CINDY’S NEWSLETTER for Gift Shop Managers

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers delivers practical, ready-to-implement content to gift shop managers, retailers, and volunteers across the country. We help our readership of over 3,000 retailers optimize shop operations, grow revenue, and connect with one another. The newsletter is published monthly and free since 2001.

Have you paid your dues this quarter?

The value and richness of this newsletter comes from your participation. Do your part by submitting two comments per quarter, at minimum. Reply to reader’s questions listed throughout the newsletter (in green) or simply share what is working or isn’t working in your shop, a great selling product, a helpful website or resource, an operating question, your biggest challenge right now, a terrific vendor you’ve come across recently, tips on managing volunteers, or tips on managing yourself!

LEAVE A COMMENT! Click the green comment tags throughout the newsletter, enter it in the comment section, or send to cindy@cindyjonesassociates.com.

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AUGUST 15, 2022

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Helen Salzman Boutique, Stanford Women’s Cancer Center, Palo Alto, CA

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A place of refuge, of safety: the hospital gift shop

Never doubt the immeasurable impact your gift shop has on your hospital

My career in medicine is always introducing me to new emotional experiences, but nothing will ever make me feel the way I do when I walk into a hospital gift shop. It’s like stepping through an interdimensional portal; the frenetic, anxious atmosphere of the hospital gives way to the anodyne hum of small-stakes commerce so seamlessly it’s almost jarring.

When I enter the gift shop, I’m suddenly in a world where I never have to hear bed alarms or overhead code blue announcements – only the soft rock offerings of 93.9 LiteFM. Tubes of every Pringles flavor climb the walls like ivy and nobody’s talking about vital signs. I can take in a deep, carefree breath of air that smells like greeting cards and tell myself that in this moment there are no major medical decisions to be made; I’m just a guy on a little errand.

– Ben Goldenberg, internist and infectious diseases fellow.

When things became overwhelming, I, too, sought the parallel universe of the hospital gift shop. The hospital lobby was a wormhole, a gateway to a clean, quiet, fresh, and shiny world. At its center was the refuge, the gift shop.

I remember low-pitched voices and elevator music; the rustling of wrapping paper. Colorful cut blooms dancing in fancy vases with fresh floral arrangements safe behind glass doors—the calming scent of candles and soaps—rose, eucalyptus, lemon. And the gift of chocolate. High-quality candy not stale from a vending machine. The excuse I gave to “run down to the gift shop.”

This world was not my home, and I knew that I was needed elsewhere, back in the chaos to do my best to help the sick, the injured, and the mentally disturbed. So I gobbled my chocolate and walked away, knowing this place would always be there.

– Maureen Hirthler, retired physician.

SOURCE: Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine

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Patient care products

Stanford Health Care Gift Shop has created a nice selection of patient care products in their online store.

In case you missed it last month, they recently won Gifts & Decorative Accessories’ 2022 Retail Excellence Award recipient for #1 Top Specialty Store. The shop was recognized for creating displays that tell a story and have an educational component – engage customers! – and using their new online store to accelerate their brand outside of the hospital. Extra kudos to Shellee Laubersheimer, Mamta Kaur, Khatra Latifi, Teresa Cheung and their team!

Click to see the rest of Stanford Health Care Gift Shop’s online store. It’s easy to see why they won!

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UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

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! ⛱️

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Volunteers keep Coastal Carolina Hospital gift shop running during pandemic

The Coastal Carolina Hospital auxiliary gift shop in Hardeeville celebrated its one-year anniversary of reopening after COVID-19 closures at the end of May.

The gift shops at Coastal Carolina and Hilton Head hospitals were some of the first volunteer departments to reopen, according to manager Dotty Gottdenker. They closed in May 2020 and could only open following strict precautions.

“We have some loyal volunteers that came back to help us open up; it was slow going. We’re still trying to get going like everyone else after COVID,” Gottdenker said.

Gottdenker said her team is understaffed and the shop hours had to be cut down. “The volunteers that are loyal to our gift shop will put in extra time and extra days, but we would like to be open full-time,” Gottdenker said.

Gottdenker said the returning volunteers have been able to keep the shop running at some capacity, but when there aren’t volunteers available to run the shop, it remains closed.

The two gift shops are not-for-profit and all proceeds go toward the Auxiliary Caring Touch Program. This program assists people discharged from the hospital who can’t afford their prescription medicine or medical equipment.

Gottdenker said they also offer a free car seat for babies born in the hospital whose families can’t afford a one.

SOURCE: Bluffton Today

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‘Going to Market’ tips!

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A. ISO a “hip kits” vendor for hip replacement patients?

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

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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Q. Vendors for lobby sales?

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

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!

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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What’s hot for Christmas 2022

Trendbook shared their forecast for the next Christmas decor trends for 2022-2023. We think the neons and lavendar might be too short lived and have narrow appeal to a select audience. Always use caution when investing too much inventory in anything trendy.

Ocean Blush Shells

A consequence of the awareness and more sustainable approaches to interior design, the next home decor holiday trend will be inspired by the ocean habitat. Ocean hues and natural materials that can be used in any Christmas tree or decor piece, with more sustainable materials.

Botanical

Greeneries in a larger scale, will also be an ongoing trend, for christmas and the entire year.

Luxury Metallics

It aint christmas without a little sparkle! In this decor trend, to embelish your christmas we’ll see a mixture a metallics combined with neutrals, for a more luxury interior.

Lavender

The forecast for 2023 is the use of lavender color, whether in design or interior design. A purifying, semi-pastel tone will stand out in the next season. TrendBook shows us an inspirational Christmas mood board with this color trend.

Neons

With vibrant color options, and lighting elements proper for a funky cheerful Christmas trend season.

SOURCE: TrendBook

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New shop opening: Hydra Health at Henry Cancer Center

Specialty boutique will bring everyday care essentials to cancer center

Henry Cancer Center at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center opened a new Hydra Health gift shop on July 25, 2022. The new specialty boutique will bring everyday care essentials to the cancer center. The gift shop, is designed to support the patient journey by providing specialty cancer products and a place of refuge for patients and caregivers alike. 

