your local bookshop. Bookstores took a hit with the advent of digital books. Brick-and-mortar shopping is facing the same future with the rise of digital retailing.

Adapt. Adapt. Adapt.

Shops relying on earlier formats will either adapt or die out as the new ones pull volume from their stores and make the remaining volume less profitable.

Square analyzed the survey results, insights from the Square retail team, and interviews with creative retailers leading the charge to identify the top retail trends for businesses to explore this year. All data cited below comes from the survey results: The Future of Retail Report: 2023 Edition.

Expand where you sell

81% of retailers are planning to expand the number of digital channels they sell on in the next 12 months.
Retailers reported 43% of their revenue comes from online sales.
Brands need to be seen and heard…where consumers can come to be inspired and to shop. (YES, your shop has a “brand”, if you’re marketing it correctly.)

*The Future of Retail Report: 2023 Edition*

Plan for economic uncertainty

44% noted raising prices as their top choice in the event of an economic downturn.
88% of consumers say they’d understand if their favorite local business raised its prices.
38% of consumers would be more likely to shop at a smaller business to support those who may be struggling.

Enhance the customer experience with automation

73% of consumers prefer retailers use automation instead of staff in at least one area of the shopping experience.
Automation allows customers to experience things their way and at their own pace.
44% of consumers want an automated tool to check product information or inventory.
94% of retailers plan to enhance their in-store customer experience, turning commerce into an event.

Customers want to engage with brands

86% of customers want to hear from businesses they frequent.
Consumers prefer to engage via email Facebook, text message, Instagram and TikTok

*meet them where theY are*
60% prefer Email 32% prefer Facebook 31% prefer Text/SMS 17% prefer Instagram 10% prefer TikTok

26% are interested in social media purchases.
22% are interested in virtual reality experiences.
20% are interested in QR code window shopping.
19% are interested in text message or chat sales.
18% are interested live-streamed events.

Social and mobile commerce are booming

79% of consumers make purchases directly from their mobile devices.
91% of retailers surveyed sell on social media.
19% of consumers said that they want retailers to offer ways to purchase directly through text or other chat messaging tools.

🎯 Tips

Turn your shop windows into a sales associate. Place QR codes in your displays to allow passersby to shop even when your store is closed.
Numerous POS systems support QR codes: Square, Shopify, Lightspeed, Vend, etc.
Capture customer information when they scan your QR codes.

SOURCE: RetailDive

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UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

JULY
Jul 4 – Independence Day 🇺🇸 Jul 7 – World Chocolate Day Jul 10 – Ntn’l Pina Colada Day 🧉 Jul 14 – Ntn’l Mac & Cheese Day Jul 31 – Nat’l Avocado Day 🥑

AUGUST
…fill with fun off-season sales! Aug 3 – Ntn’l Watermelon Day 🍉 Aug 8 – Intn’l Cat Day 🐈‍⬛ Aug 9 – Book Lovers Day Aug 15 – Ntn’l Relaxation Day 🛀🏽 Aug 21 – Senior Citizens Day Back-to-School Season 🏫

september
Sep 4 – Labor Day Sep 9 – Star Trek Day 🖖🏼 Sep 10 – Grandparents Day Sep 15-17 – Rosh HaShanah 🍯 🍎 Sep 25 – Yom Kippur Sep 23 – First Day of Fall 🍁

Volunteer auxiliaries dissolve, shops close

Pandemic shuts Laconia Hospital auxiliary after 129 years

LACONIA, NH – After more than 128 years, the Lakes Region General Hospital Auxiliary at Lakes Region General Hospital and Concord Hospital-Laconia sadly, like many auxiliary organizations across the country, has ended.

“We were having problems getting volunteers for the gift shop before COVID hit. The board members and I were there almost 24/7 to keep it open, and some days we couldn’t keep it open at all,” said Paulette Adams, president of the auxiliary, noting that volunteers and board members were all of retirement age.

The pandemic forced the gift shop to shut in 2020 and also canceled the annual fall craft fair, which had started small but had grown so large that it moved to the Laconia High School gym. After two years of shutdown, it proved impossible to get going again. The gift shop will reopen under the hospital’s management. Lanconia Daily Sun, 2023

Regina General Hospital gift shop changes hands after four decades under volunteer leadership

REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN – The Regina General Hospital Auxiliary, a volunteer-led organization, is handing over the keys for the gift shop after 42 years. The auxiliary has contributed nearly $4.5 million dollars over the last four decades. The Hospitals of Regina Foundation will take over operation. The Foundation plans to renovate the gift shop and the bookstore before hopefully reopening in the fall. Many auxiliary members have already signed up to volunteer.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the shop to close in March 2020 and the auxiliary was unable to reopen. “We couldn’t make up a board and we couldn’t get enough volunteers to run the gift shop and if you’re going to do something you want to do it right,” said auxiliary president Norma Rohatyn, adding it was a difficult decision to disband and give up the shop.

At its peak, it had upwards of 80 members, but at the time it disbanded there were 28 members with an average age of 82. CTV News, 2023

Sierra View issues a heartfelt goodbye to ‘Pink Ladies’

PORTERVILLE, CA – After 59 years of service, the governing board of the Volunteer League at Sierra View Medical Center voted to dissolve, allowing league members to focus on volunteering without having to run and attend board meetings, pay dues, or manage league financials.

“Although the Volunteer League has voted to dissolve, SVMC’s volunteer opportunities hold the same core values of community service. Volunteers will still bring the same warmth and helpful hand to the hospital, while being able to focus on their passion of giving.”

The hospital gift shop, previously managed by the Volunteer League, closed April 28, 2023 and will reopen under new management once the state approves the Sierra View Volunteer League dissolution. The Valley Voice, 2023

Barstow Community Hospital Auxiliary bids farewell after 62 years

BARSTOW, CA – After 62 years, the Barstow Community Hospital Auxiliary closed its last chapter. As a final act of the Auxiliary’s benevolence, the organization donated $25,000 to the Barstow Community College Foundation for future healthcare student scholarships.

The decision to dissolve the group was primarily due to lost revenue from the loss of the gift shop and vending machines. The gift shop began reducing inventory sales, with items sold at 50% off. The gift shop continued sales until all items were sold, with an end date of July 31. Daily Press, 2022

Culpeper Hospital Auxiliary votes to dissolve

CULPEPER, VA – After 60 years of service, the Culpeper Hospital Auxiliary has voted to dissolve. The onset of COVID-19 and its impact on volunteers, as well as continuing concerns about filling leadership positions are contributing factors to the decision.

Estimated more than 1,433,000 volunteer hours have been accrued by the organization since it began, equivalent to $40 million dollars in manpower.

The Auxiliary gave $100,000 in 1986 toward capital improvements at the hospital; $410,000 in 1997 toward extensive renovation of the medical/surgical nursing unit; $1.2 million in 2001 toward the capital campaign that built Powell Wellness Center; $400,000 in 2007 for digital 3D mammography; $700,000 in 2012 to purchase a breast coil and software for the MRI equipment and $500,000 in 2017 for the hospital cafeteria renovation. Culpeper Star, 2021

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A. Do you charge for shopping bags? 🛍

I would be interested in hearing what other hospital gift shops do about shopping bag expense. We have been giving them away when the purchase is a gift, but this is getting out of hand and prices of bags have really gone up. I would like to start charging but, not sure how this will go over since we have been giving them away for so long. Even the plastic “thank you bags” have gone up in price. – Cheryl, Novant Health, Charlotte, NC. 3/22/23

We charge for the specialty birthday, congratulations etc. bags but not our regular paper bags. We do have reusable bags with our logo that we recently got. Right now, we are doing a promotion to get customers into the habit of using them (and saving us money by not needing our paper bags). We hand out to our loyalty customers at purchase. Inside the bags are coupons for 10% and 15% off in the month of May, June and July. It has been very effective. In addition, it advertises for us too. – Jodi Babineau, Sunshine Gift Shoppe, Lakeview Medical Center, Rice Lake, WI. 40 beds. 4/18/23.

We do not charge and they remain pretty inexpensive for us through Nashville Wraps, but the key is ensuring that you receive free freight. I did switch to a plain plastic bag and I think that cost us .24 cents per bag. Most of our customers spend well over that so it’s okay. – Ali McCrary. Good Samaritan, Vincennes, IN. 232 beds. 4/22/23

Yes, we charge for gift bags. We have basic price points for the kraft paper bags and do have some premium glossy bags. We use Nashville Wraps. – Greg Holtgrewe. Baptist Health Paducah, Paducah, KY. 300 beds. 4/18/23

We only charge for specialty bags (1st baby, birthday, etc.). We do not charge for regular merchandise bags. – Peter Waugh, Memorial Hospital, North Conway, NH. 25 beds. 4/21/23.

No, we do not charge for shopping bags. – Nancy Collins, New London Hospital, New London, NH. 25 beds. 4/26/23

We do not charge, use some reusable plastic and also Kraft bags with handles. Both can be used as gift bags when we add colorful tissue and curly ribbon. Customers really appreciate this. We buy from American Retail. – Whidbey Health Medical Center, Coupeville. 35 beds. 4/19/23

We do not charge for gift bags and we purchase from Dollar Tree and Amazon. We are a small hospital gift shop. – Janet Sherwood. 4/19/23

We buy gift bags from Dollar Tree and order from Kellis gift shop supplier to have for customers to buy when purchasing a gift. – Karen, South Austin Medical Clinic, Austin, TX. 4/19/23

No charge. We use Nashville Wraps; the price is reasonable – Tricia Rochman, Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Carbondale, IL. 154 beds. 4/19/23

We do not charge for gift bags. We offer brown handle bags with colored tissue and ribbon as a courtesy to our guests. We do offer gift bags from the giftwrap company at retail for those who want a little more. – Kevin Shaw, Methodist Hospital Gift Shop, St. Louis Park, MN. 4/19/23

We do not charge for gift bags as we feel this is a courtesy for shopping with us. If they do not purchase a gift from the Gift Shop and they want a gift bag, we do charge a small fee. – Deb Kerr, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City. 385 beds. 4/19/23

We charge for gift bags and we have all different sizes and shapes. we carry pink merch bags that we do not charge for and get them through Nashville wrap. – Christine Parker, Kent Hospitality Shop, Warwick. 359 beds. 4/19/23

We do not charge at time of purchase however we build the cost into our product costs. – Shauna Morgan, Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon, Canada. 4/19/23

We do not charge for shopping bags if the customer makes a purchase. However, we do charge if they don’t. – Laura Keipert, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, GA. 4/18/23

See similar question in 2022: shopping bag vendors. A lot of comments.

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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Q. Is your shop large enough to generate desired sales?

What is the smallest square footage you have seen for a gift shop in a larger hospital (e.g., 645 beds)? We will be losing our existing space of ~700 sq ft (+ back office and storage) and are currently evaluating our (very limited) options. The new space will likely be a much smaller footprint (300-500 sq ft). – Wendi Vela, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA. 6/6/23

FROM CINDY

Our database has over 4,000 hospital gift shops. There are 660 shops that qualify as ‘large’ with 500 beds or more. So, we can assume that most of those shops are fairly large in size to service their employees, visitors and guests.

Most large hospital gift shops are at least 1,000 sq ft of selling space and usually have additional shops in their children’s and cancer centers.

Here is a sample letter requesting additional gift shop space. I hope this helps in your effort to ensure the new space for your shop is large enough to meet it’s retail needs.

Dear Hospital Administrator,

The Hospital Gift Shop requests additional space to meet their customer’s needs and wants. With almost __ employees working in the hospital, the potential for increased sales and service is great. In a recent survey, __% of the hospital employees commented on the limited size and crowded conditions in the existing shop. It is also important that the shop is ADA compliant.

The Gift Shop’s actual selling space is presently __ square feet. During the past fiscal year, gross sales were $__. Annual sales per square foot were $__. Therefore, a shop of 1,200 square feet can feasibly generate approximately $__ in gross sales.

This past year the shop’s net profit was __% of gross sales. With __ square feet in selling space, the gift shop could provide the hospital with approximately $__ in net revenue annually. Over a period of many years, revenue to the hospital would be substantial.

Thank you for your consideration.

Is your shop large enough for the hospital size and to feasibly generate the desired or prescribed sales?

Enter your shop’s square feet and the number of beds in the hospital it serves. Enter the selling space. Do NOT include stock room, back office, etc. Do NOT include the sqft for multi-locations.

Is your shop large enough compared to number of beds.<-CLICK TO COMMENT

Example
Square Feet: 1,000
# of Beds: 615
Anthem Hospital, Lockert, NY

Is your shop large enough to feasibly generate desired sales? How does the size of your shop stack up to others?

Leave a comment here or enter it at the bottom of the newsletter.
Thank you!

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

Gift shop cited for “combustible” candles 😮

Today we were paid a visit by our Director of Environment of Care and Life Safety telling us the hospital was cited by the Fire Marshal for a doctor having an unlit candle in his office. We sell candles in our gift shops and now they are suggesting we no longer carry candles as they are considered “combustible”.

Can you tell me if you have ever heard of this before? I have been here over 10 years and have carried candles for just about that amount of time. I have never heard of it. – Deborah R. Kerr, Director of Retail Strategy & Gift Shop Operations, Children’s Mercy, Kansas City, MO. 4/24/23

FROM CINDY

In my +30 years working with hospital gift shops, I have never heard of a case where selling candles violates National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) code for healthcare facilities. Once a candle is sold it is not the responsibility of the gift shop to determine how or where it will be used. It is up to the hospital and the employee who purchased the candle to follow the policies. There are many more flammable and combustible compounds in a hospital that fall under this code. Thank you for sharing!

Auxiliary donates $1.5 million

The Jupiter Medical Center Auxiliary recently donated $1.5 million to create a state-of-the-art and tranquil family waiting area in the Johnny and Terry Gray Surgical Institute. The space will be named the Jupiter Medical Center Auxiliary Lounge.

The donation is the result of sales from the hospital’s volunteer-run thrift and gift shops. In addition to financial contributions, the auxiliary oversees all volunteer efforts, including the 55,000 hours of service provided between the shops and patient care in 2022.

Since its inception, the auxiliary has donated more than $14 million to the hospital. Prior to this donation, its most recent gift was a $1 million pledge in 2019 to support the hospital’s DeGeorge Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

SOURCE: Florida Weekly

Gift shop grand reopening 📣

Concord Hospital – Laconia holds grand re-opening of gift shop

Concord Hospital – Laconia recently celebrated the re-opening of its gift shop, signifying a return to normalcy following the pandemic. Located on the first floor of the hospital, the gift shop is staffed by volunteers and is open Monday through Friday from 10am – 2pm, offering an assortment of unique gifts and food options.

Kevin McCarthy, chief administrative officer, Concord Hospital —Franklin and Laconia; Paulette Adams, gift shop volunteer; Jana McCourty Bunker, gift shop manager; and Kourtney Soucey, director, patient & family services.

“The re-opening of the gift shop makes the organization feel a bit more alive now that the pandemic is behind us,” commented Kevin McCarthy, chief administrative officer, Concord Hospital – Franklin and Laconia.

“I want to thank Jana McCourty Bunker and her team, as well as our IT folks, for all their hard work with getting the new space set up. I have received several comments over the past several months concerning the gift shop and the hope that we could offer it again. Now that it’s open, I see a level of excitement that this is one more sign of a return to normalcy for our staff.”

SOURCE: Laconia Daily Sun

MAY 2023 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #641
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DISCUSSION

SOCIAL MEDIA

Q. When it comes to social media and you are restricted to nothing outside of the hospital, how do you make this work? We do have a Facebook page, but it is a closed group. As volunteers, we are part of this group and we do invite friends. But feel this doesn’t reach more in the community. – Jan Friedman, Unity Point, Dubuque, IA. 1/24/23

We use Facebook to promote events, fundraisers, merchandise and more. Facebook groups are also a great way to share, to remind people to come to your business! This is especially helpful when unable to visit the hospital gift shop during COVID with visitor/public restrictions. – Jennifer Bahlmann-Ballantine. 3/7/23

Does Cindy have any social media groups or message boards for gift shop managers and buyers to collaborate in a more effectively and allow for real time reactions? I know many gift shop personnel may participate in volunteer management professional networking groups and organizations but there doesn’t seem to be anything out there specific to gift shop retailers. Is anyone a part of any local groups for networking? -Holly Verbos, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA. 628 beds. 2/22/2023

I love this idea! I would love to have something to be able to connect with other hospital gift shop managers. It would be great to be able to ask questions, bounce ideas and just overall support from other managers :) – Lanie Ray, Wishes Gift Shop/Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH. 2/24/2023

Even a private Facebook group would be really helpful. We could post pictures of displays or products for each other to comment on and discuss. I think it would foster greater newsletter comment and discussion too! -Holly Verbos, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA. 628 beds. 2/24/2023

We have a closed Facebook group, as well. And need advice also. – Nancy Williams. 2/17/23

As a not-for-profit hospital, we are not allowed to post outside of the hospital. We are allowed to email our employees internally. – Craig McKneely, Scripps Mercy Hospital Gift Shop, San Diego. 412 beds. 2/17/23

We use our hospital’s communications and public relations office for that purpose. – Peter Waugh. 2/17/23

Our health system requires social media posts go through marketing. As ‘just’ the gift shop it is difficult to get regular postings. Pre-COVID we would have annual events throughout the year, usually four. Post-COVID we only have two, Poinsettia and Pastries for Christmas and The Planting Patch in May right before Mother’s Day. With annual events marketing creates a design/sign that they will post on social media. Each year we use the same design and change the date or times as needed. I feel gift shops are the cherry on top of the hospital and are usually an afterthought for marketing. Non-retail people don’t fully understand the value of real-time information. – Noelle Boardman, St. Luke’s Floral & Gifts, Cedar Rapids, IA. 530 beds. 2/17/23

Yes. I’ve always been told that there are restrictions and that you have to be careful posting pricing if you’re a non-profit, so we have an open gift shop page and post pictures of new product and fundraisers. Would love to see an article on the do’s and don’ts of non-profit social media pages!! – Ali McCrary. 2/17/23

Our hospital requires all social media posts to go through marketing for the entire health system. Gift shops are never part of the information that is shared with the community. We haven’t found a solution. – Amy Saye 2/17/23

It’s great to see so much interest in this question! Let’s address some of the comments.

SOCIAL MEDIA & NON-PROFITS

Hospital gift shops are permitted to use social media and to advertise, but they must be related to the hospital’s exempt purpose of promoting the health of its patients. They need to:

Explicitly state that proceeds go toward supporting the hospital. “All of the proceeds from the gift shop directly benefit patient care at Ascension Via Christi Manhattan and the Mercy Auxiliary.”
Be directed toward patients, medical staff, employees, or visitors
Comply with HIPAA laws (e.g., no patient info or images)
Typically follow branding guidelines set by the hospital or health system to ensure consistency and coherence in their messaging and visual identity.
Follow advertising regulations set by the FTC or other regulatory bodies. For example, gift shops may need to disclose if they are sponsoring a post or using paid advertising.

There are several hospital gift shops with terrific Facebook Pages:

From: Top 6 hospital gift shop Facebook pages

It is counter intuitive to restrict a gift shop from using social media. The shop’s goal is the raise funds for the hospital, after all. Limiting its reach and online footprint is, in turn, limiting the funds raised. Ironically, it can only hurt the hospital funding goals, in the end. Social media is arguably the most powerful tool a nonprofit has at their disposal. It’s free and a simple way to “push” great products in front of hospital employees and customer’s via their feeds. See last month’s article, “Proof that social media can increase sales“.

Along the same lines, it is also a myth that 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations cannot make a profit. Most hospitals and their subsequent gift shops are for profit. They charge sales tax and operate as a business. The shops then donate all their profits to the hospital for patient benefit and equipment. Read more on IRS rules on advertising for hospital gift shops.

GIFT SHOP MESSAGE BOARD

In 2020 we moved the newsletter online and incorporated a comment/discussion feature. The goal was to create a ‘community’ where readers could “ask questions, bounce ideas and just overall support from other managers”. We made it so readers could post pics, reply to specific comments, include links, get notified when someone replies to your comment, and so on.

At this time, we also started building a dedicated message board, similar to Quora or Reddit. Even going as far as buying a domain (see below). Ultimately, we felt it would not get enough use or ads to cover the costs ($1200/year). A paid membership model did not seem feasible either.

We considered a Facebook Group but there were limitations. It would exclude retailers who don’t use Facebook, the search function is terrible, can’t navigate or search embedded images and threads, no archive options. We also wanted a platform that did not require a login and was incredibly simple. Nonetheless, we’d love to revisit this if readers indicate enough interest. Please let us know here or comment below.

Want to advertise? Click here.

© Cindy Jones Associates, 2022. COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. Redistribution, copying, reselling, re-renting, or republishing is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Cindy’s Newsletter may not to be forwarded, redistributed, reproduced, reprinted, or posted online without prior permission from Cindy Jones Associates. Subscribers may share one issue with a fellow manager. Thereafter, the manager may subscribe here to receive future issues.

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers | May 15, 2023 💮

8 Comments

Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers

MAY 15, 2023

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Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers | April 15, 2023 💮

16 Comments

Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers

APRIL 15, 2023

Northwestern Memorial Cloverkey Hospital Gift Shop, Chicago, IL

June is National Candy Month 🍭

Begin planning a special event now for National Candy Month in June to stir up some excitement in the slow months. 🍬

Wrap mini candy bars (over original packaging) with a surprise discount inside – 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% off the entire purchase. Give one to each customer as they walk in the shop. This is a terrific way to drive foot traffic. Don’t forget to market the event online and with signage.
Plan a GET KISSED event with signage saying “Come to the gift shop and get kissed!” Everyone receives a Hershey Kiss who comes through the door. The door person should have a big bowl of kisses to attract traffic “for a kiss” Create clever signage and “Get Kissed” t-shirts.

More June holidays: National Flip Flop Day, Sunglasses Day, International Yoga Day, National Doughnut Day, Herb and Spices Day, Iced Tea Day, Gay Pride Month, Flag Day, Global Wind Day, International Sushi Day, National Kissing Day, Ice Cream Soda Day.

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How to respond to unhappy customers

Every business has to deal with angry, complaining customers on occasion. A gift shop customer could be a patient, visitor, employee or more.

Whatever the reason for customer dissatisfaction, proper and timely response can make a difference between keeping a frustrated customer loyal or completely losing their business.

Angry Customer?
Stay calm. Be an active listener. Personalize the interaction. Acknowledge your customer’s emotions. Use positive language. Restate what they told you. Build trust. Thank them.

Considering that 95% of unhappy customers tend to share bad experiences with others – either personally, online, or through the halls of your hospital – knowing how to deal with an unhappy customer and how to respond in a professional way is an absolute ‘must-have’ for everyone working in your shop.

When replying to an angry customer, there are a few key points to remember and include in your message:

Respond ASAP. Why? To avoid them spreading negative word-of-mouth.
Apologize for the customer’s negative experience, show empathy and understanding.
Take responsibility for whatever your gift shop may have done wrong.
Provide an explanation for the situation, if possible, and ensure it will not happen again.
Offer some incentive, a reasonable discount or refund, where appropriate.

Job Openings

Manager, Gift Shop ($47,500 – $71,000)
Ben & Jerry’s Factory, Waterbury, VT

Gift Shop Manager
Thompson Health, Canandaigua, NY

Gift Shop Manager
Carteret Health Care, Morehead City, NC

Gift Shop Manager
Morrison Healthcare, Hackensack, NJ

Gift Shop Manager ($20 – $28/hr)
Grand View Health, Sellersville, PA

Merchandising Coordinator – Gift Shop
Ascension Health, Wichita, KS

Full Time Assistant Manager ($35,000)
Kinzua Bridge Gift Shop, Mt Jewett, PA

Gift Shop Manager ($64,480-$70,000)
Pomona Valley Hospital, Pomona, CA

Gift Shop Manager ($40,375 – $47,500)
North Carolina Aquarium, Kure Beach, NC

Gift Shop Manager ($64,480 – $70,000)
Pomona Valley Hospital, Phillips Ranch, CA

Gift Shop Manager
Hartford Healthcare, Hartford, CT

Gift Store Manager ($50,000 +)
The University of Texas-Austin, TX

Manager, Gift Shops
NCH Healthcare System, Naples, FL

Assistant Manager, Gift Shops ($30,000 – $37,000)
ECU Health Medical Center, Greenville, NC

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

MAY
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo May 6 – Nurses Day May 6- Kentucky Derby 🐎 May 14 – Mother’s Day May 29 – Memorial Day Graduation Season Begins

JUNE
Graduation Season Con’t 🎓 Jun 14 – Flag Day Jun 18 – Father’s Day Jun 19 – Juneteenth Jun 21 – Summer Solstice Jun 27 – Ntn’l Sunglasses Day 😎

JULY
Jul 4 – Independence Day 🇺🇸 Jul 7 – World Chocolate Day Jul 10 – National Pina Colada Day Jul 14 – Ntn’l Mac & Cheese Day

MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center gift shop is a destination for shoppers

First-time visitors may wander into the MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center gift shop in need of a comforting gesture that says “I care” to a hospitalized patient, or hoping for the distraction of magazines and snacks.

Then they discover how the hospital gift shop has evolved.

Flower-filled bud vases, stuffed plush animals, small gifts and get-well cards remain staples, but there’s now a definite boutique vibe. Such stylish offerings as home décor items – including decorative pillows, accents, hand towels, picture frames, and accessories like totes, handbags, jewelry, and themed apparel – share space with mother-and-baby gifts, essential oils, cozy blankets and leg warmers.

“We really want to bring in exciting and unique items and gifts that you don’t find anywhere else,” said Julie Paup, gift shop and volunteer services manager.

For the past several years, gift shops at both MercyOne Waterloo and Cedar Falls medical centers were managed and operated by an independent firm. Last summer, MercyOne resumed management and reopened seven months ago with new inventory.

“We removed all the old products and reopened with all new products and vendors,” Paup said. “The hardest part was getting familiar with a new point-of-sale system.”

The gift shop is becoming a destination. First-time visitors are usually people who “are visiting patients and stop to explore the gift shop. It takes their mind off what might be happening, and it’s a nice escape,” Paup explained.

*The MercyOne Gift Shop is back under hospital management and offers a new and unique inventory.*

But Paup and part-time coordinator Kathy Stephens are seeing repeat customers who return simply to shop. In addition to a wide array of products, prices are affordable, which adds to the appeal.

“People are loving the shop,” said Ford. Paup agreed. “I’ve not heard one negative comment. All of the feedback has been super-positive,” she said.

At 900 square feet, the gift shop is bright, warm and welcoming with an open floor plan to allow easy accessibility, said Brandy Reisinger, lead consultant for gift shops at both the Waterloo and Cedar Falls hospitals. The shop at MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center is considerably smaller at 320 square feet, but well-stocked.

From left, Brandy Reisinger, lead consultant for gift shops at both Waterloo and Cedar Falls medical centers, part-time coordinator Kathy Stephens, and Julie Paup, gift shop and volunteer services manager for the MercyOne Gift Shop, now under hospital management.

Reisinger left a successful 18-year career as an interior designer to join the gift shops.

MercyOne has resumed management of their gift shops at the Waterloo and Cedar Falls Medical Centers. Shops now have a definite boutique vibe and repeat customers who love the wide array of home decor, accessories, gifts, etc.

“I was ready for a change, and I really enjoy the research and sourcing new products. I’m using my skills, but in a different way,” Reisinger explained, including creating visually appealing merchandise vignettes.

Products tend to sell quickly with new items arriving daily, so displays are kept fresh. Purses and apparel are best sellers at both locations – “pretty much tied for best,” Reisinger said.

MercyOne apparel is snapped up by employees, Paup said. “Our staff loves coming in here to shop. Employees work long shifts, and it’s hard to find time to shop. They come down here because it’s fun, convenient, and we have some great items.”

Shoppers also will find T-shirts, sweatshirts and other items representing the University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa and Iowa State University.

Specialty lines include Caren, a botanical therapy skin care lotion originally developed to soothe cancer patients, and decorative and fragrant Bridgewater Candles. A portion of their sales provide meals for children in orphanages around the world.

“We like to find vendors who do that sort of thing,” Paup said. There are Iowa-made items, too. In addition, “people can get their flower arrangements from us, and we can deliver those and other gifts to patients,” she noted.

This spring, customers are falling in love with the shop’s customizable pillows made from indoor-outdoor fabric. “You can have a family name or anniversary date, for example, on the pillow, and choose your color and other options from our special-order catalog. It is shipped directly to your house,” Paup said.

The Waterloo gift shop is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Cedar Falls gift shop hours are noon to 4 p.m. Extended hours are every other month. In Waterloo, the gift shop will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 31; in Cedar Falls, extended hours on April 1 are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

SOURCE: The Courier

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Q. Do you charge for shopping bags? 🛍

Q. I would be interested in hearing what other hospital gift shops do about shopping bag expense. We have been giving them away when the purchase is a gift, but this is getting out of hand and prices of bags have really gone up. I would like to start charging but, not sure how this will go over since we have been giving them away for so long. Even the plastic “thank you bags” have gone up in price. – Cheryl, Novant Health, Charlotte NC 3/22/23

Do you charge for shopping bags? <- CLICK TO COMMENT

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Did you know? You can also enter your comment at the bottom of the newsletter.
Thank you!

FROM CINDY

We had a similar question recently about shopping bag vendors. What are people paying for bags from these suppliers?

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

Nurses Day: Saturday, May 6

Nurses Day is coming up on Saturday, May 6. Are you ready? Here are a few great products and promo ideas for one of your most frequent – and celebrated – customers, nurses!

gift shop signage — 30% OFF NURSES DAY SALE! Ask the nursing department Chair or HR Director to share it dept wide.

Nurses Day product display at Stanford Health Care Gift Shop

💮 Gift Market Calendar 💮

**Always double-check show dates			Apr 22-26, 2023 High Point Spring Market
May 8-10, 2023 Atlanta Spring Cash & Carry	Jun 21-27, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market	Jun 27-30, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Jul 11-17, 2023 Atlanta Summer Market
Jul 30-Aug 3, 2023 Las Vegas Summer Market	Aug 22-25, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Sep 18-20, 2023 Atlanta Fall Market	Sep 19-21, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market
Oct 14-18, 2023 High Point Fall Market	Oct 24-27, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Nov 6-8, 2023 Atlanta Fall Cash & Carry

^Visit^{Gift Shop Mag Trade Show Calendar}^{for smaller local and regional shows.}

The Big List of Wholesale Markets

Get your wholesale on! Here is a list of the most popular gift markets throughout the country:

Atlana, GA
AmericasMart’s Atlanta sources gifts, décor, and lifestyle products from more than 8,000 brands, across a plethora of business niches. These include tabletop, housewares, gourmet, juvenile, and fashion accessories of all kinds. Located in downtown Atlanta, the AmericasMart Atlanta complex contains more than 7.1 million square feet of exhibition space and is the world’s single-largest collection of wholesale home, gift and apparel showrooms. They’re open year round for trade professionals and host signature events.

Dallas, TX
The Dallas Market Center is a business-to-business trade center. Open daily, the 5 million square foot campus showcases a complete wholesale marketplace including permanent showrooms and product lines. Everything from men’s apparel to home furnishings can be found easily in the heart of the city.

Los Angeles, CA
The California Market Center offers 40,000 square feet of showrooms and event space to the LA fashion scene. Showrooms feature sample sales, a market specifically for kid fashion, and textile offerings from sources around the globe. They also provide insight into sustainable fashion, organic food options, and much, much more.

Miami. FL
The Miami Merchandise Mart is a professional wholesale market where showroom owners assemble collections from manufacturers in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the U.S. The Miami team acts as a brokerage for buyers around the world, but especially for those in Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Over 10,000 professional buyers make visits to this MM each year.

New York, NY
The New York Market Center is located at 230 Fifth Avenue New York. The iconic building is situated north of Madison Square Park, and features over 200 showrooms with product categories including the best in toys, holiday themes, and publishing expos.

Minneapolis, MN
The Minneapolis Mart is a permanent wholesale showroom facility, featuring over 5,000 lines of home décor, accessory, and apparel merchandise in 140 showrooms. The facility hosts six markets each year which are not open to the general public, reserving extra attention and specialization for resale businesses.

High Point, NC
The High Point Market draws more than 150,000 people annually and is the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world. The market features over 180 buildings and 11.5 million square feet of show space. Beyond finding unique wholesale goods, buyers can attend educational seminars on everything from lighting trends to business development.

San Francisco, CA
The San Francisco Design Center is comprised of 2 buildings (the Showplace and Galleria) which together house more than 100 beautifully curated showrooms, and represent approximately 2,000 manufacturers. These vendors offer product lines sourced both locally and internationally, and buyers can connect with design professionals and browse the latest in fashion, home furnishings, and textiles.

Chicago, IL
theMART is the largest privately held retail building in the United States. With 4.2 million gross square feet, theMart spans two city blocks, rises 25 stories, and is visited by an average of 30,000 people each business day. Designed as a market center for trade professionals, theMart continually offers high-quality shows and amenities for anyone looking for wholesale opportunities.

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Guide to Calculating Shop Inventory

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Guide to Calculating Shop Inventory

Changing the hospital gift shop stereotype

Miami’s Pineapple Boutique is making changes to the hospital gift store model to meet the needs of its diverse customer base.

Gifts & Dec / Sep 16, 2022

The Pineapple Boutique in Miami’s Baptist Health West Kendall Baptist Hospital prides itself on surprising its visitors.

“I think when people think hospital gift shop, they have a very antiquated opinion of what that should be in their mind,” explained Whitney Ash, buyer and merchandiser for the boutique and two other locations within the hospital system. “They think of like little old ladies and volunteers running the hospital gift shop and it’s all flowers, stuffed animals and knickknacks. And we’ve tried to completely change that.”

That is in large part because about 70 percent of the boutique’s approximately 2,500 visitors a month are hospital employees, according to Ash and Mireli Torres, director of retail stores for three of the hospital system’s locations. Those employees come for many reasons, like the store’s employee discount on most items and the interest free payroll deduction credit line given to each employee at the hospital.

“The average customer is not there to see their sick grandma and need to get something for her,” said Ash. “It’s literally therapy for them (the employees) and a break from their day to come in and do a little shopping. They come in and get something small like candy like you’d expect but they’ll also buy nice handbags, Ray-Ban sunglasses and perfumes… And those products are not what a lot of newcomers to the store expect to see.”

The rest of their customer base is made up of mostly patient visitors, and those folks are split in half – about 50 percent are there to visit ailing patients and the other half are coming to celebrate new life with labor and delivery.

For those customers visiting sick patients, staff play a crucial role in making difficult buys during even more difficult times less painful. All staff within the hospital system are hired based in part on their ability to relate to and connect with patients and their loved ones, and the boutique doubles down on that, completing specialized customer service training on how to work with customers who are dealing with illness and loss.

“Patient families will literally come in and you can just tell they want to talk, and they will cry with our staff members and our staff handles it beautifully,” explained Torres. “We offer training, but you can’t teach some of that… they are just wonderful people.”

They also have customers coming into the hospital just to visit the gift shop thanks to its selection, though that and patient visitors have been limited during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“So much of our customer base is a kind of ‘captive audience’ in the hospital, so we try to keep things fresh and we try to give them lots of options so they can shop with us and not go anywhere else,” said Ash. “We do seasonal displays; we are constantly bringing in new product. We give them a reason to stop in and take a breath. We don’t want to just blend into the rest of the hospital.”

Pop-up events are a key part of the boutique’s strategy to increase foot traffic and interest, and part of what got the retailer nominated for the 2022 Retailer Excellence Awards. It gives the store a way to focus on specialty jewelry, foods, custom home linens and even uniforms, and those events account for about 20 percent of its annual business. To thank its top patrons, the boutique also hosts VIP events two to three times a year, pulling a list of its top 50 patrons and inviting them to private shopping events with special discounts, refreshments and unique merchandise.

On average, the retailer sees a 75 percent increase in foot traffic and 3x the average spend without requiring too much inventory spend commitment or space commitment during these special events. Those savings add up in a lot of ways, especially in the hospital setting where building and campus design are more focused on direct patient care spaces, limiting storage for the boutique.

“We are a store but we are also always part of a larger hospital community and patients’ lives. We never forget that when planning anything,” added Torres. “It guides what we do and what we carry.

SOURCE: Gifts & Dec

MARCH 2023 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #639
Did you miss last month’s articles, surveys, and discussions?

Restrictions on social media usage
Faire, Handshake, Tundra, Abound, Etsy
Source for quality jewelry spinners?
Ten ways to tackle inflation in 2023

Pink-A-Dilly Gift Shop
Stockabl: Shop wholesale directly from artisans
Gift Market Calendar

DISCUSSION

SOCIAL MEDIA

We have a closed Facebook group, as well. And need advice also. – Nancy Williams. 2/17/23

We use our hospital’s communications and public relations office for that purpose. – Peter Waugh. 2/17/23

It’s great to see so much interest in this question! Let’s address some of the comments.

SOCIAL MEDIA & NON-PROFITS

Hospital gift shops are permitted to use social media and to advertise, but they must be related to the hospital’s exempt purpose of promoting the health of its patients. They need to:

Explicitly state that proceeds go toward supporting the hospital. “All of the proceeds from the gift shop directly benefit patient care at Ascension Via Christi Manhattan and the Mercy Auxiliary.”
Be directed toward patients, medical staff, employees, or visitors
Comply with HIPAA laws (e.g., no patient info or images)
Typically follow branding guidelines set by the hospital or health system to ensure consistency and coherence in their messaging and visual identity.
Follow advertising regulations set by the FTC or other regulatory bodies. For example, gift shops may need to disclose if they are sponsoring a post or using paid advertising.

There are several hospital gift shops with terrific Facebook Pages:

From: Top 6 hospital gift shop Facebook pages

GIFT SHOP MESSAGE BOARD

JEWELRY SPINNERS

Q. Does anyone have a good source for quality jewelry spinners? Now that most use a peg holed card (versus the old folded top), we can’t seem to find any quality durable spinners. We are only finding the metal spoked spinners or the wood spinners with metal pegs. – Lee Patterson, St. Vincent’s Hospital Gift Shop, Birmingham AL. 400 beds. 1/25/23

We use D.B. Imports for most of our furnishings and jewelry displays. They have a nice selection. – Cherie Towers. 2/24/23

Mud Pie has had some great jewelry merchandisers in the past. – Debbie Kerr. 2/20/23

We are using the stands from the vendors themselves – Nancy Williams. 2/17/23

Display options are available through Tripar International. – Jennifer Bahlmann-Ballantine. 2/17/23

We get our spinners from our jewelry vendors. I currently have a Rain spinner and a Cornet (Main Street Earrings) spinner. Both are on our shelves. They are not free but some will offset the price of the display with the purchase of the product. Hope this helps :) – Lanie Ray, Fairfield Medical Center, Wishes Gift Shop, Lancaster, OH. 1/26/23

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

FLOWER VENDING

Have any hospital gift shops taken on a flower vending machine to capture floral sales after hours? I would love to hear recommendations for companies to work with and approximate costs. Thank you! – Meggen Heuss, UW Health, Madison, WI. 1/15/23

Hi Meggen! The article “Should vending machines be part of your retail strategy?” provides some pros and cons on vending for retail. It was written in 2019. We will leave your question up in hopes you get some feedback from fellow managers this month! – Cindy

EMPOROS POS

Q. I run The Orchard Gift Shop at Indiana University Health. They want to change our POS system to change to Emporo. We currently have Keystroke. Does anyone currently use Emporos POS? If so, what are your thoughts on it. I would appreciate any feedback. Thank you. – Jodi Tyrie, Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital, Lafayette, IN. 191 beds. 10/15/22

I would not recommend using a system like this. If you are going to the expense of bringing in a new system, I would definitely use a system that is better suited for retail with a good inventory management system. We are currently in the process of getting a new POS system with NCR/i3Verticals. Good luck! –Deb Kerr, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City. 385 beds. 11/17/22

FROM CINDY

We are not familiar with Emporos. It has not been mentioned in our ongoing POS survey as a system in use. At first glance, it appears to be designed for pharmacies. I would question its ability to meet the unique needs of a gift shop. Keystroke is designed specifically for retail operations. Emporos does have two nice features: native payroll deduction and a mobile bedside delivery option. But, because it is optimized for pharmacies, the user interface might be confusing in a gift shop environment unless they adapt it.