Whether it’s everyday essentials, personal care items, apparel, nourishing snacks and refreshments, or specialty cancer care items, there is something for everyone available through Hydra Health. There are also work-friendly nooks in the lounge, a beauty bar, fitness area and a respite room for meditation and rest.  

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CINDY’S NEWSLETTER for Gift Shop Managers

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers delivers practical, ready-to-implement content to gift shop managers, retailers, and volunteers across the country. We help our readership of over 3,000 retailers optimize shop operations, grow revenue, and connect with one another. The newsletter is published monthly and free since 2001.

Have you paid your dues this quarter?

The value and richness of this newsletter comes from your participation. Do your part by submitting two comments per quarter, at minimum. Reply to reader’s questions listed throughout the newsletter (in green) or simply share what is working or isn’t working in your shop, a great selling product, a helpful website or resource, an operating question, your biggest challenge right now, a terrific vendor you’ve come across recently, tips on managing volunteers, or tips on managing yourself!

LEAVE A COMMENT! Click the green comment tags throughout the newsletter, enter it in the comment section, or send to cindy@cindyjonesassociates.com.

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JUNE 15, 2022

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Texas Health Huguley Hospital, Burleson, TX

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What actually constitutes shoplifting

Generally, someone suspected of shoplifting may be detained only if the store has “probable cause” to believe that a crime has occurred. Probable cause can be established through personal observations of the crime occurring, statements from customers, or actions recorded on surveillance video cameras. Mere suspicion that someone has been shoplifting is not sufficient. 

To establish a solid base for probable cause, and reduce false arrest claims, there are a few universally accepted steps that a merchant should follow before detaining someone suspected of shoplifting. However, the law in most states does not require all precautionary steps to prove criminal intent.

1. You must see the shoplifter approach and select the merchandise.
2. You must see the shoplifter hide or conceal the merchandise.
3. You must see the shoplifter fail to pay for the merchandise.
4. You must see the shoplifter exit the store with the merchandise to prove they had no intention of paying for it or you must prove “willful concealment” if they haven’t exited.

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UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

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! ⛱️

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Top most useful retail formulas

Retail math is used daily in various ways by store owners, managers, buyers, and other retail employees to evaluate inventory purchasing plans, analyze sales figures, add-on markup, and apply markdown pricing to plan stock levels in the store. Although most accounting programs do the math for you, you should know the most common retail math formulas that are used to track merchandise, measure sales performance, determine profitability, and help create pricing strategies.

Average Inventory

This can be figured by taking an item price and subtracting discounts, plus freight and taxes. The average is found by adding the beginning cost inventory for each month plus the ending cost inventory for the last month in the period.

Example: If a clothing retailer has an average inventory of $100,000 and the cost of goods sold is $200,000, then you would divide $200,000 by $100,000 to give you a ratio of 2:1, which can be expressed simply as 2.

Average Inventory (Month) = (Beginning of Month Inventory + End of Month Inventory) ÷ 2

Cost of Goods Sold

This is the price paid for a product, plus any additional costs necessary to get the merchandise into inventory and ready for sale, including shipping and handling. A shop’s “cost of goods sold” should not go above 55%. Aim to keep the “cost of goods” as low as possible!

Cost of Goods Sold = (Beginning Inventory (at cost) + Purchases – Ending Inventory (at cost))

Gross Margin

This is simply the difference between what an item cost and the price for which it sells. For example, if Store A and B have the same sales, yet Store A’s gross margin is 50% and Store B’s gross margin is 55%, it’s easy to see which store is faring better.

Gross Margin = Total Sales - Cost of Goods

Gross Margin Return on Investment (GMROI)

GMROI calculations assist buyers in evaluating whether a sufficient gross margin is being earned by the products purchased, compared to the investment in inventory required to generate those gross margin dollars. For example, if your store has a sales volume of $1 million a year on an average inventory of $500,000, that would be pretty good. But $1 million on an average inventory of $200,000 (though uncommon) would be even better. 

GMROI = Gross Margin $ ÷ Average Inventory Cost

Inventory Turnover (Stock Turn)

Inventory turnover is how many times during a certain calendar period a retailer sells its inventory and replaces it.

Turnover = Net Sales ÷ Average Retail Stock

Margin

This is the amount of gross profit a business earns when an item is sold. For example, if you have to pay $15 for each sweater and you then sell it to customers for $39, your retail margin equals $24.

Margin % = (Retail Price - Cost) ÷ Retail Price

Net Sales

Net sales is the number of sales generated by a business after the deduction of returns, allowances for damaged or missing goods, and any discounts allowed.

Net Sales = Gross Sales - Returns and Allowances

Open to Buy

Open to Buy is the difference between how much inventory is needed and how much is available. That includes inventory on hand, in transit, and any outstanding orders.

OTB (retail) = Planned Sales + Planned Markdowns + Planned End of Month Inventory - Planned Beginning of Month Inventory

Stock-to-Sales Ratio

Stock-to-sales ratio is the beginning-of-the-month-stock to the number of sales for the month. The key takeaway is that this ratio is a monthly metric.

Stock-to-Sales = Beginning of Month Stock ÷ Sales for the Month

Cindy’s full Guide To Calculating Shop Profitability walks you through the formula’s to determine your shop’s profitability including Annual Gross Sales Per Square Foot, Net Profit Margin, Gross Profit Margin, what affects profitability, and more.

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Q. Is there a better method than handwriting POs?

How do managers/buyers purchase goods for their shop? We hand write purchase orders then send them to our in-hospital purchasing agent. In some instances orders can be up to 11 handwritten purchase orders. Would love to know if there is a way to minimize writing all these POs? Thanks! – Sarah Folio, Volunteer Coordinator/Gift Shop Manager, Garrett Regional Medical Center, Oakland, MD. 4/24/22

Still use handwritten POs – Peter Waugh, Memorial Hospital, North Conway, NH. 25 beds. 5/18/22

Our hospital uses an electronic PO system through a company called Lawson. We prepare a blanket PO for the year in advance for most of our vendors. When it’s time to order we already have a PO in place so ordering is quick and easy. – Judy Stallings. 5/16/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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Salary Data: Gift Shop Manager

How does your salary compare to other gift shop managers? In case you missed it, here are published salaries of 12 gift shop managers in last month’s issue. We know salary data is always of interest!