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

PROMOTIONS

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Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers | March 15, 2023 💮

8 Comments

Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers

MARCH 15, 2023

gift shop Lakeland Regional Hospital, Florida

Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, Lakeland, FL

Restrictions on social media usage

We have a closed Facebook group, as well. And need advice also. – Nancy Williams. 2/17/23

We use our hospital’s communications and public relations office for that purpose. – Peter Waugh. 2/17/23

It’s great to see so much interest in this question! Let’s address some of the comments.

SOCIAL MEDIA & NON-PROFITS

Hospital gift shops are permitted to use social media and to advertise, but they must be related to the hospital’s exempt purpose of promoting the health of its patients. They need to:

Explicitly state that proceeds go toward supporting the hospital. “All of the proceeds from the gift shop directly benefit patient care at Ascension Via Christi Manhattan and the Mercy Auxiliary.”
Be directed toward patients, medical staff, employees, or visitors
Comply with HIPAA laws (e.g., no patient info or images)
Typically follow branding guidelines set by the hospital or health system to ensure consistency and coherence in their messaging and visual identity.
Follow advertising regulations set by the FTC or other regulatory bodies. For example, gift shops may need to disclose if they are sponsoring a post or using paid advertising.

There are several hospital gift shops with terrific Facebook Pages:

From: Top 6 hospital gift shop Facebook pages

GIFT SHOP MESSAGE BOARD

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Source for quality jewelry spinners?

We use D.B. Imports for most of our furnishings and jewelry displays. They have a nice selection. – Cherie Towers. 2/24/23

Mud Pie has had some great jewelry merchandisers in the past. – Debbie Kerr. 2/20/23

We are using the stands from the vendors themselves – Nancy Williams. 2/17/23

Display options are available through Tripar International. – Jennifer Bahlmann-Ballantine. 2/17/23

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

APRIL
Apr 1 – April Fool’s Day Apr 7 – World Health Day Apr 9 – Easter Sunday 🐰 Apr 18 – Tax Day Apr 22 – Earth Day 🌎 Apr 26 – Admin Prof Day

MAY
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo May 6 – Nurses Day May 6- Kentucky Derby 🐎 May 14 – Mother’s Day May 29 – Memorial Day Graduation Season Begins

JUNE
Graduation Season Con’t 🎓 Jun 14 – Flag Day Jun 18 – Father’s Day Jun 19 – Juneteenth Jun 21 – Summer Solstice Jun 27 – Ntn’l Sunglasses Day 😎

Ten ways to tackle inflation in 2023

We scoured the best resources online to assemble the best tips for combating inflation in your shop.

Identify categories facing the greatest inflation and introduce entirely new products and categories. According to Forbes, the biggest losers include jewelry, fashion accessories, prepared food and fragrances/cosmetics. Other categories with a negative net score are beverages, consumer electronics, sports/outdoor, apparel, packaged grocery, footwear, pet supply and entertainment/books.

Private brands: Consider private label or less expensive alternatives to major brands. A wide range of own label items can also help to encourage a sense of value choices within a retailer’s range, something that improves perceptions of value in and of itself.

Work the floor: The more retail personnel interact with customers, the more likely they are to make a sale. So moving personnel from behind the checkout counter and onto the sales floor has a positive impact on sales. Trader Joe’s staffers routinely restock shelves throughout the day not just to fill the holes but to give them more opportunity to chat it up with shoppers. With retail positions already hard to fill, giving them more opportunities to interact with customers, rather than standing hours behind a cash register, is its own reward.

Streamline promotions: Executing several different types of promotions across the store at the same time (e.g. percentage-discounts, flat cents-discounts, BOGO, multi-buys, multi-save, and conditional discounts) add confusion for shoppers, complexity for operators, and costs throughout the enterprise. Focus on offering only 3-4 promo types, thereby reducing costs. Simplicity also helps improve value perception.

Skip BOGO: BOGO promotions can dramatically affect stock availability, thereby putting even more pressure on supply chain challenges.

Fewer promotions: High promotional activity tends to erode overall value perception, creating a kind of vicious circle of more promotions = poorer value perception. Promotions are necessary for driving consumer excitement and demand in certain categories – but not in all. Getting the price vs. promotion formula right in each category using customer data is even more critical during times of inflation.

Adjust categories: You’ve heard it said that inventory should never celebrate a birthday. How long an item should be in the store will vary depending on what it is. But, there are a few categories that should move quickly: accessories, apparel, footwear, seasonal goods, and trending gift items.

Pausing or cancel orders on items that are not producing the profit margin they did in the past.

Offer higher-end goods at lower price points and promote them as luxury or higher-end, but offer them at a more affordable rate.

Simplify choices: Reduce the assortment in key categories to improve value perception and cut costs. Make the range work harder to save on cost-to-serve and improve value perception. Aim for breath of choice over depth.

More than 85% of consumers believe that sale prices are the actual “real” price (i.e., stores mark up merchandise and then bring it down to the real price for sales).

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Pink-A-Dilly Gift Shop

Long-time reader Debbie Swan, shop manager at Pink-A-Dilly Gift Shop for TWO decades was featured in her hospital’s blog. Congratulations!

Pink-A-Dilly Gift Shop, located at Baxter Health in Mountain Home, glows like a polished gem, its collection of gifts tastefully arranged in its massive windows. You can find the usual get-well mementos at Pink-A-Dilly: a card, a box of candy, stuffed animals. But the shop has a much more elegant, upscale vibe than is typical of such stores, thanks to the handpicked inventory and years-long merchandising expertise of Debbie Swan, manager.

“I like to offer things that are unique, that nobody else has,” she said. “I’ve always gone with quality rather than price. You have to have a fair price, but if you get something cheap, you’re going to get it right back. You want people to enjoy what they have.”

Swan, who’s been at the helm of the shop for two decades, is a walking master class in retailing. Any aspect of the store

today, from the inventory to the upgraded registers to the very design of the shop itself, has all come to pass on her watch. And as the store moves into its newest chapter, online retailing, she’s at the head of that parade too, as foreign as it might feel at times. “It’s a different animal. I’m from the generation that didn’t grow up with a cell phone in my hip pocket,” she said with a laugh.

“For me to learn a platform other than brick-and-mortar is a challenge, but a good challenge. I’m learning it, and I will learn more as we go. I’m all for it.”

Her retail education goes back to her 20s where she landed a job in a local landmark store. “A German family had this big shoe store,” she said. “It was huge—men’s, women’s, children—and I worked there for eight years. That was how I learned how to work with people. I became the buyer for men’s shoes. I also dressed the windows for them.”

As a grocery store merchandise manager, she was tasked with ordering every non-food item in the store, Swan dove into the marketing aspect of the job with gusto, designing huge seasonal displays aimed at the many tourists visiting the area’s lakes. “I love doing displays,” she said. “I put all kinds of floats and masks and all kinds of summery stuff up. That was the job that really taught me how to price things, what to put on sale, how to mark things down.”

In taking over Pink-A-Dilly, the profits of which are earmarked for Baxter Health Foundation coffers, Swan resolved to make the store a destination retail experience.

“It was a closed-wall gift shop, and there were two square window boxes,” she said of the old days. “In 2005, we went from a 900-square-foot shop to a 1,300-square-foot shop. They broke out the solid walls and put in glass window walls, which made all the difference in the world. Instead of people walking past, they came in. They saw something in the window, and it brought them in.”

Swan also adjusted the inventory levels to help reduce what was being sold on clearance, especially seasonal items. “I noticed right away we had the biggest sale after Christmas because they were used to ordering 12 of this and 24 of that,” she said. “I don’t do that. I get three of something and two of something and four of something. Then you can get more variety and less quantity.”

Most retail workers Swan’s age are enjoying retirement or have burned out altogether. But between the customers and the volunteers whom she credits with the store’s success and the ability to do the work she loves most, she has no intention of surrendering the keys anytime soon.

“We wouldn’t have a successful shop if it weren’t for the volunteers,” she said. “I tell them, this is your shop. I let them do some displays if they like to. Different people are good at different things, so I use their talents. “People have so much negativity going on in their lives that we need to read positive signs and things that build you up, not tear you down. That’s what I like to have.”

Pink-A-Dilly Gift Shop on Facebook

SOURCE: Baxter Regional

💮 Gift Market Calendar 💮

**Always double-check show dates		Mar 21-24, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Access Market	Apr 22-26, 2023 High Point Spring Market
May 8-10, 2023 Atlanta Spring Cash & Carry	Jun 21-27, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market	Jun 27-30, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Jul 11-17, 2023 Atlanta Summer Market
Jul 30-Aug 3, 2023 Las Vegas Summer Market	Aug 22-25, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Sep 18-20, 2023 Atlanta Fall Market	Sep 19-21, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market
Oct 14-18, 2023 High Point Fall Market	Oct 24-27, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Nov 6-8, 2023 Atlanta Fall Cash & Carry

^Visit^{Gift Shop Mag Trade Show Calendar}^{for smaller local and regional shows.}

Stockabl: Shop wholesale directly from artisans

Want personalized recommendations based on your shop’s style? Or, recommendations for local makers that you could stock in your shop? Are you interested in having products customized for your town, city, state or local event? Stockabl offers retailers three free services that gives you ideas based on the products you need: a personal shopper, customized products, and open calls.

You can put forward an open call. These allow you to potentially have products made within the price range you are seeking. This is a great way to get unique inventory for your shop. And it allows you to build relationships with makers.

Stockabl is a wholesale marketplace for handmade and independently designed goods that connects retail buyer with smaller makers and designers from around the globe. Stockabl has over 100 artisans through a commission-free marketplace. It is a private company founded by Adrianne Stone in 2018. The Stockabl team is made up of makers and small shop owners, so they are intimately familiar with the wants and needs of this unique community.

Stockabl: Best for handmade items (replaces Etsy Wholesale)

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PROS & CONS: Faire, Handshake, Tundra, Abound, Etsy

Some of the most popular online wholesale marketplace platforms include Faire, Handshake, Tundra, Abound, and Etsy.

In this article, we explore five of them based on several factors: minimum order quantities, pricing and fees, payment terms, order protection, and customer support.

Faire may be the first site you think of when trying to get onto a wholesale platform. It’s probably the most well known by both buyers and sellers, which means there are actual stores buying everyday. With 250,000 retailers and 30,000 brands from more than 80 countries, Faire is in some ways “the” marketplace for independent brands and makers.

Faire offers free returns on first orders with makers. From the date your order is placed, you have 60 days to return the product. This allows you time to try out the product and return what doesn’t work for a full refund. Any reorders are not eligible for return.

Faire offers an Insider Membership ($19.99/mo) where buyers get free shipping on select US brands and early access to new brands. Critics of the platform note that the free shipping option was only for a few vendors of their choosing and the early access was no more than a few hours. Faire now has integrations for Shopify.

Faire has net 60 payment terms are available for all orders (eligible for brick & mortar businesses) and they occasionally offer Net 90 terms.

Faire also generates product and brand recommendations based on your previous search activities.

PROS

Payment terms (Net 60)
Custom product recommendations
Free shipping and returns on opening orders

CONS

Customer service is poor
Shipping fees (except opening orders)
Midsize selection of intrntl brands

Best For: Personalized product recommendations

MOQs: Depends on seller

Financing options: Net 60 purchasing plans for all purchases

Shipping lead time: Depends on seller

Types of products: Homeware, home decor, kitchenware, textiles, fashion accessories, beauty, skincare, fragrances, jewelry, stationery, party supplies, kids toys, pet supplies

Handshake is a curated wholesale marketplace by Shopify that provides US retailers with several thousand hand-selected and high-quality brands and suppliers. Handshake’s staff curates the suppliers, choosing top brands for quality and reliability. Every supplier is also verified before listed. You don’t need to contact suppliers to ask for pricing information and negotiate orders. Instead, Handshake allows you to check out on the website – just like you would normally.

Since it is integrated with Shopify, if they see that your email isn’t linked to a Shopify ID, you will need to create one. You don’t need to open a store on Shopify though, and getting a Shopify ID is free.

Handshake runs from within the Shopify ecosystem. So if you’re already using Shopify, your inventory, billing, and orders will all be in the same places you’re used to.

The platform has a fun mix of trend-driven and timeless artisan products for you to choose from and, while Handshake might not be your one-stop shop, it does pride itself on having unique products that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

With a focus on trustworthy and high-quality brands and suppliers, Handshake provides a secure experience for its buyers. Not only that, but there is also free shipping for opening orders of more than $100, no commission or transaction fees, and curated lists and highlighted products to make your shopping experience easier.

PROS

Handpicked selection of trusted brands
Free shipping for opening orders over $100
Quality over quantity products

CONS

Only available for US retailers
Requires Shopify ID (free)
Suppliers determine shipping/return policies

Best For: Hand-selected quality goods

MOQs: Depends on vendor

Financing options: None

Shipping lead time: Depends on vendor

Types of products: Fashion accessories and apparel, beauty, homewares, kids, stationery, pets

Tundra is a wholesale marketplace that allows buyers and suppliers to transact online with no fees or markups. The platform uses proprietary technology to automate end-to-end wholesale processes. It has an intuitive user interface making it easier to navigate.

Tundra boasts a community of over 10,000 businesses shopping from a broad assortment in popular categories including kids, home, beauty, apparel, and general merchandise.

Tundra doesn’t charge suppliers or retailers to use the site. Instead, the company makes money from offering additional services. For example, retailers can purchase insurance, expedited shipping, and prepaid duties and taxes for international orders when checking out.

Tundra does not offer returns however the vast majority of brands will have lower minimums on Tundra, which mitigates the risk of trying a new brand. If you are a savvy stockist and just want to buy direct from brands without the markups or commissions, Tundra is a good option.

Positives include, “Tundra not only had similar items, but better quality, a broader range within our niche, and basically help fund the growth of our offering new items to our customers. In short, each time we order from a vendor, Tundra will match up to $150.00 of products from a new vendor of our choosing. This has allowed us to try several new products and develop relationships with new vendors we had never thought of trying in the past.”

Tundra has free standard shipping on most products. All products marked with the blue truck icon have free standard shipping. Approved organizations are eligible for Net 60 payment terms on all purchases on Tundra. Net 60 payment terms are free for qualified buyers; interest and/or penalties only apply if payment is not made within 60 days.

Tundra accepts big name brands on their platform like Mattel and Burts Bees. Their focus is on wholesale for small and medium sized businesses generally (not artisans or makers specifically) so you’ll find many larger product companies and more general-use brands.

PROS

Lower minimums
No transaction fees
Over 2M products with 5-day lead times

CONS

Shipping fees for non-Pro members*
No returns
Small selection of N. American suppliers (around 10,000)

Best For: Financing, cash back, and free shipping, discounts on opening orders

MOQs: Depends on vendor

Financing options: Through third-party provider Kickfurther

Shipping lead time: Depends on vendor

Types of products: Homewares, fashion, kids, office, pets, and snacks

*Pro Member spend requirement: $500/mnth. No membership fees apply.

Abound is a wholesale marketplace where verified independent retailers discover and stock incredible products made by the very best small brands. Their retail experts hand-pick the brands on Abound, removing the guesswork for independent retailers.

Abound is, in some ways, a middle point between Faire and Tundra. They report having 10,000 retailers and nearly 200,000 products. They’re a bit more niche than Tundra, and do have a lot of smaller buyers, but are generally not as artisan-focused as Faire.

One thing that sets it apart is that Abound doesn’t just curate its sellers—its retail experts review each one for reputation, quality, and reliability. Not only that, but they are adding new products every week, so there is no end to the discovery you can do on Abound.

Abound carries mid-priced products from both established and emerging brands. Additionally, Abound handles everything in-house, including setting shipping and return fees, messaging, transactions, and providing order protection.

Abound has a strong focus on supporting small businesses and providing them with an accessible and reliable place to shop. It offers 60-day returns on all opening orders so you can try out new brands risk-free and net 60 payment terms.

PROS

Expertly sourced wholesalers and products
New products added weekly
Net 60 payment terms for qualified retailers
60-day returns for all opening orders free

CONS

Only US and UK retailers
Higher price point than intrnl wholesalers
Limited return eligibility

Best For: Thoughtfully curated and unique products

MOQs: Depends on maker or seller

Financing options: Net 60 payment terms for qualified retailers.

Shipping lead time: Anywhere between 1-45 days, depending on maker/supplier

Types of products: Homeware, kitchenware, garden accessories, jewelry, beauty products, fragrances, makeup, skincare, toys, baby accessories, stationery, food, drinks, pet supplies

Etsy isn’t exactly a wholesale marketplace, but many retailers have had success buying from here. Etsy is an ecommerce platform focused on handmade, vintage, and craft items. These products fall into a wide range of categories, such as jewelry, clothing, and furniture. Etsy Wholesale shut down in 2018; however, you can still buy items at wholesale prices from Etsy sellers. Three ways to find wholesale suppliers:

Visit Etsy’s Wholesale page to browse by product categories, customized based on your needs and preferences.
Search: You can search for wholesale goods by typing in “wholesale + the item you are searching for,” such as “wholesale dog toys.”
Message sellers: You can also message sellers individually through Etsy’s in-site messaging platform. You should include in your message that you are a business interested in purchasing their wares wholesale to sell at your store. Most sellers are eager to work with businesses that want to place large orders of their goods—it is a great opportunity for them too.

PROS

Support independent artisans
Unique products with an artisan bent
Custom product recommendations

CONS

Smaller order quantity capabilities
Suppliers set shipping/return policies
Scam risks

Best For: The largest selection of independent artisans

MOQs: Depends on vendor

Financing options: Depends on vendor

Shipping lead time: Depends on vendor

Types of products: Party and holiday, jewelry, vintage goods, homewares and furniture, apparel, toys, gifts, craft supplies, and art


Best for personalized product recommendations	Best for Shopify stores	Best for financing, cash back, & free shipping	Best for curated, vetted suppliers	Best for handmade & vintage items

Other online wholesale platforms

Indieme sources over 250,000 products100% handcrafted made in the USA & Canada including, ceramics, jewelry, glass, home décor, sculptures, fiber, artisan food. Ankorstore is a good alternative of Faire. This B2B wholesale marketplace is more focused on the European market. Orderchamp is an alternative to Ankorstore and also focuses mainly on Europe. Amazon has a wholesale marketplace with over 100 million customers. Creoate is a wholesale marketplace that started in 2013 with suppliers from all parts of the world. Qalara have a wide range of responsibly-produced goods from South Asia and South East Asia. Bulletin allows brands and retailers to purchase products in bulk and sell them at their own prices, while still following the retail margins they need.

Some find that the online wholesale platforms are just a third party creating additional workload. Many prefer direct customer service and answers from a vendor. Those with strong wholesale operations, regardless of their size, will be able to service buyers sufficiently. It also benefits the vendor where they are not loosing money on commission to a third party. This often ends up meaning higher wholesale prices. For example, Faire takes 25-28% from the maker which some find “unfair”.

On the other hand, you can look through many brands, all in one place, to find just the right products. In Faire’s instance, retailers enjoy products which are automatically selected for them based on “machine learning” via their proprietary algorithm. You can shop from the comfort of their couch, sparing the exhaustion and expense typically associated with trade shows.

What have you found works best for your shop: gift markets, online wholesale markets or a combination of the twoQ

Which online wholesale marketplace do you like best and why? <- CLICK TO COMMENT

Do you buy through an online wholesale marketplace? Why or why not?

Leave a comment here or enter it at the bottom of the newsletter.
Thank you!

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

FEBRUARY 2023 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #639
Did you miss last month’s articles, surveys, and discussions?

Three new must-have skills for retail buyers
Q. Source for quality jewelry spinners?
Victoria’s Gift Shop online store
Q. Have you tried flower vending machines?
2023 holiday preview

Q. Restrictions on social media usage?
March action plan
New line discovered at Atlanta Gift Show: Punchkins
Gift Market Calendar

DISCUSSION

FLOWER VENDING

EMPOROS POS

FROM CINDY

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

PROMOTIONS

SPONSOR

Luckables

Whatever the reason may be, any hospital visit warrants a little bit of good luck. Luckables give the gift of luck and encouragement when it’s needed most. Each Luckable represents an iconic lucky symbol, or animal, from around the world. Not to mention, they’re irresistibly soft and are guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face! Contact Heather at Heather@Luckables.com to place your order.