Gift Shop Manager Newsletter, May 15, 2022

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Hospital gift shop design, con’t

by Cindy Jones, Editor 💮

Customer behavior has forever changed because of the pandemic. Today’s floor plan has to offer flexibility and meet the needs of an ever-changing merchandise mix and customer. A shop must be designed to attract customers and create a buying atmosphere in a small amount of space.

Remember the mini-department store approach discussed in April’s article Shop renovations: A mini-department store approach. Utilize every square inch of available floor space to display related merchandise together with designated areas for each category. If necessary, shrink the stockroom space to provide more selling space.

Shop’s must maintain Americans with Disabilities Act regulations that require aisles be a minimum width of 36 inches.
 
Design for growth and change. No one floor plan or layout is forever!
  
Limit the amount of storage inside the shop. A shop’s selling space is primary! Merchandise stored in cabinets and drawers will not sell! 
 
The cashier counter should have two phone lines and a cell phone: one for general use and one for the POS system or credit card authorization system.
 
There should be multiple electrical outlets at the cashier counter. 
 
Include a generous quantity of electrical outlets or strip outlets throughout the shop, preferably 2-3 feet up from the floor. Include a few recessed floor outlets.
 
Excellent lighting is crucial to a successful gift shop design. Feature lighting over the cashier counter is recommended.
 
Install a “panic/alert button” in the cash register area linked to the Security Department for emergency purposes. 
 
Install electronic security cameras and a monitor at the shop entrance. The cameras should rotate and have a light indicating it is operating and ‘real’ to your customers. Post professionally produced signage that state: “This Shop is Electronically Monitored. Shoplifters will be Prosecuted.”
 
Adequate temperature control is important. Extensive lighting, a large number of customers and the flower cooler all contribute to heat build-up.
 
Shop flooring should reduce sound, add comfort for volunteers and reduce breakage. Color should coordinate with the laminate of fixture bases and the cashier counter.
 
Music piped into a gift shop creates an upbeat shopping atmosphere and helps sell merchandise. But, never too loud or it will have the opposite affect on shoppers.
 
For the highest level of space utilization and to maximize display and merchandising space, install slat wall floor to ceiling on all walls. The slat wall should be in a neutral color.
 
Gift shop design should focus on showing off the merchandise and not the shop itself. The actual display fixtures and color scheme should be as minimal as possible. Let the merchandise provide the color.
 
Vertical and horizontal shelves (for easy access to bags, tissue, etc.) can be built into the cashier counter. Two or more flat drawers for tissue will be included. It should also include one lockable drawer.
 
Professionally made signage, that is grammatically correct, is important. 
 
Use ceiling space for additional merchandise display. Skyhooks can be hung for ornaments, throws and sun catchers. Be sure to get approval from your hospital’s fire marshal.
 
To maximize display space on the walls, plan display shelves to extend above the customer’s reach. This space can be used for displaying larger items. Ensure that the prices are visible.
 
Plan and locate an off-site display case in a high-traffic area of the hospital. Include an electrical outlet inside the case to display lighted merchandise. Slat wall is an ideal interior wall surface for display.
 
The way you arrange your shop and the merchandise affects the way your customer shops your store. An effective traffic pattern is crucial. It must keep the customer moving into the store, then to the back and then up to the front. Customers today want a quick, efficient in and out. The shop should have a logical traffic flow with free flowing lanes that are easy to negotiate. Defined aisles create store discipline and give customers the idea they can always find their way out – like the safety of the yellow brick road.

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NEW JEWELRY LINES

Q. We are looking to freshen up our jewelry. We currently use Periwinkle but looking for something new along the same price point. Any suggestions? – Tracy Torres, St. Augustine. 1/20/22

Silver Forest and their Spirit earrings, made in Vermont. Renaissance Glass earrings and pendants made in South Carolina (maybe North.) – Michelle Suggs. 3/21/22

We do very well with Silver Forest and Anju Jewelry. – Cherie Towers. 3/18/22

Accessorize Me always performs well. Megan Brown designs is trending up for Spring. – Kevin Shaw, Methodist Hospital Gift Shop, St. Louis Park, MN. 3/17/21

Main Street Earrings are a big hit for us. Great quality, great price. We sell them for $8.99! – Lanie Ray, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH. 2/28/22

Canvas has some great pieces at great price points. – Holly Weiss. 2/17/22

We do well with Periwinkle and Coronet – Helen Travis. 2/16/22

Rain Jewelry is performing very good for us as well! – Sabra Shields. 2/16/22

I love Rain jewelry. It flies off the shelf. – Stephanie Barnes. 2/16/22

We also do really well with Coronet and Accessorize Me jewelry. – Tamara Szarszewski, Gift Shop Manager, Logansport Memorial Hospital Gift Shop, 83 beds. 1/17/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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DECLINE IN VOLUNTEERS

Q. Have others encountered losses in the number of volunteers through the pandemic? We started out with over 30 non-gift shop volunteers and are now down to 7. In our gift shop, we had 17, now 3, one of which started mid-COVID (God bless her!). We are currently thinking of hiring a part-time employee to man the front desk from 1-5pm. What have you done to remedy staffing and volunteer issues during the pandemic? Did anyone hire paid personnel? Thanks! – Sarah Folio, Garrett Regional Medical Center, Oakland, MD. 55 beds. 12/22/21

We have had our gift shop volunteers for two years now – starting the front desk this week. – Tricia Rochman, Carbondale Memorial, Carbondale, IL. 70 beds. 3/18/21

We had about 65 volunteers in the gift shop before the pandemic. I now have about 35-40 in the shop today. I am blessed to have some very dedicated volunteers who worked all but the 3 months we were closed. Even then when we were closed we thought outside the box and started doing FB Live shows twice a month and continue with today. They are a ton of work, but truly saved our gift shop. Other volunteers stayed home but made mask for the hospital and our community in the time of need. Our Auxiliary as a whole never really stopped fundraising during the pandemic and overall our numbers grew about a dozen last year. – Ramona Kennedy. 3/17/21

We reduced our hours in the gift shop and have been able to get enough volunteers, but the traffic is not there. Hospital has been remodeling and we have been closed quite a bit. We no longer have foot traffic from front entrance of hospital. Thankfully the employees still shop with us. Our problem lately has been elderly volunteers who refuse to read manual, consequently the computer is often not turned on correctly, they don’t use the scanner to ring up items, they basically sit on their chairs and hope no one comes in. We are all volunteers so we don’t have paid staff. I end up having to drive to hospital quite often to straighten out a situation. I held trainings on 2 different Saturdays and only 2 people came. I don’t want to offend the volunteers but they don’t seem to get it. Hopefully things will pick up and we can do more business. – Martha Burke. 2/17/22

We started with 10 volunteers and now have 4 sometimes 5. We were open 5 days per week with 2 shifts, now open 3 days per week 10-2. – Helen Travis. 2/16/22

We too have fewer volunteers since the pandemic. We are open a shorter timeframe each day. M-F & Sun 10-3. In order to keep all our gift shop volunteers informed, we have a spiral notebook we write updates in. Our volunteers also write notes to us to let us know if they have any needs or something special needs to be ordered or if they have suggestions. Works well for us! – Brenda Welcher,  AdventHealth Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills, FL. 59 beds. 2/16/22

Our store is open five days a week, 12-4pm. We had a good December! Visitors are so few now with no outsiders. I had 13 people working for us but now only 5-6.
Hope you all are healthy, Harold. – Harold Shiffman, St. Catherian Hospital, Smithtown, NY. 550 beds. 1/31/22

Our Gift Shop has remained closed since November 2020. Overall, we have lost some folks but we have also gained some. Currently they are not cleared to serve in the hospital due to COVID restrictions. However, some have been assisting at the Vaccine Clinic along with over 30 additional new volunteers who are at the Clinic. I believe a good portion of those 30 will continue to serve at the hospital once given the word to do so. – Peter Waugh, Memorial Hospital, North Conway, NH. 25 beds. 1/18/22

Internally, I am devastated! Externally, I move on and work with what I have. We are open two shifts during the week. Happy and grateful to have volunteers that will staff the shop. I went from 200 volunteers to about 45 in the overall program. I have about 13 in the gift shop. – Connie Slingluff, Blount Memorial, Maryville, TN. 201 beds. 1/17/22

We have been blessed with willing volunteers who have made it possible to remain open. Although the hospital shut us down for a few months in 2020, we have been able to come back and remain busy. Our Holiday Extravaganza of 3 days did not happen but we held special 12 Days of Christmas sales to encourage employees to shop with us. It was gratifying to see the staff regularly and hear them thank us for being there for them. We enter 2022 with a healthy bottom line and interested buyers, we’re keeping it simple and hoping that our current path is the right one to be on. – Marilynne Field, MercyOne, Dubuque, IA. 263 beds. 1/17/22

We went from two volunteers to one volunteer per shift and are doing ok. But this takes away the buffer if someone can’t come in for their shift. We have had to be closed at random times due to no substitutes. Looking to hire a PT person to cover those shift and help manage stock. – Christie Delbridg, Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, Bolivia, NC. 74 beds. 1/17/22

Most of mine did come back. I had about 30 with teens. I have 14 adults and 2 teens. Our hours are limited Mon-Fri 9-5. We were on a role and then Omicon hit and no more visitors. I spilt the volunteers shifts to two hours instead of their four hours. – Margaret Legut, Elmhurst Hospital, Elmhurst, IL. 258 beds. 1/17/22

We lost about 20 volunteers. We have reduced our hours and days of operation. – Ginger Taylor, CoxHealth, Springfield, MO. 1014 beds. 1/17/22

We’ve lost many of our volunteers. Our shop is closed on weekends. We are open some days from 9-5, but on days we can’t get enough volunteers we’re open 10-4. This eliminates 1 volunteer per day. We are lucky to have some volunteers picking up more shifts to fill the gaps. We ask people to call before they come to see if we’re open and we post our hours on FB. – Debbie B, Bell Hospital, Ishpeming, MI. 1/17/22

We have had approximately 1/3 of volunteers return, 1/3 not return, and 1/3 defer return. Our volunteers are dedicated and a special part of our success! Also, being part of a university, we have also added student volunteers to our Shops as of December. The students had been volunteering in patient areas before the pandemic, but with that not yet possible, they are helping the Shops! The students are professional, eager, and energetic! We’ve gone from 45-50% of shifts with at least one volunteer, to over 80% of shifts with at least one volunteer! – Mary, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI. 1000 beds. 1/16/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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2021 BEST SELLERS

Wow! We asked, you answered! Thanks to everyone who shared their best sellers from 2021. Here are all the responses. A great variety of products. Some surprising ones too!

Apparel, especially plaid jackets and gnomes were very popular. – Ann Bergmann, Cumberland Healthcare, Cumberland, WI. 25 beds. 1/21/22

Covenant Rings. We have a display of 60 rings and every 6-9 months, new rings are added and slow sellers are removed. I’ve had lots of luck and consistently sold them for over 7 years.  – Jennifer Stuber. 1/21/22

Yes, Covenant Rings have been good, consistent sellers for many years! – Cindy

Clothing is my best category and loungewear from DM was my best seller during the holiday season and beyond. They have great price points and a huge margin builder. I received the floor display and I had to rearrange the entire shop to fit it in my space, but worth it. Strongly recommend the fixture as it keeps the product well organized and easy to shop. – Carol Colpitts. 2/20/22

One product line that we dropped was a CBD line. Just did not sell. Melissa & Doug eductional/toy items have done very well for us as well as hospital logo wear. Snack and personal care baskets that we create have worked out well for call-in orders. – Greg Holtgrewe. 2/19/22 

Q. What all do you put in your personal care baskets? I am new to this position so extra help is awesome!! Thanks in advance – Jaci, Hays Medical Center Gift Shop, Hays, KS. 1/20/22