Want to advertise? Click here.

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers | February 15, 2023 💮

18 Comments

Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

Warm Wishes Gift Shop, Evanston Hospital, Evanston, IL

Three new must-have skills for retail buyers

How much experience do you have with omnichannel retailing? Can you gauge the impact of macroeconomic conditions on consumption habits? Do you have cross-departmental skills like e-commerce, marketing, design, systems and planning? Buyers have always played an integral role in the retail industry, understanding the customer, and predicting shopper’s behavior.

But the buyer’s role is drastically changing, now that “omnichannel” retailing is the new reality. They must be able to absorb enhanced analytics and work even more closely with design and marketing applications to understand and adapt to trends that satisfy quickly changing customer tastes.

In today’s market, buyers must possess additional mission-critical competencies to succeed:

Multidisciplinary experience including e-commerce and marketing.
A more complex understanding of the customer by evaluating data analytics, patterns in shopping behavior, and fluid pop culture and entertainment trends.
They must also gauge the impact of macroeconomic conditions on consumption habits.
Customers are becoming more individualistic, with their style and shopping habits. Merchants need the knowledge and expertise to combine different elements, ranging from lifestyle to behavioral insights to understand their target market.
The ability to integrate all of these data points (data analytics, shopping patterns, and macroeconomic conditions) with their own customer experience to make impactful business decisions.
Understanding newly developed software and technology that tracks customer behavior.
Ability to work with multiple customer profiles (as opposed to a single customer profile).

SOURCE: Total Merchante

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

Q. Source for quality jewelry spinners?

We get our spinners from our jewelry vendors. I currently have a Rain spinner and a Cornet (Main Street Earrings) spinner. Both are on our shelves. They are not free but some will offset the price of the display with the purchase of the product. Hope this helps :) – Lanie Ray,Fairfield Medical Center/Wishes Gift Shop, Lancsater, OH. 1/26/23.

What is a good source for durable, quality jewelry spinners?

Sharing is caring……especially when it comes to finding good quality displays!

Enter your comment here or enter it at the bottom of the newsletter.

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

SPONSOR

FreshCut Paper
Life-sized pop-up houseplants and bouquets.

Our everlasting life-sized blooms are stunning. Here’s why both patients and customers adore our bouquets:

– Hospital friendly
– Always fresh, never wilts
– No refrigeration or watering
– Allergy and pollen free
– Perfect for any occasion

Forever flowers to take anywhere!
freshcutpaperllc.faire.com | Wholesale Catalog | Wholesale Inquire | sales@freshcutpaper.com | 833-327-2737

SPONSOR

800-348-5545
www.mmhayes.com/giftshopPOS

Victoria’s Gift Shop online store

Last month we explored a great example of an online store from DeShea’s Gift Shop at Baptist Memorial Hospitals in Oxford and Southaven, MS. The online store features custom gift baskets that shopper’s assemble online from a variety of merchandise with delivery in the hospital or via pickup. Check out “How one gift shop is selling custom gift baskets online” to see how they do it!

This month we are reviewing at the online store for Victoria’s Gift Shop at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre. To begin, we love how they use the site to celebrate their volunteers. What a great way to celebrate their contributions, attract new volunteers, and give a welcoming smile to your e-commerce store.

The homepage features a beautiful, professional-grade photo of a terrific shop display. We also like how the hours are prominently displayed across the top. Informative without being overbearing. But, keep it concise to avoid line wrapping: “Now Open for IN-PERSON Shopping. STORE HOURS: Mon – Fri 8:30am – 4:30pm. Sat & Sun – Closed”

An attractive popup, branded with the shop’s bag, offers a 15% discount when you subscribe. Mailing lists are one of the easiest ways to boost sales. You have a direct communication line with your customers. Just don’t overwhelm them; send a maximum of one email per week.

Collections are a great way to lure shoppers into browsing your merchandise and upselling. Victoria’s Gift Shop online store has several creative collections that create curiosity and, therefore, become bait-clicks: Health & Beauty, Home, Nighty Night, Farmhouse Collection. We would have rather seen the images reduced in size and then listing all Collections on the homepage, instead of a subpage.

One thing we would change on this site is the font. In terms of design, font might not seem important but don’t be mistaken, they are! Fonts elicit certain emotions and convey specific messages and purpose.

The font on this site is called Anonymous Pro and is literally “designed especially with coding in mind.” Look at the text in the image above. Does it have a techie look and feel? Fonts like Montserrat, Playfair Display, Raleway, and Amiri are always a safe bet for giving visitors that serene, familiar feel.

🎯 TIP: Test a font by using it on your product descriptions for plush, baby and clothing. If it doesn’t look like it “matches” what it’s describing, it won’t evoke the feeling you want in your shopper.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

MARCH
Mar 1- World Candle Day Mar 2 – Ash Wednesday Mar 3 – Employee Appreciation Day Mar 12- Daylight Saving (Start) Mar 17 – St. Patrick’s Day ☘️ Mar 22 – First Day of Ramadan Mar 30 – Doctor’s Day 🩺 🥼

APRIL
Apr 1 – April Fool’s Day Apr 7 – World Health Day Apr 9 – Easter Sunday 🐰 Apr 18 – Tax Day Apr 22 – Earth Day 🌎 Apr 26 – Admin Prof Day

MAY
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo May 6 – Nurses Day May 6- Kentucky Derby 🐎 May 14 – Mother’s Day May 29 – Memorial Day Graduation Season Begins

Q. Have you tried flower vending machines? Why or why not? 💐

Have you tried flower vending? Why or why not? Costs? Sourcing? <- CLICK TO COMMENT

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

SPONSOR

887-809-9980
www.i3pos.com

2023 holiday preview

from Gift Shop Plus / Winter 2023

According to Gift Shop Plus magazine the holiday season of 2023 is expected to feature several trends, including:

Natural textures such as wood and pampas grass, with muted colors and fresh greenery to create a welcoming and warm farmhouse feeling.
Muted colors and bronze over gold, along with softer greens and reds are still in demand.
Created holiday palettes with vibrant, whimsical, and nostalgic shades, featuring traditional holiday icons in re-imagined styles.
A traditional theme with vibrant red and rich green combined with white and silver accents.
Luxury and maximalist trend featuring a jewel palette of midnight blues, rich emerald greens, deep purples, and ruby reds. This theme is also associated with the home cocktailing trend and a touch of vintage style.
A resurgence of tinsel as a popular holiday decoration
More nostalgic gourmand fragrances with fruit notes and toned-down balsam notes.

SOURCE: Gift Shop Plus

Q. Restrictions on social media usage?

Q. When it comes to social media and you are restricted to nothing outside of the hospital, how do you make this work? We do have a Facebook page, but it is a closed group. As volunteers, we are part of this group and we do invite friends. But feel this doesn’t reach more in the community. – Jan Friedman, Unity Point, Dubuque, IA. 1/24/23

Do you use social media to promote your shop? How do you reach your community? <– CLICK TO COMMENT

Does your hospital restrict the use of social media for marketing and reaching customers?

Leave a comment here or enter it at the bottom of the newsletter.
Thanks!

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

SPONSOR

snoozies!^® Spring 2023

Check out the new slipper slides, pairables, skinnies and spring collections

We are mixing style and comfort for the most adorable spring yet!

See all snoozies!^® collections at snoozies.com

Call your local rep or our in-house specialists:
Pam at 252-650-7000 ext 209
Danielle at 252-650-7000 ext 206

💮 Gift Market Calendar 💮

**Always double-check show dates	Mar 1-3, 2023 Atlanta Spring Market	Mar 21-24, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Access Market	Apr 22-26, 2023 High Point Spring Market
May 8-10, 2023 Atlanta Spring Cash & Carry	Jun 21-27, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market	Jun 27-30, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Jul 11-17, 2023 Atlanta Summer Market
Jul 30-Aug 3, 2023 Las Vegas Summer Market	Aug 22-25, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Sep 18-20, 2023 Atlanta Fall Market	Sep 19-21, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market
Oct 14-18, 2023 High Point Fall Market	Oct 24-27, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Nov 6-8, 2023 Atlanta Fall Cash & Carry

^Visit^{Gift Shop Mag Trade Show Calendar}^{for smaller local and regional shows.}

March action plan 🍀

🧸 DISPLAY

March 1 – Display St. Patrick’s Day cards and merchandise.

March 2 – National Salesperson’s Day. Honor your volunteers and sales staff for their hard work and accomplishments.

March 8 – Display Easter, spring, and garden merchandise. Greeting cards and higher-priced items should go out first. 🐰 🌸 🌻 🍄 🌿

📝 PLAN

February 21 – Hold a Mardi Gras sale for Fat Tuesday. Hand out beads to each customer and give them the opportunity to receive a discount of anywhere from 20% – 50%. 🎉

Get your order in now for a bucket of green carnations and ferns from your florist to sell on St Patrick’s Day.

March 17 – In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, offer a 20% OFF GREEN discount on anything with green on it. Customers will love hunting for items with green! 🎉

New line discovered at Atlanta Gift Show: PUNCHKINS

Found a cute new line at the Atlanta Gift Show, Punchkins.

They are fun, and some a little snarky, I think they will do well for us.

No sales data yet as I am still waiting for the order, but I can follow up if anyone is interested.

– Sally Miller, Ahuja Medical Center, Beachwood, OH. 144 beds. 1/15/23

Punchkins are designed in the USA. They are based in central Connecticut, USA and orders ship via USPS and UPS from Winston-Salem, NC.

Thank you for the tip Sally!!!

JANUARY 2023 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #638
Did you miss last month’s articles, surveys, and discussions?

How one gift shop is selling custom gift baskets online
Proof that social media can increase sales
Upcoming holidays
Q. Have you tried flower vending machines?
Survey Results: Do you use a cash register or POS system?

Winter action items
Video: Go inside Mass General Hospital gift shop
Hospitals’ volunteers run risk of skirting federal labor laws
Gift Market Calendar

DISCUSSION

EMPOROS POS

FROM CINDY

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

PROMOTIONS

SPONSOR

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Hallmark’s brand promises to make a genuine difference
in every life, every day! Hallmark is a perfect partnership
for hospital retail. Create a relaxing respite for staff,
visitors and patients. Flexible floor plan options and attractive
opening terms make this a great opportunity for your hospital gift shop!

816-274-5185
GrowWithHallmark.com

Want to advertise? Click here.

Did you miss last month’s free Job Description for Gift Shop Manager!

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers | January 15, 2023 💮

11 Comments

Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers

JANUARY 15, 2023

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, Woodbridge, VA

trending for 2023!
Tenacity
Gusto
Striving
Killing it!
Unhinged (it happens)
Zen mode
Most Likely to Succeed

Happy New Year! As we mentioned last month, the last few years in retailing have been really challenging. The “rules of life” dictate that we inevitably experience those terrific ups and nasty downs. The “ups” regenerate your heart and soul. They are your fuel for the future. For when the tough times arrive. But, you are ready having been fortified and strengthened by the good times.

Hopefully everyone is beginning to see some signs of sustained normalcy, growth and vitality in your shops!

Through this newsletter, we aim to provide you with useful content, advice from fellow shop managers, and a sense of community as we all face similar challenges and successes.

Thank you to those who left comments, shared tips, or submitted questions last year. Your engagement helps make this publication possible. Your generosity in sharing new products, best practices, and helpful tips makes the hospital gift shop business easier.

Let’s make 2023 the year of “We are killing it!”

– Cindy and Nicole

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

How one gift shop is selling custom gift baskets online

DeShea’s Gift Shop

Baptist Memorial Hospitals in Oxford and Southaven, MS
Brent DeShea Weathers, Owner and Manager
Website: oxfordhospitalgifts.com
Ecommerce Software: Shopify. Theme: Prestige
Facebook: facebook.com/DeSheas
Instagram: instagram.com/DeSheas

Established in 2009, DeShea’s is a locally owned gift shop inside the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford, Mississippi and Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in Southaven, Mississippi.

Their online store is a stand out for many reasons, but the option for shoppers to create a custom gift basket is a head turner!

They can pick from 7 themed baskets including Birthday, New Born, Get Well, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Her.

To fill the basket, shoppers select 5 items from different collections (e.g., plush, food, figurine, balloon, aroma, etc.), and also personalize a note.

DeShea’s wraps it up and delivers the custom gift basket, with a handwritten card attached, to either Hospital Room Delivery, Store Pickup, or deliver to an employee office. Our custom basket retailed for $125.26.

The online store is built using the Prestige theme in Shopify and the BYOB ‑ Build Your Own Bundles app for the custom baskets.

A themed “For Her” custom gift basket from DeShea’s.

Here’s what else we love about their online store:

All product images are professional, colorful, bright and cheery.
Subtle animation makes merchandise pop off the screen.
Collections both by category and by brand for better navigation.
Clean, modern font (Amiri).
Upselling on every page: “You may also like” at the bottom.
Soft, modern colors; mauve and peach are in.
Drop-down navigation features an image for each category.
Informational popup also helps boost sales!
“On-page” product options like size, scent, and quantity.
Product page lists availability at each location.
Funny, whimsical product descriptions.
FAQ pages help answer customer questions, preemptively.
Provides multiple contact channels: phone, email, and address.
Social media links to beautiful click-worthy posts.

Drop-down navigation displays an image for each category.

On-page product options and availability.

Take a look for yourself at DeShea’s Gift Shop!

At time of publication it appears the site is under construction. We found several dead links. :( It’s still terrific though!

SPONSOR

FreshCut Paper
Life-sized pop-up floral bouquet greeting cards.

Our everlasting life-sized blooms are stunning. Here’s why both patients and customers adore our bouquets:

– Hospital friendly
– Always fresh, never wilts
– Allergy and pollen free
– Perfect for Valentine’s Day
– We plant a tree for every bouquet sold

Forever flowers to take anywhere!
freshcutpaperllc.faire.com | Wholesale Catalog | Wholesale Inquire | sales@freshcutpaper.com | 833-327-2737

SPONSOR

800-348-5545
www.mmhayes.com/giftshopPOS

Proof that social media can increase sales💲

We encourage shops to maintain social media pages, primarily Facebook and Instagram. Yes, it requires time and some some knowledge, but it can really help generate sales. Here is PROOF!

This one single post garnered 8 comments from shoppers. Comments like, “How much is the pink sweatshirt?” and “How much for the toy soldiers?”. Even completing a purchase in the last message with Shae. An invoice is generated and sent to her email. Paid and shipped!

All this chatter also generates interest from other shoppers who want to “get on board”. After all, a crowd draws a crowd.

Why it worked? The image is terrific with good composition and lighting. The display is a pyramid configuration (taller in back, shorter in front), has cohesive colors, a variety of products by category, size, and shape. Lastly, the merchandise is beautiful.

Also, all comments received a prompt response, delivering quick customer service!

You can view the full post on Facebook here.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

FEBRUARY
Black History Month Feb 3 – Ntn’l Women Physician Day Feb 4 – World Cancer Day Feb 12 – Super Bowl Sunday Feb 14 – Valentine’s Day 💕 Feb 20 – President’s Day Feb 21 – Mardi Gras/Paczki Day

MARCH
Mar 1- World Candle Day Mar 2 – Ash Wednesday Mar 3 – Employee Appreciation Day Mar 12- Daylight Saving (Start) Mar 17 – St. Patrick’s Day ☘️ Mar 22 – First Day of Ramadan Mar 30 – Doctor’s Day 🩺 🥼

APRIL
Apr 1 – April Fool’s Day Apr 7 – World Health Day Apr 9 – Easter Sunday 🐰 Apr 18 – Tax Day Apr 22 – Earth Day 🌎 Apr 26 – Admin Prof Day

Q. Have you tried flower vending machines? Why or why not? 💐

Have you tried flower vending? Why or why not? Costs? Vendors? <-CLICK TO COMMENT

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

SPONSOR

887-809-9980
www.i3pos.com

Survey Results: Do you use a cash register or POS system?

Here are the results from last month’s survey. Believe it or not, some shops still use an old-school cash register! But, these results are in line with our predictions. An overwhelming majority use a POS.

Past surveys revealed that about 55% of hospital gift shops use a POS to run their shops. We wanted to find out if this was still the case.

Many don’t have the budget or know how to upgrade to a POS. They are left to make due.

NOTE: If your shop’s annual sales are over $200K you should be using a point-of-sale (POS) computerized system. Cash registers are best-suited for small businesses with limited inventory.

Click here to add your vote.

Winter action items

🧸 DISPLAY

Promote picture frames for customers’ holiday photos.
January 15 – Display all Valentine’s Day merchandise.
March 8 – Display Easter, spring, and garden merchandise. 🐰 🌸 🌻 🍄 🌿

⏳ BUY

February 1 – Order bucket of long stem red roses to sell on February 14.
Order Mothers’ Day, Administrative Professionals Day and Nurses’ Day merchandise.

📝 PLAN

Put all Christmas items on sale at half-off until January 31st, 2023. Pack leftovers away or donate.
Write a Christmas report to document successes and failures for next year.
Take annual physical inventory. Read, It’s Inventory Day for tips and how-to guide.
Give the shop a thorough cleaning and fix-up. 🧹
Brighten up your shop with flowers and plants, both quality silk artificial and real.
Develop a year-long budget for the shop. Project expected sales and estimated operating costs for each month.
Attend a major trade show. ✈️
Promote your Valentine’s merchandise in the hospital newsletter or an email to all hospital employees. 💘
Begin planning Administrative Professionals Day displays.

This is a brand new year! Look for ways to improve your shop. This pays off by increasing your value to the hospital.

Is this the year to invest in your shop?
Are your fixtures looking outdated and old? Does the glass on your jewelry case need replacing?
Does your carpeting need replacing? Is your lighting sufficient?
Are you maintaining 3’ wide aisles for wheelchair access?

January and July are the best months for a shop renovation. Inventory is low and there is less to move. Traffic is slow, so sales figures are usually low. Therefore, the least amount of money and profits will be lost while the shop is closed for renovation.

Working with a qualified hospital gift shop designer will help you communicate your needs to the architects and avoid costly mistakes.

Change is good; constant change is even better! Hospital gift shops need freshening up at a much faster and accelerated pace.

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Call your local rep or our in-house specialists:
Pam at 252-650-7000 ext 209
Danielle at 252-650-7000 ext 206

💮 GIFT MARKET CALENDAR 💮

Always double-check show dates
Jan 16-20, 2023 LA Mart Winter Market	Jan 23–27, 2023 Seattle Winter Mart	Jan 29-Feb 2, 2023 Las Vegas Winter Market	Jan 31-Feb 4, 2023 Atlanta Apparel Market
Feb 5-8, 2023 NY Now Winter	Mar 1-3, 2023 Atlanta Spring Market	Mar 21-24, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Access Market	Apr 22-26, 2023 High Point Spring Market
May 8-10, 2023 Atlanta Spring Cash & Carry	Jun 21-27, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market	Jun 27-30, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Jul 11-17, 2023 Atlanta Summer Market
Jul 30-Aug 3, 2023 Las Vegas Summer Market	Aug 22-25, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Sep 18-20, 2023 Atlanta Fall Market	Sep 19-21, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market
Oct 14-18, 2023 High Point Fall Market	Oct 24-27, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Nov 6-8, 2023 Atlanta Fall Cash & Carry

^Visit^{Gift Shop Mag Trade Show Calendar}^{for smaller local and regional shows.}

GSVRP will be held at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, St Simons Island, GA from February 19-22, 2023

Video: Go inside Massachusetts General Hospital gift shop

Click to watch

This is a fascinating video with images of the gift shop from the 40s and 50s. Oh how times have changed!

Mass General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts has one of the oldest hospital auxiliaries in the country, founded in 1896! The gift shop was established in 1940.

SOURCE: WCVB

Hospitals’ volunteers run risk of skirting federal labor laws

Lauren Sausser / Jan 10, 2023

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — Most of the 30 volunteers who work at the 130-bed, for-profit East Cooper Medical Center spend their days assisting surgical patients — the scope of their duties extending far beyond those of candy stripers, baby cuddlers, and gift shop clerks.