Usually hand and body lotions, lip balms, decorative nail files, shower gels, fancy soaps, body sprays and bath bombs. Some of the vendors are Naked Bee, Inis, Duke Cannon, Ganz, San Francisco Soap and Bomb Cosmetics. We get our celophane bags, ribbon and packaging supplies from Nashville Wraps. Most of the time we do not use a basket but a clear desert plate for a base so that all of the items are easily seen. Sometimes you have to get creative during construction to get everything to stand up maybe using a ribbon to group things. We suggestive sell snack bags that we put together and balloons to go along. – Greg Holtgrew

The Ganz Crystal Expressions colored birds of any kind are a huge seller for us. I always think the popularity will fizzle out but it hasn’t and we have customers buy multiple at a time. Light up snow globes/lanterns this past Christmas were the best thing I have brought into the Gift Shop. I sold 11 in one day (we are only open to staff & patients 6 hours a day Mon-Fri) and my total stock of 63 were sold within 3 weeks. – Sarah Ryan. 1/18/21

Sarah, where do you source the light up lanterns from? – Cindy

I order the snow globes/lanterns from a couple of companies, but the best place I found was Razimports.com. They have a wide selection of both globes and lanterns and a great price range of everything. They have small options with a lower price point all the way to large options and high price points. A lot play music, which is always a big hit. The variety of options was the best in my option as well. Search their website for Water Globe or Water Lantern and it will bring up all the options in both categories. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with! I love getting your newsletter, it is always full of great information! — Sarah Ryan. 1/18/21

We too sold out of the light up water lanterns in less than a week. Retail prices were from $50 up. We will certainly buy again from either Roman or Raz. – Kathy Kramer, Carousel Gift Shop Driscoll Children’s Hospital, Corpus Christi. 1/21/22

Brief Insanity brand lounge pants – it was insane how well they sell! – Jill Dugaw. 1/18/22

Who was your vendor? Thanks in advance!! – Jaci, Hays Medical Center Gift Shop, Hays, KS. 1/20/22

SE Marketplace – Jill Dugaw. 1/26/22

Worlds Softest Sock Company (Crescent Socks) were huge for us fourth quarter. You have to order now for inventory for fourth quarter this year. If you don’t, you will miss out as they sell out every year. – Sabra Shields. 1/18/22

Anything with a cardinal on it. – Margaret Legut 1/17/22

Warmies! The slippers, neck wraps, and all of their animals. We also sell them over the phone like crazy. Customers love the thought of something warm and comforting going to their loved one. – Linda Armstrong. 1/17/22

See’s Candy! We brought them in late, but they moved really quickly. It was great to have options for holiday candy for our staff. – Justin. 1/17/21

Wicked Minis crackers are a popular snack and they come in several flavors. Our top seller is the Dill flavor. Itzy Ritzy is a great baby line! They have a wonderful selection of trendy designs and moms love the variety of teethers, toys, pactifiers and lovies! Last June we picked up a new line of sun glasses and readers from DM Merchandising. The brand name is Optimum Optical. They have awesome displays where the extra boxes of sunglasses are stored next to the sunglasses which keep our volunteers from going to the back so much. The displays have a modern, sleek design. Our employees love the designs! We have restocked twice so far! You can’t go wrong with Funky Freshies car scents made by Funky Fleur De Lis. We have used them for about 2 years and always sell out. Cute designs and great scents! – Betty Beck. 1/17/22

Our winners for 2021 was an increase in clothing sales. Staff who were not willing to hit the malls during COVID were shopping in our Gift Shop! – Lynn, Misericordia Health Centre Gift Shop, Winnipeg. Manitoba, Canada. 1/17/22

Santoki Lego Keychain Lights.  Roman light up holiday lanterns.  Cardigans from Davi & Dani and Rose N Mary. – Stephanie, San Juan Regional Medical Center, Farmington, NM. 1/17/22.

We’ve done great with Paint by Sticker books for adults and Kids from Workman Publishing. They were a great find for us during the pandemic! – Keri Schwartz. 1/17/22 

Loungewear particularly sleep/blanket hoodies did great! Careful for 2022, the cost on the blanket hoodies have increased tremendously with certain vendors!! Giftcraft, Simply Southern, LazyOnes. – Connie Slingluff. 1/17/22

Umgee USA clothing and Myra handbags – Ginger Taylor. 1/17/22 

Our Jen & Co purses were great sellers this past year. We also do really well with Coronet and Accessorize Me jewelry. Our Evergreen’s Sassafras Mats and garden flags are also top sellers. Crazy as it sounds, our Ganz mini glass animals are an item we can hardly keep in stock. They sell so well for us at $1.95. For books, we are very pleased with Choice Book Distributors. Other surprising best sellers are the satin pillowcases and microfiber hair towels from Morning Glamour. We sold out of these over the holidays and just got more back in, due to the continuing requests. – Tamara Szarszewski, Gift Shop Manager, Logansport Memorial Hospital Gift Shop, 83 beds. 1/17/22

TY Squish-A-Boos are great sellers for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Gift Shops. -Traci G. 1/16/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

CINDY’S NEWSLETTER for Gift Shop Managers

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers delivers practical, ready-to-implement content to gift shop managers, retailers, and volunteers across the country. We help our readership of over 3,000 retailers optimize shop operations, grow revenue, and connect with one another. The newsletter is published monthly and free since 2001.

Have you paid your dues this quarter?

The value and richness of this newsletter comes from your participation. Do your part by submitting two comments per quarter, at minimum. Reply to reader’s questions listed throughout the newsletter (in green) or simply share what is working or isn’t working in your shop, a great selling product, a helpful website or resource, an operating question, your biggest challenge right now, a terrific vendor you’ve come across recently, tips on managing volunteers, or tips on managing yourself!

LEAVE A COMMENT! Click the green comment tags throughout the newsletter, enter it in the comment section, or send to cindy@cindyjonesassociates.com.