At hospitals across the U.S., volunteers play an integral role. So much so that when volunteers were barred from East Cooper at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff nurses assumed the volunteers’ duties in the surgical waiting room. Like paid employees, hospital volunteers typically face mandatory vaccine requirements, background checks, and patient privacy training. And their duties often entail working in regular shifts.

Over centuries, leaning on volunteers in medicine has become so embedded in hospital culture that studies show they yield meaningful cost savings and can improve patient satisfaction — seemingly a win-win for hospital systems and the public.

Except, there’s a catch.

The U.S. health system benefits from potentially more than $5 billion in free volunteer labor annually, a KHN analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Independent Sector found. Yet some labor experts argue that using hospital volunteers, particularly at for-profit institutions, provides an opportunity for facilities to run afoul of federal rules, create exploitative arrangements, and deprive employees of paid work amid a larger fight for fair wages.

The federal government instructs that any person performing a task of “consequential economic benefit” for a for-profit entity is entitled to wages and overtime pay. That means profit-generating businesses, like banks and grocery stores, must pay for labor.

Still, volunteer labor at for-profit hospitals is commonplace and unchecked.

“The rules are pretty clear, and yet it happens all the time,” said Marcia McCormick, a lawyer who co-directs the Wefel Center for Employment Law at Saint Louis University. “It’s a confusing state of affairs.”

Meanwhile, the pandemic made the importance of hospital volunteers more apparent. In March 2020, volunteer programs nationwide were largely disbanded, and the volunteers’ roles were filled by staff members — or left unfilled — when hospitals closed their doors to everyone except employees, patients, and a few visitors. Volunteers were welcomed back once vaccines became widely available, but many didn’t return.

On South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island, Vicki Gorbett, president of the island’s hospital auxiliary, estimated 60% of the group’s volunteers who left during the pandemic haven’t returned.

“We’re building back from the absolute bottom,” said Kelly Hedges, who manages volunteers at the Medical University of South Carolina. Hedges was furloughed for the better part of six months when hospital volunteers were sent home in March 2020. She estimates there are about 600 volunteers at MUSC’s hospital campus in Charleston now, down from 700 before the pandemic.

“During a labor crisis, this is a department you want in operation,” she said.

While hospital volunteer programs reboot across the country, labor experts say using volunteers may expose some medical facilities to liability. The Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits “employees” — defined broadly as people an employer “requires or allows” to work — from volunteering their time to for-profit private employers. The same law also requires these employees to be paid no less than the federal minimum wage.

These regulations make it “very, very difficult” for a volunteer to donate time to a for-profit hospital, explained Jenna Bedsole, an employment attorney in Birmingham, Alabama.

The right to be paid isn’t waivable, McCormick said, meaning that even those volunteers who don’t consider themselves employed may be entitled to compensation. However, the U.S. Department of Labor is “stretched pretty thin” and doesn’t enforce the rules that apply to for-profit companies, except in extreme circumstances, she said.

Companies are more likely to be targeted for the inappropriate use of unpaid interns, she said.

But this isn’t to say that, in some cases, individuals can’t donate their time in a for-profit setting. In a for-profit nursing home, the federal government has said, people may volunteer without pay if they’re attending “to the comfort of nursing home residents in a manner not otherwise provided by the facility.” That might include reading to a resident, for example.

Beyond that, for-profit “hospitals potentially expose themselves to risk of civil liability,” Bedsole said, which could add up in terms of back pay due to employees, fines, and legal fees. If hospital volunteers provide essential services, there is a danger they could be held liable, she said.

Nonprofit hospitals must follow federal labor laws, too.

At the small, nonprofit Baptist Memorial Hospital-Leake in Carthage, Mississippi, the coordinator of volunteers, Michelle McCann, can’t use a volunteer in any role that matches an employee’s job description. She said she’s also prohibited from asking a hospital employee who is off the clock to volunteer their time for a job similar to their own.

“We’d have to pay them for the hours,” said McCann, national president of the Society of Healthcare Volunteer Leaders.

Nonprofit hospitals are required to provide a benefit to their communities, such as offering charity care, in exchange for their special tax status. But when it comes to making money, the differences between for-profit and nonprofit hospitals are often negligible to the casual observer, said Femida Handy, a professor of social policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

“When you go to the hospital, do you ask for the tax status?” she asked.

Jay Johnson, support services manager at Trident Medical Center in North Charleston, South Carolina, coordinates roughly 50 volunteers who contribute an estimated 133,000 hours annually to the for-profit hospital, which is owned by HCA Healthcare.

Trident’s volunteers are widely beloved by the staff, he said. “We actually had a ceremony for them when they came back” when restrictions loosened, Johnson said. Beyond that, volunteers benefit from premium parking spaces and free lunches “to really make sure they’re appreciated,” he said.

Breast cancer survivor Pat LoPresti for example, volunteers in Trident’s Breast Care Center. Volunteering provides a sense of purpose and an opportunity to socialize, said LoPresti, a retiree who met her husband, another volunteer, while volunteering at the hospital.

“I started volunteering there because they could use me,” LoPresti said. “It’s such a privilege to help people in a time when they need it.”

SOURCE: Business Insider

Product Pick: Luckables

Whatever the reason may be, any hospital visit warrants a little bit of good luck. Luckables give the gift of luck and encouragement when it’s needed most. Each Luckable represents an iconic lucky symbol, or animal, from around the world. Not to mention, they’re irresistibly soft and are guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face! Please contact Heather at Heather@Luckables.com to place your order.

DECEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #637
Did you miss last month’s articles, surveys, and discussions?

Robots deliver shop purchases to patients
4 ways to crush it in 2023
It’s Inventory Day!
Move merchandise with a Power Lunch Flash Sale
Product Pick: Luckables
Your 2022 Income Statement
The costly impact of too much inventory

Have you written your resolutions goals for 2023!?
A. How to work around IT firewalls for gift cards?
Tallahassee Memorial Gift Shop
Survey: Do you use a cash register or POS system?
A. Does your shop use Emporos POS?
Gift Market Calendar

Thank You Card for Healthcare Workers

DISCUSSION

EMPOROS POS?

FROM CINDY

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

GIFT CARDS & FIREWALLS

Q. For those of you who have gift cards or certificates, how did your POS vendor work around the healthcare system IT firewalls? We have Clover, and are having a lot of issues getting them to work due to firewall issues. – Jill Dugaw, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Spartanburg, SC.

Our hospital shop sells and accepts gift cards, but only for our own shop. It was set up through our POS vendor. We are not able to sell other retail gift cards, (Visa/Target/Starbucks/etc) – Michaela. CHI CUMC Bergan Mercy Hospital, Omaha, NE. 400 beds. 11/17/22

VENDOR RESPONSES

Hi Jill, we completely understand your pain. Hospital firewalls, although extremely important for security, can be difficult to navigate. In most cases the hospital will completely lock down the firewall’s ports and simply make exceptions for the ports necessary for the POS and credit card processing. With Clover, the firewall ports necessary to process a credit card are different than the firewall ports that are used for Clover gift cards. Per our Clover rep, you will want to ask your hospital IT to open up ports: 50101, 50100, and 443. Having these ports open will ensure you are able to reach out and process the gift cards. – Alec Overly, National Account Executive, i3 Verticals

The ARBA POS system does not have any firewall issues with gift cards and certificates. In the ARBA POS system, connection to the database and connection to the credit card payment gateway information is added to the firewall exception list. Hope the insight is helpful. – Kathy de la Torre, ARBA Retail Systems

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

POS SYSTEMS

Q. I am taking over our hospital gift shop and have never run a retail shop before. I need to purchase a POS. Our shop is about 800 sq ft and only has one location. Any suggestions on POS systems? I want something that can track inventory and provide data on sales. The majority of staff for the gift shop will be volunteers (older women) so the payment terminal needs to be easy and user friendly. – Erica Ballard, Ascension Providence, Waco, TX. 225 beds. 8/31/22

We use PSG Point of Sale by Bostwick Braun. It has a very extensive back office and reports. – Ginger Taylor. CoxHealth, Springfield, MO. 1014 beds. 10/18/22

We use Quickcharge (MM Hayes) – Kristi King, Ozark Health, Clinton, AR. 114 beds. 9/22/22

We utilize Quickcharge (MM Hayes). It integrates with Kronos for payroll deductions, making that process (if your organization allows payroll deductions) much simpler. – Cherie Towers, Redlands Community Hospital, Redlands, CA. 229 beds. 9/21/22

We use RITE. – Nancy Williams, Director Volunteer Services, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, GA. 9/20/22

We recently upgraded to Counterpoint by NCR and it has been amazing so far. It has tons of capability than we could ever possibly need . It is also very user friendly! – Juli Chrisman, WPR Cancer Institute Gift Shop, UAMS, Little Rock, AR. 9/19/22

I use QuickBooks. Very user friendly – Carol Colpitts, Milford Regional Medical Center, Milford, MA. 9/19/22

We use Square for Retail. Our senior volunteers thought it was much easier to use than our previous register. A simpler system, but tracks inventory and provides sales data is multiple ways at a reasonable cost. – Karla Glanzman, Seattle Children’s Hospital. 350 beds. 9/16/22

Hi Karla, I would love to visit with you further about utilizing Square for Retail. I’m definitely curious about the inventory management and reports. If you have some time to chat sometime, please reach out via email. Thanks! -Vicki Holcombe, Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, TX. 9/19/22

Erica, We have the same size gift shop and same size hospital. We have Quickcharge by MM Hayes. I also have volunteers running the gift shop. I oversee inventory and reports. Reports are easy and inventory management is as well. Feel free to contact me if you would like more information. – Catherine Taschler, Volunteer Coordinator, Marshfield Medical Center-Weston, Weston, WI. 9/16/22

We will be using NCR (Counterpoint) starting in the new calendar year. I would highly recommend this system. We vetted many and found this to be far outstanding from the others. – Deb Kerr, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City. 385 beds. 9/16/22

We use the Clover devices and absolutely love the system. – Jessie Davis, Hannibal Regional Hospital, Hannibal, MO. 99 beds. 9/16/22

PRIOR COMMENTS

We are using NCR Counterpoint. We installed this system almost 6 years ago and have upgraded successfully (and easily) twice since that time. Once was a minor upgrade to install an Ingenico Card Machine and most recently was to allow us to be compatible with Windows 10 software as required by our hospital. We have been pleased with the software and especially with the ease of use for our volunteer population. – Angela Quinn, UNC Lenoir Health Care, Kinston, NC. 1/16/20

We transitioned to Vend as our POS in May 2019 – Shellee Laubersheimer, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA. 600 beds. 2/4/21

Did you miss this question? Click to comment.

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

SHOPPING BAG VENDORS 🛍

Q. Looking for options for custom shopping bags for the gift shop. You know, those pretty bags you give to customers after they make a purchase in your store! We have a current vendor, but am interested in hearing what others do and vendors they use. Thank you in advance! – Shellee Laubersheimer, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA. 600 beds. 8/23/22

We use PaperMart here in California. – Cherie Towers, Redlands Community Hospital, Redlands, CA. 229 beds. 11/30/22

Nashville Wraps is who we use. We make sure to qualify for free freight each time or it will eat up your profits, quickly! – Ali McCrary, Good Samaritan Gift Shop, Vincennes, IN. 9/15/22

We use Nashville Wraps also. We carry 4 size white kraft bags that we sell to customers with colorful tissue paper. – Stephanie Hubbard, General Manager and Senior Buyer, Memorial Healthcare System, FL. 9/15/22

We have used Nashville Wraps for bags and tissue for years. – Vicki Holcombe. 9/15/22

We use Nashville Wraps. Love the Christmas ones. – Nancy Williams, Director Volunteer Services, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, GA. 9/15/22

Nashville Wraps. They also do stickers if you want to use them. We are the Pink Geranium Gift Shop, so I get pink bags. Everyone knows where you were :) – Tricia Rochman, Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Carbondale, IL. 154 beds. 9/15/22

Kelli’s Gift Shop Suppliers. Used to use Benton Kirby but they are no longer in business. We use paper bags. – Peter Waugh. 9/15/22

We also use Nashville Wraps. We have bought the pretty designs but have had to go to the brown and white to help cut costs. We are planning on ordering Christmas designs for the season and we will be selling those to our customers/employees who ask for a handled bag. We just can’t give them out like we use to. :( – Lanie Ray, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH. 8/24/22

We use Store Supply Warehouse. They also have decorative/holiday gift bags that we sell all year round. We also insert tissue paper in to the gift bag, which the customers always appreciate! – Suzanne Storelli, The Guthrie Clinic / Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, PA. 254 beds. 8/15/22

We use Nashville Wraps for our bags. Then we put a “Friends Gift Shop” sticker on the bag for promotions. Right now we have sunflowers. – Nancy Collins, New London Hospital, New London. 25 beds. 8/15/22

PRIOR COMMENTS
Hi there!! We use Nashville Wraps for our bags and boxes and it has worked out well. They are also a member of PPP. – Christine Parker, Kent Hospital, Warwick. 2/15/21

I have wonderful luck with Bags and Bows. Great prices, great customer service. – Grace Hutchinson, Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill, SC. 180 beds. 2/15/21

Nashville Wraps and S. Walter Packaging – Gale Cialeo 2/18/21

We use Bags and Bows and purchase bright colored plastic T-shirt bags along with small brown paper bags and handled brown paper bags. We also let the volunteers know how much each bag costs so they can decipher which bag is the best choice for each particular sale. – B. Putman, Coldwater, MI 3/15/21

We have been using Nashville Wraps and very satisfied. If you order $300 or more you get free freight. Yay!!! We get tissue, ribbons, hi-density bags, and lovely gift bags in a variety of sizes and designs. Love this vendor. Highly recommend. – Debbie Swan, Baxter Regional Medical Center, Mountain Home, AR. 126 beds. 3/15/21

Click here to share your favorite bag idea or vendor.

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PROMOTIONS

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Did you miss last month’s free Job Description for Gift Shop Manager!

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers | December 15, 2022 💮

2 Comments

Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers

DECEMBER 15, 2022

Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Barrie, ON, Canada

Welcome to all the new subscribers and Happy Holidays to everyone! Can someone just say it out loud: the last few years have kinda been hell, haven’t they?

trending for 2023!
Tenacity
Gusto
Striving
Leader
Unhinged (it happens)
Zen mode
Most Likely to Succeed

The retailing world has been really, really tough. But, part of life is traveling through those ups and downs. It’s a cycle, just like the seasons. Vitalize, devitalize. Degenerate, regenerate. The good times allow one to just breath, fortify your strength and refuel your heart. The tough times come along to challenge and even weaken that strength and heart. Then the cycle starts again. Hopefully everyone is beginning to see some hint of sustained normalcy, regeneration, growth, vitality, and tenacity!

Our goal is to provide you with useful content, a way to get advice from your fellow shop managers, and a place to connect with others.

If you left a comment, shared a tip, asked a question in 2022,
thank you on behalf of all the other gift shop managers!

We thank you for contributing to the community. Everyone is beyond busy and YOU were generous enough to share new products, best practices, and helpful tips that make the hospital gift shop business easier. Your comments help sustain this publication.

If you’ve been a recipient of others’ comments, but haven’t contributed, we want to hear from you in 2023!

Looking forward to a terrific new year and wish you the same,

– Cindy and Nicole

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

Robots deliver shop purchases to patients

It’s time to update your delivery options with: “Inpatient delivery via robot”. Yes, the future is here and it’s pretty cool. Robots are being deployed in hospitals across the country to help ease the load of nurses and staff. In addition to their medical duties, robots are delivering gift shop purchases to patients.

Moxi, the robot, was created by Diligent Robotics and is currently deployed at several hospitals across the country including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, Shannon Health in San Angelo, TX, and Mary Washington Healthcare in Fredericksburg, VA.

Moxi performs time consuming but simple tasks, so nurses can do more complicated tasks. Nurses at Cedars Sinai use Moxi to run prescriptions, deliver lab samples and even bring patients gifts from the gift shop.

The robots use artificial intelligence, machine learning technology and social engineering to interact with people. They can navigate doors with their arms and store goods in their bases, which contain three locked drawers. Moxi waves when it sees someone new, and even poses for selfies.

SOURCE: The Robot Report

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www.mmhayes.com/giftshopPOS

4 ways to crush it in 2023

Here are four lists to help plan and achieve your goals in 2023. Write these down. Crystalize them. Draw and build a concrete framework for your future. Then direct your life in that direction, like a laser beam. 🚀

1. Dream List

List what you would do if you had unlimited time, talent, and money.

2. Annual Goals

List what you want to accomplish in the next 12 months for your shop.

3. Annual Action Plan

List the steps you need to take to accomplish your Annual Goals.

4. Daily Action Plan

List the specific daily steps to implement your Annual Action Plan.

Product Pick: Luckables

Whatever the reason may be, any hospital visit warrants a little bit of good luck. Luckables give the gift of luck and encouragement when it’s needed most. Each Luckable represents an iconic lucky symbol, or animal, from around the world. Not to mention, they’re irresistibly soft and are guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face! Please contact Heather at Heather@Luckables.com to place your order.

A. How to work around IT firewalls for gift cards?

For those of you who have gift cards or certificates, how did your POS vendor work around the healthcare system IT firewalls? We have Clover, and are having a lot of issues getting them to work due to firewall issues. – Jill Dugaw, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Spartanburg, SC.

VENDOR RESPONSES

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

2022 Income Statement

Your income statement should be prepared at the end of each fiscal year. How did you do?

✏️ Income Statement for Fiscal Year 2022

Gross Sales (Less tax)

Gross Revenue (Less cost of good sold, discounts, and markups)

Gross Profit Margin (Less operating expenses and salaries)

Net Profit

Net profit should be 15-20% of gross revenue for a shop with a paid manager. As a general rule of thumb, a 10% net profit margin is deemed average, while a 20% margin is deemed high and 5% low.

Tallahassee Memorial Gift Shop

Tallahassee Magazine / Nov 10, 2022

One of Tallahassee’s nicest gift shops can be found in a most unlikely place — Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. Maria Heil is the shop manager. The shop is strategically located in the hallway between the Dozier Atrium and patient rooms. They sell clothing, purses, jewelry, books, spiritual gifts, seasonal items, live plants, home decor, a kids’ corner, self-care galore, puzzles. The shop’s bestsellers are men’s and women’s colognes.

Melinda Pace and Maria Heil — *Director of volunteer services Melinda Pace, left, Gift shop manager Maria Heil. Photo by Dave Barfield*

While commerce is the foremost purpose of the store, Heil said it has another important function is providing a “friendly face” and a serene respite for stressed family members and TMH colleagues. “It’s very inviting to come in here. And that is my goal — that the people who work here and the way the shop is displayed — that it’s a welcoming place,” Heil said. “Yes, we want to make money. But if there is a need, we do our best to help. And sometimes that means giving merchandise away. You do what you need to. And it always, always, always, always comes back to us.”

A second shop, located in the Brickler Women’s Pavilion, offers grab-and-go salads and sandwiches and microwaveable meals for dads and nurses who might find it hard to leave the floor and trek to the cafeteria.

Shoppers will find a variety of popular names in gifts and accessories, including Mud Pie, Spartina, Scout, enewton and Brümate. Heil says she tries to support Tallahassee businesses in her search for unique items. Flower arrangements are from Hilly Fields, and other offerings include books by local authors, Coton Colors tableware, cake and cupcakes from The Cake Shop, and Valentine’s Day and Christmas sweets from Peterbrooke Chocolatier.

The Gift Shop had $710,000 in gross sales in the fiscal year 2018–19, but like the rest of the hospital, the auxiliary was upended by COVID.

The shop closes for two days early in the shopping season to reset the store with holiday-themed decor and gift items. It reopens with a three-day Black Friday event that begins Wednesday, Nov. 30. Everything (with a few exclusions) will be 25% off. The first day’s hours are actually 10pm-2 am to accommodate the late-night workday of the hospital’s third shift. TMH colleagues actually are the gift shop’s most loyal customers, Heil said.

Pace shared her long-term goal for the shop. “…..reach $1 million in sales. It’s sort of a personal goal to see that happen before I retire,” she said.