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APRIL 15, 2022

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CGH Medical Center, Sterling, IL

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What have we learned in recent years

by Cindy Jones, Editor

What have we learned over the past two years? More than we ever imagined, but here are a few takeaways:

We’ve learned that the shop with the most inclusive approach and team work wins! Utilize everyone’s talents and help foster new ones. Give credit where due and speak in “We” not “I”.	We’ve learned that the shop with the best ideas and ingenuity wins. The new challenge is to keep your mind open to new possibilities – and your ears open to new ways of thinking.
We’ve learned that the shop with the best leadership wins. But not the old, command-and-control style. Be a leader, not a boss.	We’ve learned that the shop with the clearest sense of purpose wins! Pull out you shop’s mission statement and update it to reflect your shop’s goals for 2022.

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Q. Does your online store have payroll deduction?

Does anyone accept payroll deduction on their online gift shop? If so, how do you authenticate the buyer (i.e., how do you verify they are using their employee number to make the purchase)? – Jill Dugaw, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Spartanburg, SC. 400 beds. 3/17/22

We visited this topic in our four-part series Creating an Online Store. Several of the shops we interviewed were still trying to construct a solution for online payroll deduction. Hopefully some managers have found solutions since then and can SHARE them here.

We were only able to find one POS with a built-in ecommerce module that includes payroll deduction as a payment option – ARBA POS. This online shop created a workaround for accepting payroll deduction, though it’s a bit tedious. The employee enters a coupon code named “Payroll Deduction” at checkout and the price reduces to $0.00. The shop collects the employee number via email afterwards and completes the order. They use “Other payment” in the terminal. The site uses Square.

The University of Michigan Tech Shop has a different workaround that seems feasible. At checkout, employees select “Pay In Store” and they complete the payroll deduction process at pick up. Employees are notified via email when the order is ready. Orders not picked up within 3 days after email notification are cancelled.

“Please note that payroll deduction will not be offered as a payment option when you select in-store pickup; simply choose “Pay In Store,” and we will complete your payroll deduction process when you pick up. This allows you to make changes and/or add in-stock items to your purchase at the time of sale! You’ll be notified via email when your order is ready (usually within one business day). Orders not picked up within 3 days after email notification are cancelled and products released; however, please let us know if you need extra time.”

The best solution is to add a custom payment option for payroll deduction to your online store. This requires the addition of a custom “Payroll Deduction” button and a custom “Employee Number” field to the checkout page. Your e-commerce company will likely charge a customization fee. Your IT department may be able to implement these and avoid any fees.

We were able to add these customizations fairly easily to the our own online store powered by Shopify, but it did require some coding. We also found this example of an online store that has payroll deduction. You can step through the entire checkout process to demo how it works.

Many contracted scrub and uniform vendors or hospital pharmacies offer payroll deduction on their online stores. This may also be a good point to reference when starting the discussion with your IT and payroll departments.

By the way, if you don’t have payroll deduction for your in-store traffic, it’s time to implement it. The value of payroll deduction goes without saying. In a recent survey, 76% of shop managers reported having payroll deduction. Sales from payroll deduction averages between 40% – 65% of revenue.

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UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

**Sometimes we include some pretty unique “holidays”. Use them to help generate off-season sales. “It’s National Sunglasses Day – 15% Today Only”. Build some fun displays. Be creative! Put all umbrellas on sale for National Pina Colada Day.

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Shop renovations: Mini-department store approach

Market research shows that a shop renovation can impact sales by as much as 35%
 
Hospital gift shops require special design experience. Your unique customer’s have unique needs that must be incorporated into the design plans, often in a limited amount of space. The goal is to provide an exciting, updated and clean palette in which to display and sell the shop’s merchandise.
 
A mini-department store approach is sometimes required. Best practices in shop design include:

• Develop a conceptual floor plan and elevations indicating fixturing specifications, their locations and operational considerations.
• Determine project cost estimation and comprehensive budget. Include prepared orders for fixtures, slatwall, hardware and other display needs. Use the most up-to-date custom fixturing, design elements and features.
• Determine the color of the walls and fixture laminate.
• Determine design recommendations for lighting, flooring, and laminate colors.

Don’t know where to start with your hospital administrator? Here is a sample letter requesting additional gift shop space, including square feet : net revenue gains.

🎯 TIP: Maintain a transparent storefront, creating lots of visibility through and into the store. Then present them with a great display right in the heart of the shop. 

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May Action Plan

⏳ Buy

Buy lines where you can take a higher markup. Don’t dabble when buying. Buy enough to make a statement.

Buy what your customer will like, not what you like! Base buying decisions on research, past performance, price points and budget allowance. Not on impulse or instinct.

If an invoice comes in before the merchandise, do not pay it! Only pay after you have checked in all the merchandise.

If a manufacturer sends your order in two shipments, don’t pay the shipping on the second shipment. It was not your fault that they couldn’t ship your order all at once. Why should the shop have to pay the extra shipping that two shipments entail? Many shops are just not paying the shipping on the second invoice.

🧸 Display

Display all Mother’s Day related merchandise and a large display of potted plants.

Promote and display garden and home decorating items.

Promote and display graduation and Father’s Day. ⛳ 🎓

📝 Plan

Meet to discuss and write out your summer display plans.

To maintain adequate staffing over the summer, request that volunteer and paid staff submits vacation dates now.

National Nurses Day is May 6. Plan a 30% OFF NURSES DAY SALE just for nurses! Ask nursing department Chair or HR Director to email the sale to all nurses. 🎉

Begin planning a summer “refresher” for your shop. This includes a thorough cleaning but goes well beyond general clean up. Here’s where to start; replace scratched glass on the jewelry case, clean shop windows, clean vents and grills, dust top-to-bottom fixtures and spinners, replace burned-out light bulbs, re-do signage if necessary, organize and stock cashier station. Be like Spiderman; give your shop a once-over, looking for areas that need upgrading. 🧹

Many state auxiliary conferences are held in May. Most of them have gift shop seminars. Try to attend one. While there, take advantage of the many networking opportunities. 📅

Make travel arrangements to attend a major gift market in June and July. ✈️

If asked at a conference or by a hospital exec, could you state your shop’s sales, net profit, sales per square foot and average inventory? These are basic shop statistics that you should commit to memory. 💲 Get the formulas in our Guide to Calculate Shop Profitability

Total Sales $ _________
Net Profit $ _________
Sale per Sq Ft. $ _________
Average Inventory $ _________

This is an excerpt from the Twelve-Month Action Plan for Gift Shop Managers and Buyers.
Get the 50-page planning and operating guide for just $69.00.