SOURCE: Tallahassee Magazine

SPONSOR

887-809-9980
www.i3pos.com

The costly impact of too much inventory

Is stock coming in faster than it’s going out? If you find yourself overstocked, whether from overbuying or missing your sales projections, you can take decisive action to bring your inventory back into balance. The key is to act quickly. The longer you keep excess inventory on hand, the more it will cost you.

High inventory decreases your gross margin, increases operating expenses, and negatively effects cash flow, all resulting in reduced profits.

How to quickly cut the amount of inventory you have:

Cancel or reduce any open order that hasn’t shipped and isn’t a critical need right now.
Cut out optional merchandise.
Delay adding a new line for 2-3 months.
Discount items that have been difficult to sell.
Bundle items or offer BOGO sales on overstocked items to sell more products per customer.

Identify and rectify any large inventory errors that happen throughout you process, including any inaccurate counting, tracking or re-stocking. Many of these issues come through human error, which can be addressed by ensuring all employees, especially new ones, are fully trained.

Move merchandise with a Power Lunch Flash Sale

Help move your merchandise by planning several Power Lunch Flash Sale from 11:00am – 2:00pm one day a week for three weeks. Mark down holiday merchandise or overstocked items at progressive amounts each week during these hours.

The restricted sale time drives urgency – customers can’t look at something and just think about buying it. If they want it, they have to buy it right then to get the discount. Turn up the music and watch them line up at the door. 🎉

Have you written your resolutions goals for 2023!?

by Cindy Jones, Editor

Resolutions are nice. But, you might remember, around here we like to set New Year’s Goals instead. Quoting myself here, “If we had the discipline to keep resolutions, we probably wouldn’t need to make them in the first place!”

Goals are challenges you set and conquer. They are short term. They are achievable. Resolutions feel heavy, have permanence and feel forever (e.g., lose weight, stop smoking, start exercising, save money).

Goals last only as long as it takes to meet them. Commence your celebratory dance and, then, on to the next goal. They are chunks of accomplishments – like purging old files, running a seven-minute mile, writing a book, mastering that celestial chocolate cake, prepare a shop budget for 2023 and so on.

They often motivate people to make a list of priorities and then to work to accomplish them. Here are a few to consider!

Better manage your gift shop financially by implementing 3 new reports or KPIs.
Commit to creating financial statements every quarter.
Schedule monthly customer service training or round table sessions for your volunteers and staff.
Write down 5 ways to determine if your shop is a good place for all to work (i.e., survey, retention, perks, pay).
Praise your volunteers and staff in public. Only share constructive criticism in private.
Set an annual deadline and then commit to finishing your holiday inventory buying no later (for August delivery).
Resolve to reorder fast selling merchandise before you run out. Note “Inventory gone: ____” on your calendar throughout the year for a year-end perspective.
Do more MBWA: Manage By Walking Around
Implement a monthly notice informing volunteers and staff of sales goals and new products.
Create a ‘Buying and Planning Calendar’. Know where you’re going and when to buy. Check out Cindy’s Twelve-Month Action Plan for Gift Shop Managers!
Determine 5 ways – big or small – to declutter the register area by May 4, 2023 (or any memorable date).
Commit to rotating displays every two to three weeks in 2023.
Balance inventory levels with sales levels all year around.

Resolve to work on as many of these as you can. Decide on a handful, write them down and make two copies: one for your morning mirror and one for your office wall. Start with an easy one. Break the harder ones into smaller steps.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

JANUARY
Jan 1 – New Year’s Day Jan 16 – Martin Luther King Day Jan 19 – Nat’l Popcorn Day 🍿 Jan 21 – National Hug Day

FEBRUARY
Black History Month Feb 3 – Ntn’l Women Physician Day Feb 4 – World Cancer Day Feb 12 – Super Bowl Sunday Feb 14 – Valentine’s Day 💕 Feb 20 – President’s Day Feb 21 – Mardi Gras/Paczki Day

MARCH
Mar 1- World Candle Day Mar 2 – Ash Wednesday Mar 3 – Employee Appreciation Day Mar 12- Daylight Saving (Start) Mar 17 – St. Patrick’s Day ☘️ Mar 22 – First Day of Ramadan Mar 30 – Doctor’s Day

Sometimes we include some pretty unique “holidays”. Use them to help generate off-season sales. “National Sunglasses Day – 15% Today Only!”. Build some fun displays. Be creative! Put all umbrellas on sale for National Pina Colada Day! 🍹 ….by the way, it’s July 10th!

It’s Inventory Day!

If your fiscal year ends December 31, it’s time to schedule your shop’s annual physical inventory.

Hospital gift shops are required by tax and, often, accounting rules to provide an accurate on-hand value of the merchandise in its shop. Although the shop may be using a perpetual inventory system or other software to keep track of all items, it may still be required to physically count all inventory.

*From the 10-page guide “How to Conduct a Physical Inventory”*

Here are the basics on how to conduct a physical inventory with as little disruption and as much accuracy, as possible.

Replenish shelves with merchandise from the stockroom. Try to clear as much inventory from the backroom as possible. Be sure there is no merchandise under cash wraps, in the office, or any other location. If an inventory service has been hired to do the physical inventory, follow the guide they provide and prepare the shop according to their instructions. If the physical inventory is being conducted by shop employees, meet with staff to explain the inventory counting process.
Assign each employee a location and provide a pre-numbered inventory Counting Worksheet. Those conducting the inventory should count each item on their sheet and only record the exact quantities.
When the physical inventory count is completed, compare the physical count to the perpetual inventory record. Discrepancies should be further investigated and resolved. A recount may be required by a different counting team for any major discrepancy.
At the end of the inventory process, adjust the perpetual inventory record for each line item to reflect the quantity and value of the physical inventory.

Get the 10-page guide on How to Conduct a Physical Inventory. Includes planning and preparation checklist, worksheet templates, Per Category and Total Shop Inventory calculations, formulas for Cost of Goods Sold, best-practices, and more.

PS: Buy lunch for everyone on Inventory Day!

SPONSOR

snoozies!^® Spring 2023

Check out the new slipper slides, pairables, skinnies and spring collections

We are mixing style and comfort for the most adorable spring yet!

See all snoozies!^® collections at snoozies.com

Call your local rep or our in-house specialists:
Pam at 252-650-7000 ext 209
Danielle at 252-650-7000 ext 206

SURVEY: Do you use a cash register or POS system?

In the past, our observation is that only about 55% of hospital gift shops use a POS to run their shops. We want to find out if this is still the case. Are you using a cash register or POS system?

If your shop’s annual sales are over $200,000 you should be using a point-of-sale (POS) computerized cash register system.

A cash register is best-suited for single-location small businesses with limited inventory and without the need to take credit or debit card payments. But, but most shops use feature-filled point-of-sale (POS) systems that improve customer experience and business operations

A. Does your shop use Emporos POS?

I run The Orchard Gift Shop at Indiana University Health. They want to change our POS system to change to Emporo. We currently have Keystroke. Does anyone currently use Emporos POS? If so, what are your thoughts on it. I would appreciate any feedback. Thank you. – Jodi Tyrie, Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital, Lafayette, IN. 191 beds. 10/15/22

FROM CINDY

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

💮 GIFT MARKET CALENDAR 💮

Always double-check show dates		Jan 4-10, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market	Jan 10-17, 2023 Atlanta Winter Market
Jan 16-20, 2023 LA Mart Winter Market	Jan 23–27, 2023 Seattle Winter Mart	Jan 29-Feb 2, 2023 Las Vegas Winter Market	Jan 31-Feb 4, 2023 Atlanta Apparel Market
Feb 5-8, 2023 NY Now Winter	Mar 1-3, 2023 Atlanta Spring Market	Mar 21-24, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Access Market	Apr 22-26, 2023 High Point Spring Market
May 8-10, 2023 Atlanta Spring Cash & Carry	Jun 21-27, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market	Jun 27-30, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Jul 11-17, 2023 Atlanta Summer Market
Jul 30-Aug 3, 2023 Las Vegas Summer Market	Aug 22-25, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Sep 18-20, 2023 Atlanta Fall Market	Sep 19-21, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market
Oct 14-18, 2023 High Point Fall Market	Oct 24-27, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Nov 6-8, 2023 Atlanta Fall Cash & Carry

^Visit^{Gift Shop Mag Trade Show Calendar}^{for smaller local and regional shows.}

STATE CONFERENCES: VOLUNTEER & GIFT SHOP MANAGER

GSVRP will be held at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, St Simons Island, GA from February 19-22, 2023

NOVEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #636
Did you miss last month’s articles, surveys, and discussions?

Retailing tips for the holiday season
Free guide: Developing & Managing Volunteer Programs
Q. Work around firewalls for gift cards?
AmazonSmile for foundation/ auxiliary
Holiday idea: LIGHT-UP SALE
Q. What are your best selling products that light up?
Small Business Saturday: Nov 26, 2022

Job Openings
A. Who are some vendors for cancer items?
Two winning lottery tickets sold at local hospital gift shops
Q. Does your shop use Emporos POS?
Grafton City Hospital gift shop reopens 3 years after COVID!
Gift Market Calendar

Thank You Card for Healthcare Workers

DISCUSSION

POS SYSTEMS

We use PSG Point of Sale by Bostwick Braun. It has a very extensive back office and reports. – Ginger Taylor. CoxHealth, Springfield, MO. 1014 beds. 10/18/22

We use Quickcharge (MM Hayes) – Kristi King, Ozark Health, Clinton, AR. 114 beds. 9/22/22

We use RITE. – Nancy Williams, Director Volunteer Services, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, GA. 9/20/22

I use QuickBooks. Very user friendly – Carol Colpitts, Milford Regional Medical Center, Milford, MA. 9/19/22

We use the Clover devices and absolutely love the system. – Jessie Davis, Hannibal Regional Hospital, Hannibal, MO. 99 beds. 9/16/22

PRIOR COMMENTS

We transitioned to Vend as our POS in May 2019 – Shellee Laubersheimer, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA. 600 beds. 2/4/21

Did you miss this question? Click to comment.

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

CANCER ITEMS

I have recently taken over our Cancer Resource Center. It’s located in another building and much smaller than my gift shop. I am looking to make it a much more inspirational and inviting space but still keep some of the cancer related items available to the patients (e.g., scarves, hats, turbans, medical alert bracelets, nausea remedies, wig care products, synthetic bangs, apparel, gift items, skincare products, night caps, wig halos). Who are some vendors you use for cancer items? – Lanie Ray, Cancer Resource Center, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH. 9/28/22

LympheDIVAs makes stylish and colorful compression arm sleeves, gauntlets, and gloves for managing lymphedema post treatment.

Cancer Be Glammed carries a large assortment of cancer related recovery products and lifestyle solutions (gowns, easy-access recover clothing, wraps, skin and hair care, cooling jewelry)

Brobe breast cancer surgery recovery wear (bras, robes, belts, etc)

Chemo Beanies offers a nice array of head covers in lovely styles casual to elegant. Great customer service! – Michelle Suggs. 10/17/22

MCCC Sportswear – Stephanie Barnes. 10/17/22

LippyClips for breast cancer themed chapstick holders. Demdaco for themed jewelry. Headcovers Unlimited for hats & head scarves. PsiBands for nausea remedies. – Elizabeth Hall. 10/17/22

Headbands of Hope. Amazingly soft and she is working to get us more variety in color and patterns! – Tricia Rochman. 10/17/22

MCC Sportswear has breast cancer apparel and jewelry. Their sweatshirts and t-shirts have sold well for us. – Tamara Szarszewski, Logansport Memorial Hospital Gift Shop, Logansport, IN. 83 beds. 10/17/22

We use Ganz for our turbans. – Helen. 10/17/22

PRIOR COMMENTS

We carry a large selection of turbans and other headwear from Hats with Heart. They are great to work with. – Anonymous. 2/3/20

We have purchased basic turbans for chemo patients for years from Betmar and a lesser expensive style from Kelli’s. We also recently started carrying a line of greeting cards called KimoKards. We have received a lot of positive feed back on these from our customers. – Sandy White, Shop Manager. 12/25/19

Click to leave your response.

SHOPPING BAG VENDORS 🛍

We use PaperMart here in California. – Cherie Towers, Redlands Community Hospital, Redlands, CA. 229 beds. 11/30/22

Nashville Wraps is who we use. We make sure to qualify for free freight each time or it will eat up your profits, quickly! – Ali McCrary, Good Samaritan Gift Shop, Vincennes, IN. 9/15/22

We have used Nashville Wraps for bags and tissue for years. – Vicki Holcombe. 9/15/22

We use Nashville Wraps. Love the Christmas ones. – Nancy Williams, Director Volunteer Services, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, GA. 9/15/22

Kelli’s Gift Shop Suppliers. Used to use Benton Kirby but they are no longer in business. We use paper bags. – Peter Waugh. 9/15/22

PRIOR COMMENTS
Hi there!! We use Nashville Wraps for our bags and boxes and it has worked out well. They are also a member of PPP. – Christine Parker, Kent Hospital, Warwick. 2/15/21

I have wonderful luck with Bags and Bows. Great prices, great customer service. – Grace Hutchinson, Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill, SC. 180 beds. 2/15/21

Nashville Wraps and S. Walter Packaging – Gale Cialeo 2/18/21

Click here to share your favorite bag idea or vendor.

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

PROMOTIONS

SPONSOR

A note of appreciation for healthcare workers!

Made of bright white card stock with a red border
Approximately 4 inches by 5 ½ inches
Blank inside for personalized message
Three (3) cards per package

GiftsWithHope.com
hello@giftswithhope.com

You’re here! Thanks for reading through the whole newsletter. Good things come to those that scroll…

Click below to download the free job description for Hospital Gift Shop Manager!

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers | November 15, 2022 💮

6 Comments

Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers

NOVEMBER 15, 2022

Crystal Bridges Museum Store, Bentonville, AR

Retailing tips for the holiday season

Go idea hunting
Scour social media for ideas and content from other shops. Creativity and originality takes time and energy. You’re crazy busy at this time of year. Seek out the clever ideas for sales, displays, messaging, events, and more. You can search the web, but we find most of our inspiration searching Facebook, Instagram, and the like. For example, these inflatable ornaments from HoliBall. There is a lot of great content out there!

HoliBall^_® The Inflatable Ornament^_® Use to decorate your shop and to sell. Small packaging. Easy to display. Great gift. Deflate to store. They have a Collegiate Collection too! wholesale.theholiball.com

The charitable giving factor
The holiday season is a time of giving. Shoppers appreciate when retailers help a cause or benefit a charity by donating a percentage of sales. Highlight this in your marketing language especially this time of year. For example: “Give Local this Season! Proceeds from gift shop sales benefit Grace Hospital” or “Supporting your local hospital for over 40 years. Sales benefit Grace Health”. Include milestones for higher impact: “GIVING through GIFTING! Tilly’s Gift Shop donated $54K last year to Memorial Hospital. Shop today and give!”

Nurture your customers
You need to connect with your audience online via social media. Show up in videos talking to the camera and behind-the-scenes moments from your store. Post consistently, use engagement stickers on Instagram, and only 3-5 hashtags in your captions. Use Facebook Ads Manager to always advertise your most recent posts to get the most out of your content.

Plan marketing content early
Create content for holiday marketing – now – when you have the time. Write and schedule marketing content to the hospital’s eblast, newspaper or newsletter to run throughout the holidays. Remember to include: product images; a call to action (CTA); convenient delivery options (e.g., in-hospital, curbside, etc); discounts or sales; and professionally written, click-worthy marketing messaging.

Retarget past customers
It’s reported that 41% of every dollar sold in all our businesses has come from existing customers (Smart Retailer, Oct/Nov 2022). Remarket to your past customers via email, text, and social media to create a windfall of additional revenue.

Watch for next month’s article Instagram Engagement Stickers: That Really Work for ways to drive reach and interaction with your customers!

SPONSOR

800-348-5545
www.mmhayes.com/giftshopPOS

Free guide: Developing & Managing Volunteer Programs

Here is a great place for resources on managing volunteers. The Management Library provide free, easy-to-access, high-quality online information to help businesses and professionals grow.

See their extensive guide on Developing & Managing Volunteer Programs.

Holiday idea: LIGHT-UP SALE 💡

Hold a LIGHT-UP SALE during the holiday season when the store is lite up! Offer 20% off every product in the store that light up (e.g. candles, lanterns, ornaments that light, even cards with lights or wrap lights around items to make it fun!). We love the alternative name: GET LIT SALE. : ) Get clever and funny with the messaging for this sale:

Light a fire under your holiday shopping!
or

Light up your Christmas with our holiday sale!
or

Twas the LIGHT before Christmas

Don’t forget to display lots of merchandise that lights up!

Q. What are your best selling products that light up?

A strong holiday trend for many years has been products that light up. But it isn’t always easy to source good quality ones. Many are tacky or poorly made.

What are some of your favorites that sell well? Include the vendor and even non-seasonal! 💡

Click to comment here – >

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

SPONSOR

887-809-9980
www.i3pos.com

Small Business Saturday: Nov 26, 2022

Customers want to shop small this year, so in everything you do, highlight your identity as a small business! Remind your customers that shopping with you benefits the community and its hospital. Share what makes your shop special and different from the big box stores!

Job Openings

Manager Gift Shop
NCH Healthcare System, Naples, FL

Gift Shop Manager
Audubon Institute, New Orleans, LA

Gift Shop Manager
Ben & Jerry’s Waterbury Factory, Burlington, VT

Gift Shop Manager
Thompson Health, Canandaigua, NY

Store Manager
Outdoor Voices, Austin, TX

Garden Shop Assistant Manager/Buyer ($44-$50K)
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA

Store Manager ($35-$42K)
Kid-to-Kid Boutique, Charlotte, NC

Manager, Auxiliary and Gift Shop
St. Mary’s Hospital, Jefferson City, MO

Assistant Manager, Gift Shop
Saint Louis University Hospital, Saint Louis, MO

Gift Shop Manager
Cook Children’s Healthcare, Fort Worth, TX

Gift Shop Manager
HealthAlliance Hospital Broadway, Kingston, NY

Gift Shop Manager
Prosper Medical Center, Prosper, TX

Gift Shop Lead
Fort Worth Museum of Science & History, Fort Worth, TX

Book Shop Manager ($60-$65K)
Hudson Group, Boston, MA

Store Manager
Wolford Boutique, Georgetown, Washington, DC

Manager/Buyer, Gift Shops ($34K – $51K)
Univ of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA

Gift Shop and Volunteer Coordinator ($20-$28/hr)
Wellstar Health System, LaGrange, GA

Gift Shop Assistant Manager
Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA

**Salary ranges are from job postings

A. Who are some vendors for cancer items?

I have recently taken over our Cancer Resource Center. It’s located in another building and much smaller than my gift shop. I am looking to make it a much more inspirational and inviting space but still keep some of the cancer related items available to the patients (e.g., scarves, hats, turbans, medical alert bracelets, nausea remedies, wig care products, synthetic bangs, apparel, gift items, skincare products, night caps, wig halos). Who are some vendors you use for cancer items? – Lanie Ray, Cancer Resource Center, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH. 9/28/22

LympheDIVAs makes stylish and colorful compression arm sleeves, gauntlets, and gloves for managing lymphedema post treatment.

Cancer Be Glammed carries a large assortment of cancer related recovery products and lifestyle solutions (gowns, easy-access recover clothing, wraps, skin and hair care, cooling jewelry)

Brobe breast cancer surgery recovery wear (bras, robes, belts, etc)

Chemo Beanies offers a nice array of head covers in lovely styles casual to elegant. Great customer service! – Michelle Suggs. 10/17/22

MCCC Sportswear – Stephanie Barnes. 10/17/22

LippyClips for breast cancer themed chapstick holders. Demdaco for themed jewelry. Headcovers Unlimited for hats & head scarves. PsiBands for nausea remedies. – Elizabeth Hall. 10/17/22

Headbands of Hope. Amazingly soft and she is working to get us more variety in color and patterns! – Tricia Rochman. 10/17/22

We use Ganz for our turbans. – Helen. 10/17/22

PRIOR COMMENTS

We carry a large selection of turbans and other headwear from Hats with Heart. They are great to work with. – Anonymous. 2/3/20

Click to leave your response.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

DECEMBER
Dec 18 – Hanukkah Begins Dec 21 – Winter Solstice Dec 25 – Christmas Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve

JANUARY
Jan 1 – New Year’s Day Jan 16 – Martin Luther King Day Jan 19 – Nat’l Popcorn Day Jan 21 – National Hug Day

FEBRUARY
Feb 3 – Ntn’l Women Physician Day Feb 4 – World Cancer Day Feb 12 – Super Bowl Sunday Feb 14 – Valentine’s Day Feb 20 – President’s Day Feb 21 – Mardi Gras/Paczki Day Black History Month

Two winning lottery tickets sold at local hospital gift shops

A Powerball ticket worth $100,000 for the Wednesday night drawing was sold by Lori’s Gifts in Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Then, a Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 with Quick Cash ticket for Thursday’s drawing was sold at Ladies Hospital Aid Society in UPMC Montefiore hospital. That winning ticket was for a whopping $482,025.