Teacher Appreciation Week | May 2-6, 2022

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NRF annual retail forecast: 6-8% growth

The National Retail Federation (NRF) issued its annual forecast, anticipating that retail sales will grow between 6% and 8% to more than $4.86 trillion in 2022. The announcement was made during NRF’s annual State of Retail & the Consumer virtual event where retail industry leaders discussed the strength of the consumer economy and the future of retail.

“Consumers are ready to spend and have the resources to do so,” Matthew Shay, president and CEO for NRF said. “We should see durable growth this year given consumer confidence to continue this expansion, notwithstanding risks related to inflation, COVID-19 and geopolitical threats.”

The 2022 figure compares with 14% annual growth rate in 2021, the highest growth rate in more than 20 years. This year’s sales forecast is notably above the 10-year, pre-pandemic growth rate of 3.7%

SOURCE: National Retail Federation

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Q. Do you have a resource for African-American Santas?

I’m searching for African American Santas. Do any of you have a resource? – Kathy, Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg, MS. 512 beds. 3/17/21

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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NEW JEWELRY LINES

Q. We are looking to freshen up our jewelry. We currently use Periwinkle but looking for something new along the same price point. Any suggestions? – Tracy Torres, St. Augustine. 1/20/22

Silver Forest and their Spirit earrings, made in Vermont. Renaissance Glass earrings and pendants made in South Carolina (maybe North.) – Michelle Suggs. 3/21/22

We do very well with Silver Forest and Anju Jewelry. – Cherie Towers. 3/18/22

Accessorize Me always performs well. Megan Brown designs is trending up for Spring. – Kevin Shaw, Methodist Hospital Gift Shop, St. Louis Park, MN. 3/17/21

Main Street Earrings are a big hit for us. Great quality, great price. We sell them for $8.99! – Lanie Ray, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH. 2/28/22

Canvas has some great pieces at great price points. – Holly Weiss. 2/17/22

We do well with Periwinkle and Coronet – Helen Travis. 2/16/22

Rain Jewelry is performing very good for us as well! – Sabra Shields. 2/16/22

I love Rain jewelry. It flies off the shelf. – Stephanie Barnes. 2/16/22

We also do really well with Coronet and Accessorize Me jewelry. – Tamara Szarszewski, Gift Shop Manager, Logansport Memorial Hospital Gift Shop, 83 beds. 1/17/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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CHRISTMAS MERCH VENDORS

Q. Have you been able to source Christmas merchandise? Anyone know of a vendor for “out of the box” Christmas merchandise? – Jill A Dugaw (She/Her), Spartanburg Regional, Spartanburg, OH. 1/19/22

Opportunities has great Christmas merch at good prices. There is a $400 fee each year to join this group but the prices for the exact same items that many other vendors carry are much lower. They carry everyday and seasonal merchandise. clothing, candles, etc. – Diane Honsberger, Mercy Health St. Anne Hospital. 2/18/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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DECLINE IN VOLUNTEERS

Q. Have others encountered losses in the number of volunteers through the pandemic? We started out with over 30 non-gift shop volunteers and are now down to 7. In our gift shop, we had 17, now 3, one of which started mid-COVID (God bless her!). We are currently thinking of hiring a part-time employee to man the front desk from 1-5pm. What have you done to remedy staffing and volunteer issues during the pandemic? Did anyone hire paid personnel? Thanks. – Sarah Folio, Garrett Regional Medical Center, Oakland, MD. 55 beds. 12/22/21

We have had our gift shop volunteers for two years now – starting the front desk this week. – Tricia Rochman, Carbondale Memorial, Carbondale, IL. 70 beds. 3/18/21

We had about 65 volunteers in the gift shop before the pandemic. I now have about 35-40 in the shop today. I am blessed to have some very dedicated volunteers who worked all but the 3 months we were closed. Even then when we were closed we thought outside the box and started doing FB Live shows twice a month and continue with today. They are a ton of work, but truly saved our gift shop. Other volunteers stayed home but made mask for the hospital and our community in the time of need. Our Auxiliary as a whole never really stopped fundraising during the pandemic and overall our numbers grew about a dozen last year. – Ramona Kennedy. 3/17/21

We reduced our hours in the gift shop and have been able to get enough volunteers, but the traffic is not there. Hospital has been remodeling and we have been closed quite a bit. We no longer have foot traffic from front entrance of hospital. Thankfully the employees still shop with us. Our problem lately has been elderly volunteers who refuse to read manual, consequently the computer is often not turned on correctly, they don’t use the scanner to ring up items, they basically sit on their chairs and hope no one comes in. We are all volunteers so we don’t have paid staff. I end up having to drive to hospital quite often to straighten out a situation. I held trainings on 2 different Saturdays and only 2 people came. I don’t want to offend the volunteers but they don’t seem to get it. Hopefully things will pick up and we can do more business. – Martha Burke. 2/17/22

We started with 10 volunteers and now have 4 sometimes 5. We were open 5 days per week with 2 shifts, now open 3 days per week 10-2. – Helen Travis. 2/16/22

We too have fewer volunteers since the pandemic. We are open a shorter timeframe each day. M-F & Sun 10-3. In order to keep all our gift shop volunteers informed, we have a spiral notebook we write updates in. Our volunteers also write notes to us to let us know if they have any needs or something special needs to be ordered or if they have suggestions. Works well for us! – Brenda Welcher,  AdventHealth Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills, FL. 59 beds. 2/16/22

Our store is open five days a week, 12-4pm. We had a good December! Visitors are so few now with no outsiders. I had 13 people working for us but now only 5-6.
Hope you all are healthy, Harold. – Harold Shiffman, St. Catherian Hospital, Smithtown, NY. 550 beds. 1/31/22