Both shops get a $500 bonus for selling the winning tickets!

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See all snoozies!^® Fall/Holiday collections at snoozies.com
Call your local rep or our in-house specialists:
Pam at 252-650-7000 ext 209
Danielle at 252-650-7000 ext 206

Q. Does your shop use Emporos POS?

Do you use Emporos POS in your gift shop? <- CLICK TO COMMENT

Would you use a pharmaceutical POS in your shop? Why or Why not? Are you familiar with Emporos POS? 💊

Leave Jodi a comment here or enter it at the bottom of the newsletter.
Thank you!

FROM CINDY

We are not familiar with Emporos. It has not been mentioned in our ongoing POS survey as a system in use. At first glance, it appears to be designed for pharmacies. I would question its ability to meet the unique needs of a gift shop. Keystroke is designed specifically for retail operations. Emporos does have to great features: native payroll deduction and a mobile beside delivery option. Also, because it’s optimized for pharmacies, the user interface might be confusing in a gift shop environment unless they adapt it, which is unlikely.

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

Grafton City Hospital gift shop reopens, three years after COVID

After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Grafton City Hospital gift shop (Grafton, WV) was forced to close its doors. After nearly three years, they are happy to announce that they will be opening their doors once more on Tuesday, November 1. “The gift ship will be open from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.,” shared hospital gift shop manager, Polly Foreman. “Our volunteers are very happy to get back to work!” Guests shopping with the auxiliary will receive a 25% discount on all inventory, aside from their Rada products, as a way to celebrate the reopening of the gift shop.

During the day, the auxiliary will also be having a bake sale beginning at 11:00 a.m. and ending at 2:00 p.m. The Gift Shop and the bake sale help the auxiliary as we continue our mission to support the work of the Grafton City Hospital.

Foreman revealed that the gift shop, located on the first floor in the lobby, will resume its former open hours, Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., however if because the hospital adheres to current COVID guidelines, those times could be altered in the future due to differences in local transmission rates.

SOURCE: Mountain Statesman / Oct 28 2022

💮 GIFT MARKET CALENDAR 💮

Always double-check show dates	Dec 4-7, 2022 Grand Strand Gift Show	Jan 4-10, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market	Jan 10-17, 2023 Atlanta Winter Market
Jan 16-20, 2023 LA Mart Winter Market	Jan 23–27, 2023 Seattle Winter Mart	Jan 29-Feb 2, 2023 Las Vegas Winter Market	Jan 31-Feb 4, 2023 Atlanta Apparel Market
Feb 5-8, 2023 NY Now Winter	Mar 1-3, 2023 Atlanta Spring Market	Mar 21-24, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Access Market	Apr 22-26, 2023 High Point Spring Market
May 8-10, 2023 Atlanta Spring Cash & Carry	Jun 21-27, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market	Jun 27-30, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Jul 11-17, 2023 Atlanta Summer Market
Jul 30-Aug 3, 2023 Las Vegas Summer Market	Aug 22-25, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Sep 18-20, 2023 Atlanta Fall Market	Sep 19-21, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market
Oct 14-18, 2023 High Point Fall Market	Oct 24-27, 2023 Dallas Apparel & Accs Market	Nov 6-8, 2023 Atlanta Fall Cash & Carry

^Visit^{Gift Shop Mag Trade Show Calendar}^{for smaller local and regional shows.}

STATE CONFERENCES: VOLUNTEER & GIFT SHOP MANAGER

GSVRP will be held at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, St Simons Island, GA from February 19-22, 2023

OCTOBER 2022 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #635
Did you miss last month’s articles, surveys, and discussions?

Vista Health’s new hybrid gift shop
A. I’m new to retail. What POS system do you suggest?
Q. Who are some vendors for cancer items?
This will drive your customers away
A. What are some options/vendors for custom shopping bags?

Post-pandemic shifts in hospital gift shop operations
October Action Items
“I must have that!” social media feed
Gift Market Calendar

Thank You Card for Healthcare Workers

DISCUSSION

POS SYSTEMS

We use PSG Point of Sale by Bostwick Braun. It has a very extensive back office and reports. – Ginger Taylor. CoxHealth, Springfield, MO. 1014 beds. 10/18/22

We use Quickcharge (MM Hayes) – Kristi King, Ozark Health, Clinton, AR. 114 beds. 9/22/22

We use RITE. – Nancy Williams, Director Volunteer Services, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, GA. 9/20/22

I use QuickBooks. Very user friendly – Carol Colpitts, Milford Regional Medical Center, Milford, MA. 9/19/22

We use the Clover devices and absolutely love the system. – Jessie Davis, Hannibal Regional Hospital, Hannibal, MO. 99 beds. 9/16/22

PRIOR COMMENTS

We transitioned to Vend as our POS in May 2019 – Shellee Laubersheimer, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA. 600 beds. 2/4/21

Did you miss this question? Click to comment.

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

SHOPPING BAG VENDORS 🛍

Nashville Wraps is who we use. We make sure to qualify for free freight each time or it will eat up your profits, quickly! – Ali McCrary, Good Samaritan Gift Shop, Vincennes, IN. 9/15/22

We have used Nashville Wraps for bags and tissue for years. – Vicki Holcombe. 9/15/22

We use Nashville Wraps. Love the Christmas ones. – Nancy Williams, Director Volunteer Services, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, GA. 9/15/22

Kelli’s Gift Shop Suppliers. Used to use Benton Kirby but they are no longer in business. We use paper bags. – Peter Waugh. 9/15/22

PRIOR COMMENTS
Hi there!! We use Nashville Wraps for our bags and boxes and it has worked out well. They are also a member of PPP. – Christine Parker, Kent Hospital, Warwick. 2/15/21

I have wonderful luck with Bags and Bows. Great prices, great customer service. – Grace Hutchinson, Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill, SC. 180 beds. 2/15/21

Nashville Wraps and S. Walter Packaging – Gale Cialeo 2/18/21

Click here to share your favorite bag idea or vendor.

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

FROG & TURTLE ITEMS

I’ve had several request for our gift shop to carry frog and turtle gift items. Do anyone know of any vendors for this? 🐸 🐢 – LaDonna Kelley, Gift Shop Manager, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Health System, Tyler TX. 400 beds. 8/19/22

Ganz has the little pocket tokens. Easy and inexpensive. Small space needed. – Tricia Rochman, Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Carbondale, IL. 154 beds. 9/15/22

I purchase frogs and turtles through our Ganz and Roman reps. – Cindy Mai, OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center Gift Shop, Hillsboro. 168 beds. 9/1/22

There is still time to comment. Click here!

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

LOBBY SALE VENDORS

Q. We are in need of vendors for lobby sales that handle purses and accessories and also a sneaker vendor. Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated! – Lucille Roberts, UHS/Binghamton General Hospital, Binghamton, NY. 7/15/22

Other lobby sales and fundraiser vendors: Outside the Box Shoes, Nom-Nom Popcorn Company, Scentsy, Collective Goods (formerly Books Are Fun), Jose Madrid Salsa, Corporate Jewelers, The Nutman, Masquerade, Lionne Designs Jewelry, Carline Leathers (312) 738-0150.

Dillard’s brings a great purse selection to our lobby sale. – Brenda Welcher, Advent Health. 8/18/22

We use In The Bag as our vendor. It is under new ownership. – Ramona Kennedy, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Auxiliary, Ogdensburg. 115 beds. 8/16/22

We have partnered with In the Bag, for one of our shops. They are based out of New Jersey, I am located in Ohio. They have great bags, purses and accessories. Always a hit with our staff when he comes. – Lanie Ray, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH. 8/8/22

Thanks, I appreciate your response. It is now Melissa Blau at In the Bag and she won’t do sales unless provided 12 tables. – Lucille Roberts, UHS/Binghamton General Hospital, Binghamton, NY. 8/8/22

FROM CINDY

Hi Lucille, we have found that there are less and less vendors doing lobby/on-site sales. These were obviously not allowed during the pandemic. Many invested in online stores to accommodate the shift to online shopping. With all that transpired due to the pandemic, Gold Coast Promotions totally changed their fundraising format to an online format, holding over 100 online events in 2021. Here are examples of online fundraisers for UMHS and Memorial Hospital Gulfport. You can read suggestions from readers for other online fundraiser vendors in the April, 2021 issue.

Maybe onsite lobby sales are picking up again?! We hope other readers will chime in! There is still time to COMMENT! CLICK HERE

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

PROMOTIONS

SPONSOR

A note of appreciation for healthcare workers!

Made of bright white card stock with a red border
Approximately 4 inches by 5 ½ inches
Blank inside for personalized message
Three (3) cards per package

GiftsWithHope.com
hello@giftswithhope.com

You’re here! Thanks for reading through the whole newsletter. Good things come to those that scroll…

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers | October 15, 2022 💮

9 Comments

Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers

OCTOBER 15, 2022

Cloverkey Gift Shop at Texas Health Huguley Hospital, Fort Worth, TX

Vista Health’s new hybrid gift shop

More food and less retail is driving up sales.

Food Management | Sep 20, 2022

Hospital gift shops usually have more cards, flowers, candy, and stuffed animals than everyday convenience items. But that’s not the case at Vista Health in Waukegan, IL, where the gift shop has been transformed into a hybrid market designed to serve guests as well as hospital staff.

In September 2020, Vista Health opened The Market, a 24-hour blended shopping experience offering 60% food, beverage, and convenience items and 40% retail products. “People are expecting to go into a store and have an array of options at their fingertips. It’s no longer just about gifts,” says May Limbach, Brand Marketing Director of Aramark, the operator contracted to manage the shop.

The idea came about when Vista Health’s gift shop vendor told the 200-bed hospital they were leaving. Vista had noticed slower inventory turnover, dwindling sales performance, and waning engagement from shoppers, and decided it was time for a change. That’s when they asked Aramark to take over the shop – and give it a much-needed makeover.

“We wanted to be mindful of the fact that 80% of gift shop sales come from hospital employees,” Limbach says. “They’re not just looking for your typical gift merchandise. They want to have access to an assortment of fresh food and beverage options, even if it’s 3:00 A.M.”

The shop space underwent a complete renovation. Out went the tired carpet flooring and overfilled shelves; in came sleek wood paneling, bright lighting, and a targeted merchandising display designed to feel clean instead of cluttered. Coolers were also installed to house the fresh food and drink offerings.

*Vista had noticed slower inventory turnover, dwindling sales performance, and waning engagement from shoppers, and decided it was time for a change.*

Meeting the needs of busy doctors, nurses, and hospital staffers – along with visitors looking for a quick bite – meant stocking The Market with a variety of premium grab-and-go options like paninis, wraps, salads, fresh fruit, and more. “Within the gift market environment, fresh foods are becoming our most popular items,” notes Limbach. And it’s these offerings that make the shop stand out the most. “You’re not just getting candy or a protein bar, as you might with your usual convenience-store experience. You’re actually getting a meal,” she says.

Though food is at the forefront, The Market was never designed to compete with the hospital’s cafeteria. “The cafeteria is meant to serve meals within given hours for staff, visitors, and caregivers,” Limbach says. “The gift market is meant to supplement, for those who need to come in and grab something very quickly.”

Retail items like balloons, cards, and stuffed animals are still available. But these products are more tightly curated to reflect what people are actually buying. Aramark’s expert merchandising team tracks what sells and what doesn’t, and uses that data to update The Market’s product inventory and display strategy one a quarterly basis. “Are guests regularly buying jewelry and handbags, or do we only need a select curation of that and expand on what’s trending?” Limbach says.

Staffing and technology efficiencies enable The Market to operate round the clock on a lean budget. Eager hospital volunteers often staff the shop, eliminating the need for an extensive network of managers and associates. This alone has yielded a 10% reduction in overhead labor. Self-checkout kiosks also minimize the need for cashiers while speeding up transaction time. “Checkout wait time is typically the biggest pain point of a retail experience,” says Limbach. “If it was a doctor, nurse, or hospital associate who really only had two minutes, that self-checkout would make all the difference.”

That ability to seamlessly checkout 24 hours a day, 7 days a week has also increased sales, particularly in the evenings and overnight. In fact, late-night sales have accounted for a significant amount of The Market’s business. “A third of our transactions have been due to after hours,” Limbach says.

SOURCE: Food Management

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www.mmhayes.com/giftshopPOS

A. I’m new to retail. What POS system do you suggest?

I am taking over our hospital gift shop and have never run a retail shop before. I need to purchase a POS. Our shop is about 800 sq ft and only has one location. Any suggestions on POS systems? I want something that can track inventory and provide data on sales. The majority of staff for the gift shop will be volunteers (older women) so the payment terminal needs to be easy and user friendly. – Erica Ballard, Ascension Providence, Waco, TX. 225 beds. 8/31/22

We use Quickcharge (MM Hayes) – Kristi King, Ozark Health, Clinton, AR. 114 beds. 9/22/22

We use RITE. – Nancy Williams, Director Volunteer Services, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, GA. 9/20/22

I use QuickBooks. Very user friendly – Carol Colpitts, Milford Regional Medical Center, Milford, MA. 9/19/22

We use the Clover devices and absolutely love the system. – Jessie Davis, Hannibal Regional Hospital, Hannibal, MO. 99 beds. 9/16/22

Recent results from our ongoing survey:

What POS system do you use?

What is the annual cost of your POS system?

Did you miss this question? Click to comment.

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Q. Who are some vendors for cancer items?

Q. Who are some vendors you use for cancer items? I have recently taken over our Cancer Resource Center. It’s located in another building and much smaller than my gift shop. I am looking to make it a much more inspirational and inviting space but still keep some of the cancer related items available to the patients. – Lanie Ray, Cancer Resource Center, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH

Who are some vendors you use for cancer items? <- CLICK TO COMMENT

Scarves, hats, turbans
Medical alert bracelets
Nausea remedies
Wig care products
Synthetic bangs

Apparel
Gift items
Skincare products
Night caps
Wig halos

Who are some good vendors for cancer items? Click the comment icon to the left or enter it at the bottom of the newsletter.
Sharing is caring!

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SPONSOR

887-809-9980
www.i3pos.com

This will drive your customers away

A surefire way to drive customers away and decrease sales is to create a cluttered, dark, unwelcoming space. This is especially important in a hospital setting. You don’t need a full-blown expensive renovation to improve the look and feel of a space.

This cash wrap counter is ready for an overhaul, on a budget. Here we go!

Clear off counter tops. Store items out of the customer’s view in drawers, cabinets or behind register.
Keep add-ons or impulse merchandise at the counter minimal. Don’t crowd the space. Don’t offer too many things or too many categories.
Display merchandise neatly and with enough space and visibility.
Declutter all areas in and around the counter.
All items should be organized and orderly, not strewn about. That means, they have a place they go when not in use.
Remove signage from counter front, cash register, behind counter, etc. Limit to one or two and use professionally made signage, never handmade (this goes for anywhere in your shop).
Clear out the area behind the counter and install a second cabinet for closed yet accessible storage or a narrow table for additional workspace (but, keep it organized and decluttered).
Create a mostly empty wall behind the counter with a few shelves to display product. Don’t clutter it.
Neatly fold apparel.
Open blinds to let in natural light!

More: Solutions to common cash wrap/checkout counter problems

A. What are some options/vendors for custom shopping bags? 🛍️

Looking for options for custom shopping bags for the gift shop. You know, those pretty bags you give to customers after they make a purchase in your store! We have a current vendor, but am interested in hearing what others do and vendors they use. Thank you in advance! – Shellee Laubersheimer, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA. 600 beds. 8/23/22

Nashville Wraps is who we use. We make sure to qualify for free freight each time or it will eat up your profits, quickly! – Ali McCrary, Good Samaritan Gift Shop, Vincennes, IN. 9/15/22

We have used Nashville Wraps for bags and tissue for years. – Vicki Holcombe. 9/15/22

We use Nashville Wraps. Love the Christmas ones. – Nancy Williams, Director Volunteer Services, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, GA. 9/15/22

Kelli’s Gift Shop Suppliers. Used to use Benton Kirby but they are no longer in business. We use paper bags. – Peter Waugh. 9/15/22

PRIOR COMMENTS
Hi there!! We use Nashville Wraps for our bags and boxes and it has worked out well. They are also a member of PPP. – Christine Parker, Kent Hospital, Warwick. 2/15/21

I have wonderful luck with Bags and Bows. Great prices, great customer service. – Grace Hutchinson, Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill, SC. 180 beds. 2/15/21

Nashville Wraps and S. Walter Packaging – Gale Cialeo 2/18/21

There is still time to comment! Click here to share your favorite bag idea or vendor.

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UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

NOVEMBER
Nov 11 – Veterans Day Nov 24 – Thanksgiving Nov 25 – Black Friday Nov 28 – Cyber Monday

DECEMBER
Dec 18 – Hanukkah Begins Dec 21 – Winter Solstice Dec 25 – Christmas Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve

JANUARY
Jan 1 – New Year’s Day Jan 17 – Martin Luther King Day Jan 21 – National Hug Day

Association Conferences

GSVRP will be held at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, St Simons Island, GA from February 19-22, 2023.

Your inventory should never celebrate a birthday!

Especially apparel, accessories, seasonal home goods and trending gifts items. They all need to move out the door, fast!

Post-pandemic shifts in hospital gift shop operations

Important take aways on changes to the hospital gift shop business following the pandemic:

Many shops are focusing more on employee business, rather than traditional patient gifts.
Hospital employees are often working longer shifts than before the pandemic, making on-site shopping even more convenient.
Incorporating a new merchandise mix that appeals to younger generations. Hospitals are starting to hire much younger people – millennials – with all the turn-over. Less tchotchkes. More tie-ins with wellness.
Hospital logo apparel is a best-seller as pride in healthcare soared during the pandemic and also being part of a that community.
Apparel is in top five categories across all 13 hospitals Cloverkey, a Texas startup, that manages the gift shops with fashion overall in top place.

Read the full article Sales Trends at Hospital Shops (2021)

SOURCE: Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties Magazine

SPONSOR

snoozies!^® Animals

Bears, Moose, Fox, and Snow Leopard are just a few!
Available in Women’s, Men’s, Kid’s, Toddler and Baby
Fully lined with our exclusive dyed pom pom™cozy Sherpa
All with non skid soles
Machine washable

See all snoozies!^® Fall/Holiday collections at snoozies.com
Call your local rep or our in-house specialists:
Pam at 252-650-7000 ext 209
Danielle at 252-650-7000 ext 206

October action items

Plan your holiday displays for the next eight weeks.

Clean out and cancel old orders.

Halloween displays should be up! Keep them crazy, funny, creepy, and creative.

Finalize holiday promotions and events. Note, planning should have started in September.

Write up your holiday marketing plan. Utilize hospital publications, website, social media, email campaigns, signage, bag inserts, parking valet flyers, etc.

Begin promoting Gift Certificates as co-worker holiday gifts in the hospital newsletter and at the cashier counter.

“I must have that!” social media feed

Does your social media feed make customer’s say, “I don’t need it, but I just have to have it!”

Scroll through the merchandise photos from DeShea’s at Baptist Memorial Hospital and just tell me it doesn’t have the power of persuasion. That is, purchase persuasion!

Facebook feed for DeShea’s at Baptist Memorial Hospital. Click to view

💮 GIFT MARKET CALENDAR 💮

Always double-check show dates	Nov 1-3, 2022 Atlanta Fall Cash & Carry	Nov 9 -12, 2022 Smoky Mountain Gift Show Gatlinburg, TN	Dec 4-7, 2022 Grand Strand Gift Show Myrtle Beach, SC
Jan 4-10, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market	Jan 10-16, 2023 Atlanta Market	Jan 23–27, 2023 Seattle Mart Winter Show	Jan 29-Feb 2, 2023 Las Vegas Market

^Visit^{Gift Shop Mag Trade Show Calendar}^{for smaller local and regional shows.}

SEPTEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #634
Did you miss last month’s articles, surveys, and discussions?

Baptist Health Gift Shop nominated for Retail Excellence Award
Q. I’m new to retail. What POS system do you suggest?
Product Pick: Luckables
A. Vendors for lobby sales?
Best New Product Awards: NY NOW
Q. Options/vendors for custom shopping bags?

Hospital gift shops closing in 2022
Same-day sourcing: Fall Cash & Carry, AmericasMart, Atlanta
Q. Vendor for frog and turtle gift items?
Job Openings
Gift Shop volunteers support patient care
Gift Market Calendar

BOOGIE TOES – AWARD WINNING BABY RATTLE SOCKS

DISCUSSION

FROG & TURTLE ITEMS

Ganz has the little pocket tokens. Easy and inexpensive. Small space needed. – Tricia Rochman, Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Carbondale, IL. 154 beds. 9/15/22

I purchase frogs and turtles through our Ganz and Roman reps. – Cindy Mai, OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center Gift Shop, Hillsboro. 168 beds. 9/1/22

There is still time to comment. Click here!

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LOBBY SALE VENDORS

Other lobby sales and fundraiser vendors: Outside the Box Shoes, Nom-Nom Popcorn, Scentsy, Collective Goods, Jose Madrid Salsa, Corporate Jewelers, The Nutman, Masquerade, Lionne Designs Jewelry, Carline Leathers (312) 738-0150.

Dillard’s brings a great purse selection to our lobby sale. – Brenda Welcher, Advent Health. 8/18/22

We use In The Bag as our vendor. It is under new ownership. – Ramona Kennedy, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Auxiliary, Ogdensburg. 115 beds. 8/16/22

FROM CINDY

Maybe onsite lobby sales are picking up again?! We hope other readers will chime in! There is still time to COMMENT! CLICK HERE

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

HIP KIT VENDORS

Q. Has anyone found a good source for “hip kits” for post-hip replacement patients? They contain assistive items like sock aid, dressing stick, long handled sponge? – Jill Dugaw, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Spartanburg, SC. 500 beds. 6/22/22

Try Kinsman Enterprises in Illinois – they have a huge catalog of items. – Susan M Dailey, Village Specialty Shoppe, The Village at Orchard Ridge, Winchester, VA. 8/23/22.

We have ordered from Performance Health (866-402-8720) for several years. Our hip replacement patients get an insert with their details in the folder they receive during their orientation class prior to surgery. – Brenda Welcher, AdventHealth Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills, FL. 154 beds. 7/22/22

We use Performance Health. Item #081286368. I think they cost $11.84 and we retail for about $35.00. – Margaret Legut, Elmhurst Hospital, Elmhurst, IL. 259 beds. 7/19/22

Still want to COMMENT. We’ll add your response!

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TOP GIFT MARKETS

Q. Hello! I’m a new shop manager. I’m trying to decide which gift shows I should attend or, are you mainly shopping online now? What markets does everyone attend? Should I go to a few small shows or one large show? What is your travel budget? I am in the midwest, but can go anywhere. Thanks! – Lindsey. 6/2/22

The January show in Atlanta is a must for me and I complete the majority of my Fall and Holiday buying at that show. I also attend 1-2 smaller regional shows at the Minneapolis Gift Mart. For apparel, I attend the Atlanta apparel market. – Sabra Shields, Sanford USD Medical Center, Sioux Falls, SD. 450 beds. 6/22/22

I go to the Atlanta Mart in January and buy all of my fall and Christmas for the year and some everyday as well. I get great display ideas and seeing the items in person vs. a catalog makes a big difference. I look for companies that offer less minimums on items as we are a smaller shop. I know that I can usually sell 6 or 8 pieces of one item but not 12. – Diane Honsberger, Director of Volunteers & Gift Shop, Mercy St. Anne Hospital, Toledo, OH. 150 beds. 6/21/22

We attend the Americas Mart Gift Show in Atlanta. – Laura Keipert, Supervisor, Retail Services, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, GA 6/20/22

We generally go to Las Vegas, for three days. Our budget for two people was around $800. Show specials more than made up for those costs. Haven’t had travel budget for two years though and hope to go next January. The summer gift show usually coincides with the ASD show, so it is a two-for-one trip. – Karla Glanzman, Gift Shop Manager at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA. 407 beds. 6/17/22

We try to do one gift show a year. We have done Dallas, Atlanta and Vegas. Set-up at Vegas was amazing. LOVED IT! Atlanta was the best so far though. – Tricia Rochman, Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Carbondale, IL. 154 beds. 4/21/22

We send about three volunteers to Atlanta every January for about five days. This has made all the difference in our gift shop. They shop primarily for the holidays throughout the year but do order some everyday items as well. It really saves on meeting with the vendors on a regular basis. – Ramona Kennedy, Lifeline Program Manager & Auxiliary Liaison, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Ogdensburg, NY. 115 beds. 6/16/22

Atlanta Gift Market. The main one to go to is January, but I’ve also gone to the last two in July. I usually stay 3-4 nights, but don’t have a monetary budget for the exact amount. – Roberta Gilbert, Gift Shop Coordinator, St.Claire Regional Medical Center. Morehead, KY. 159 beds. 6/16/22

We have attended the Las Vegas Gift Show and have found great success. Over several years, we have met up with great suppliers, reinforced current relationships and had a lot of fun. This show has a wide range of merchants and the options are fantastic for whatever you might be looking for. Personally I love seeing the FULL range of a product line. Go to shows, they make a world of difference in your buying habits. – Lorene Oates, Volunteer Coordinator, West Valley Medical Center, Caldwell, ID. 150 beds. 6/15/22

I have attended the Las Vegas World Market’s January show for about six years. I previously attended the Atlanta show. The airfare is better for me on the West Coast and the hotels are less expensive than even Seattle. My travel budget is $2,000 or less and I stay the full time. I can accomplish more in 5 days than I could in a month of seeing reps in the shop or ordering on line. Not to mention seeing product in person can completely change your perspective. It also gives you a chance to meet other gift shop buyers and learn from each other. I’ve made connections that are on going. – Molly Forni, Gift Shop Manager, St. John Providence Health System, Portland, OR. 266 beds. 6/15/22

Thanks to everyone who submitted a comment!
✈️

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You’re here! Thanks for reading through the whole newsletter. Good things come to those that scroll…

Fun ideas for Halloween hospital display. Laughter is the best marketing tool.

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers | September 15, 2022 💮

27 Comments

Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

Rutland Regional Medical Center, Rutland, VT

Baptist Health Gift Shop nominated for Retail Excellence Award

Pineapple Boutique located inside West Kendall Baptist Hospital, Miami, Florida was nominated in the Store Events category for Gifts & Decorative Accessories’ 2022 Retail Excellence Award.

Their pop-up events are key to increasing foot traffic to this hospital gift shop. The events typically focus on special jewelry or custom home linens. They report an average 75% increase in foot traffic and triple the average spend without requiring too much inventory commitment.

The gift shop also hosts private VIP shopping events 2-3 times a year for their top 50 patrons, offering special discounts and unique merchandise.

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– Hospital friendly
– Always fresh, never wilts
– No refrigeration or watering
– Allergy and pollen free
– Perfect for the fall season

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800-348-5545
www.mmhayes.com/giftshopPOS

Q. I’m new to retail. What POS system do you suggest?

What POS system do you recommend?<- CLICK TO COMMENT

Erica is a new retail manager. What POS system would you recommend for her? Such a big decision! POS systems are the heart of your operation.

Please leave a comment here or enter it at the bottom of the newsletter.
Thank you!

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

Best New Product Awards: NY NOW

NY NOW announced the winners of the Summer 2022 Market Awards, a competitive awards program adjudicated by an esteemed panel of industry leaders celebrating brands who stood out for unique designs, dedication, and innovative emergence.

BEST NEW PRODUCTS

BEST SELLING PRODUCTS

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AWARD

Q. What are some options/vendors for custom shopping bags? 🛍️

What do you use for customer shopping bags? <-CLICK TO COMMENT

Customer shopping bags Recommend a vendor? Or, do you use another option that is unique to your shop? 🛍️ 🛍️ 🛍️

Care to share! Thanks for leaving your comment here or enter it at the bottom of the newsletter.
Thank you!

Hi there!! We use Nashville Wraps for our bags and boxes and it has worked out well. They are also a member of PPP. – Christine Parker, Kent Hospital, Warwick. 2/15/21

I have wonderful luck with Bags and Bows. Great prices, great customer service. – Grace Hutchinson, Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill, SC. 180 beds. 2/15/21

Nashville Wraps and S. Walter Packaging – Gale Cialeo 2/18/21

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

OCTOBER
Oct 4 – Yom Kippur begins Oct 10 – Ntnl Handbag Day Oct 10 – Columbus Day Oct 13 – No Bra Day 🤣 Oct 15 – Sweetest Day Oct 16 – Boss’s Day Oct 31 – Halloween

NOVEMBER
Nov 11 – Veterans Day Nov 24 – Thanksgiving Nov 25 – Black Friday Nov 28 – Cyber Monday

DECEMBER
Dec 18 – Hanukkah Begins Dec 21 – Winter Solstice Dec 25 – Christmas Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve

Same-day buying: AmericasMart Fall Cash & Carry

The Fall Cash & Carry event runs November 1-3 at AmericasMart in Atlanta. It offering retailers immediate-buying from 350+ exhibitors, including temporary exhibitors. Source and leave with inventory same-day for immediate inventory restock for the holidays.

Fall Cash & Carry offers an opportunity for buyers and brands to connect and conduct business for immediate inventory restock. Over 350 showrooms will be open, with home décor resources in Building 1, gift resources in Building 2 and apparel and accessories in Building 3. Building 3, Floor 1 will feature temporary exhibitors carrying jewelry, accessories and hundreds of gift items with no spending minimum alongside the open Cash & Carry showrooms featuring apparel and fine jewelry on floors 6 and 7. See the full list of Fall Cash & Carry showroom and temporary exhibitors.

We are into Fall and our customers are thinking about the comforts of home, cooking and football!

Have your candles, scents, home decor, cooking and kitchen inventory out and displayed for all to see…and purchase!

Think cooler temps, college students off to school, fall foliage. Next comes Halloween, Labor Day, Octoberfest, and onward.

CC / Photo: Irina Iriser

Q. Good vendor for frog and turtle gift items?

Q. I’ve had several request for our gift shop to carry frog and turtle gift items. Do anyone know of any vendors for this? 🐸 🐢 – LaDonna Kelley, Gift Shop Manager, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Health System, Tyler TX. 400 beds. 8/19/22

What’s a good vendor for frog and turtle gift items? <- CLICK TO COMMENT

Photo by Stephanie LeBlanc on Unsplash

Well, that’s a first! Frog and turtle gift items. We love the our readers!

Thank you for the terrific question, LaDonna!
Ribbit. That’s all we have to say on that!

I purchase frogs and turtles through our Ganz and Roman reps. – Cindy Mai, OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center Gift Shop, Hillsboro. 168 beds. 9/1/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

Job Openings

Gift Shop Manager
Alexandria Hospital, Alexandria, VA

Manager/Buyer, Gift Shop
University of Pittsburgh Medical Cntr, Pittsburgh, PA

Manager Gift Shop & Volunteers
Valley Children’s Healthcare, Madera, CA

Gift Shop Volunteer
Intermountain Healthcare, Cedar City, UT

Assistant Manager, Gift Shop
Huntington Hospital, Pasadena, CA

Manager, Specialty Retail Gift Shop
Banner Health, Gilbert, AZ

Supervisor, Gift Shop
Cook Children’s Health Care System, Prosper, TX

Gift Shop Inventory Distribution Coordinator
New Hanover Regional Medical Cntr, Wilmington, NC

Gift Shop Manager-Joseph-Beth Booksellers
Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, OH

Coordinator, Gift Shop
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH

Gift Shop Assistant Manager (Part-time)
Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA

Supervisor, Gift Shop
Franciscan of Our Lady Health System, Jackson, MS

Manager, Volunteer/Guest Services
Orlando Health, Ocoee, FL

Gift Shop Manager
Rush Oak Park Hospital, Oak Park, IL

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A. Vendors for lobby sales?

We are in need of vendors for lobby sales that handle purses and accessories and also a sneaker vendor. Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated! – Lucille Roberts, UHS/Binghamton General Hospital, Binghamton, NY. 7/15/22

Dillard’s brings a great purse selection to our lobby sale. – Brenda Welcher, Advent Health. 8/18/22

We use In The Bag as our vendor. It is under new ownership. – Ramona Kennedy, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Auxiliary, Ogdensburg. 115 beds. 8/16/22

FROM CINDY

Maybe onsite lobby sales are picking up again?! We hope other readers will chime in! There is still time to COMMENT! CLICK HERE

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

Gift Shop volunteers support patient care

Volunteers from MyMichigan Medical Center Midland’s Gift Shop recently fulfilled their 2021-22 pledge of support to the Medical Center. The volunteers donated more than $130,000 toward the purchase of equipment to support patient care, as well as $50,000 to support the future James T. and Elsa U. Pardee Cancer Center (Pardee Cancer Center).

Carolyn Popp and JoAnn Rajewski are MyMichigan Medical Center Midland’s Gift Shop coordinators. July 27, 2022

Equipment purchased through the Gift Shop volunteers’ donation included pieces that support the Inpatient and Outpatient Rehabilitation Departments, Behavioral Health Unit, surgical floor, as well as cardiovascular testing to support the Medical Center’s new Special Care Nursery. In addition, the volunteers donated $50,000 toward the Pardee Cancer Center.

“The Gift Shop volunteers are so pleased that our efforts provide needed equipment in multiple departments,” said Cathy Strong, Gift Shop chairman. “It’s very exciting each year just how successful our work is in the amount we’re able to give and support MyMichigan Health. We are so thankful for our many customers and supporters.”

Congratulations to Carolyn Popp, JoAnn Rajewski, Cathy Strong, and everyone on their team!

SOURCE: MyMichigan Medical Center

SPONSOR

snoozies!^® Animals

Bears, Moose, Fox, and Snow Leopard are just a few!
Available in Women’s, Men’s, Kid’s, Toddler and Baby
Fully lined with our exclusive dyed pom pom™cozy Sherpa
All with non skid soles
Machine washable

See all snoozies!^® Fall/Holiday collections at snoozies.com
Call your local rep or our in-house specialists:
Pam at 252-650-7000 ext 209
Danielle at 252-650-7000 ext 206

Shop Closings in 2022

Several shops closed in 2022. The pandemic was an unprecedented event that hit retail hard. Unfortunately, many hospitals may have used this time to close their shops permanently.

Take this opportunity to reflect, not on the negative, but on how you move forward with determination, creativity, and resilience (aka GRIT!) to ensure the longevity of your shop.

Consumer behavior experienced a paradigm shift during the pandemic. Your retail establishment must evolve along with these changes. Look at the local retail shops in your area that shuttered during the pandemic compared to those that stayed open. Why? What did they do to stay in business? How did they adapt? It’s vital that your shop remains relevant in the current environment. Learn what your customer’s needs are now, today, in 2022.

What products do your customers want?
How much are they willing to pay (credit card, mobile pay, cash, etc)?
How do they want to shop (in-person, online, etc)?
How do they want to pay?
How do they want to obtain or fulfill their purchase (in-person, delivery, curbside, etc)?
How quickly do they want the product?

Find out the answers to these questions — from your customers. This becomes a litmus test to see if your shop is meeting these needs which, in turn, builds value and ‘staying power’.

Roz Tuerk, manager and buyer at the Grand View Hospital gift shop in Sellersville, PA noted that even once the pandemic subsided, he wasn’t sure the store would return to its former merchandise mix — a blend of impulse fashion and novelty gifts that appealed to the older clientele. “With all the turnover, we’re starting to hire much younger people, millennials,” Tuerk reflected. “And this younger generation isn’t into tchotchkes. I’m thinking I’ll need to do more tie-ins with wellness.”

The pandemic may be over, but the changes to consumer behavior are permanent.

SHOP CLOSURES

Aurora Medical Center Gift Shop, Two Rivers, WI

The gift shop at Aurora Medical Center was run by volunteers for 20 years and served countless team members, patients, families and visitors. “We sold a variety of goods – candy, stuffed animals, cards, balloons and personal care items,” shared Patty LeClair, the volunteer services coordinator at the hospital. “It was close and convenient for anyone who may have needed a last-minute card, gift or snack.” Unfortunately, the shop closed its doors permanently due to the pandemic. Jun 2022 Read more…

Saugeen Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop, Saugeen, CA

Saugeen Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop is closing, a sad result in part due to COVID-19. Other factors have also contributed to this being its last week of operation including location in the hospital, not being able to sell magazines, books or cards due to COVID restrictions and fewer volunteers who operate the Gift Shop. The combination has resulted in a loss of revenue that is, in turn, donated to the hospital and, therefore, the Gift Shop is no longer viable. With this being the last week of operation, the Gift Shop will be holding a ‘blow-out’ sale that will take place August 26th and 27th at the hospital’s former Emergency Bay at the west side of the hospital. It is hoped that all inventory will be sold and, items that remain, may be distributed to other hospital gift shops. Aug 2022 Read more…

Bluegrass Community Hospital Gift Shop, Versailles, KY

The BlueGrass Community Hospital Gift Shop closed due to difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic and personal reasons of the Bluegrass Community Hospital Auxiliary group. New “Pop-Up Shops” will take over the former gift shop space throughout the summer of 2022. Local small businesses are invited to reserve the space at no charge. The hospital hopes to attract new customers for small businesses around Woodford County. Businesses are responsible for staffing their shops and providing the customer payment system. The hospital does not require the business to have a store front. Anyone with a small retail business can apply online to reserve the space. May 2022 Read more…

Montpelier Hospital Gift Shop, Montpelier, OH

New officers for the 2022-23 year were installed at the Monday, June 13, luncheon meeting for members of the Community Hospitals & Wellness Centers — Montpelier Hospital Auxiliary. President Poorman conducted the meeting and a special announcement was made that the auxiliary’s gift shop has been permanently closed effective June 14, according to a directive from hospital management. The gift shop has been closed for the past 2.5 years due to COVID-19 restrictions at the hospital. Proceeds from the auxiliary’s gift shop have been donated to the CHWC Share Foundation for many years. The gift shop room has been re-designated for either expansion of the patient waiting area or for physicians’ conference room. Jun 2022

Northwestern Medicine-Kishwaukee Hospital, Green Leaf Gift Shop, DeKalb, IL

We have closed our gift shop as of today. An outsourced company is coming in mid October.

Charlevoix Hospital, Charlevoix MI

The hospital was purchased by Munson Healthcare and our gift shop was closed.

💮 GIFT MARKET CALENDAR 💮

Always double-check show dates	Sep 20-23, 2022 Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show	Oct 3-5, 2022 LA Mart	Nov 1-3, 2022 Atlanta Fall Cash & Carry
Jan 4-10, 2023 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market	Jan 10-16, 2023 Atlanta Market	Jan 23–27, 2023 Seattle Mart Winter Show	Jan 29-Feb 2, 2023 Las Vegas Market

^Visit^{Gift Shop Mag Trade Show Calendar}^{for smaller local and regional shows.}

AUGUST 2022 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #633
Did you miss last month’s articles, surveys, and discussions?

A place of refuge, of safety: the hospital gift shop
Ten ways to increase store visibility, internally and externally
Product Pick: Luckables
Patient care products
Volunteers keep Coastal Carolina Hospital gift shop running during pandemic
‘Going to Market’ tips!

A. ISO a “hip kits” vendor for hip replacement patients?
Q. Vendors for lobby sales?
What’s hot for Christmas 2022?
How to conduct a physical inventory
New shop opening: Hydra Health at Henry Cancer Center
Gift Market Calendar