Our Gift Shop has remained closed since November 2020. Overall, we have lost some folks but we have also gained some. Currently they are not cleared to serve in the hospital due to COVID restrictions. However, some have been assisting at the Vaccine Clinic along with over 30 additional new volunteers who are at the Clinic. I believe a good portion of those 30 will continue to serve at the hospital once given the word to do so. – Peter Waugh, Memorial Hospital, North Conway, NH. 25 beds. 1/18/22

Internally, I am devastated! Externally, I move on and work with what I have. We are open two shifts during the week. Happy and grateful to have volunteers that will staff the shop. I went from 200 volunteers to about 45 in the overall program. I have about 13 in the gift shop. – Connie Slingluff, Blount Memorial, Maryville, TN. 201 beds. 1/17/22

We have been blessed with willing volunteers who have made it possible to remain open. Although the hospital shut us down for a few months in 2020, we have been able to come back and remain busy. Our Holiday Extravaganza of 3 days did not happen but we held special 12 Days of Christmas sales to encourage employees to shop with us. It was gratifying to see the staff regularly and hear them thank us for being there for them. We enter 2022 with a healthy bottom line and interested buyers, we’re keeping it simple and hoping that our current path is the right one to be on. – Marilynne Field, MercyOne, Dubuque, IA. 263 beds. 1/17/22

We went from two volunteers to one volunteer per shift and are doing ok. But this takes away the buffer if someone can’t come in for their shift. We have had to be closed at random times due to no substitutes. Looking to hire a PT person to cover those shift and help manage stock. – Christie Delbridg, Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, Bolivia, NC. 74 beds. 1/17/22

Most of mine did come back. I had about 30 with teens. I have 14 adults and 2 teens. Our hours are limited Mon-Fri 9-5. We were on a role and then Omicon hit and no more visitors. I spilt the volunteers shifts to two hours instead of their four hours. – Margaret Legut, Elmhurst Hospital, Elmhurst, IL. 258 beds. 1/17/22

We lost about 20 volunteers. We have reduced our hours and days of operation. – Ginger Taylor, CoxHealth, Springfield, MO. 1014 beds. 1/17/22

We’ve lost many of our volunteers. Our shop is closed on weekends. We are open some days from 9-5, but on days we can’t get enough volunteers we’re open 10-4. This eliminates 1 volunteer per day. We are lucky to have some volunteers picking up more shifts to fill the gaps. We ask people to call before they come to see if we’re open and we post our hours on FB. – Debbie B, Bell Hospital, Ishpeming, MI. 1/17/22

We have had approximately 1/3 of volunteers return, 1/3 not return, and 1/3 defer return. Our volunteers are dedicated and a special part of our success! Also, being part of a university, we have also added student volunteers to our Shops as of December. The students had been volunteering in patient areas before the pandemic, but with that not yet possible, they are helping the Shops! The students are professional, eager, and energetic! We’ve gone from 45-50% of shifts with at least one volunteer, to over 80% of shifts with at least one volunteer! – Mary, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI. 1000 beds. 1/16/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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2021 BEST SELLERS

Wow! We asked, you answered! Thanks to everyone who shared their best sellers from 2021. Here are all the responses. A great variety of products. Some surprising ones too!

Apparel, especially plaid jackets and gnomes were very popular. – Ann Bergmann, Cumberland Healthcare, Cumberland, WI. 25 beds. 1/21/22

Covenant Rings. We have a display of 60 rings and every 6-9 months, new rings are added and slow sellers are removed. I’ve had lots of luck and consistently sold them for over 7 years.  – Jennifer Stuber. 1/21/22

Yes, Covenant Rings have been good, consistent sellers for many years! – Cindy

Clothing is my best category and loungewear from DM was my best seller during the holiday season and beyond. They have great price points and a huge margin builder. I received the floor display and I had to rearrange the entire shop to fit it in my space, but worth it. Strongly recommend the fixture as it keeps the product well organized and easy to shop. – Carol Colpitts. 2/20/22

One product line that we dropped was a CBD line. Just did not sell. Melissa & Doug eductional/toy items have done very well for us as well as hospital logo wear. Snack and personal care baskets that we create have worked out well for call-in orders. – Greg Holtgrewe. 2/19/22 

Q. What all do you put in your personal care baskets? I am new to this position so extra help is awesome!! Thanks in advance – Jaci, Hays Medical Center Gift Shop, Hays, KS. 1/20/22

Usually hand and body lotions, lip balms, decorative nail files, shower gels, fancy soaps, body sprays and bath bombs. Some of the vendors are Naked Bee, Inis, Duke Cannon, Ganz, San Francisco Soap and Bomb Cosmetics. We get our celophane bags, ribbon and packaging supplies from Nashville Wraps. Most of the time we do not use a basket but a clear desert plate for a base so that all of the items are easily seen. Sometimes you have to get creative during construction to get everything to stand up maybe using a ribbon to group things. We suggestive sell snack bags that we put together and balloons to go along. – Greg Holtgrew

The Ganz Crystal Expressions colored birds of any kind are a huge seller for us. I always think the popularity will fizzle out but it hasn’t and we have customers buy multiple at a time. Light up snow globes/lanterns this past Christmas were the best thing I have brought into the Gift Shop. I sold 11 in one day (we are only open to staff & patients 6 hours a day Mon-Fri) and my total stock of 63 were sold within 3 weeks. – Sarah Ryan. 1/18/21

Sarah, where do you source the light up lanterns from? – Cindy

I order the snow globes/lanterns from a couple of companies, but the best place I found was Razimports.com. They have a wide selection of both globes and lanterns and a great price range of everything. They have small options with a lower price point all the way to large options and high price points. A lot play music, which is always a big hit. The variety of options was the best in my option as well. Search their website for Water Globe or Water Lantern and it will bring up all the options in both categories. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with! I love getting your newsletter, it is always full of great information! — Sarah Ryan. 1/18/21

We too sold out of the light up water lanterns in less than a week. Retail prices were from $50 up. We will certainly buy again from either Roman or Raz. – Kathy Kramer, Carousel Gift Shop Driscoll Children’s Hospital, Corpus Christi. 1/21/22

Brief Insanity brand lounge pants – it was insane how well they sell! – Jill Dugaw. 1/18/22

Who was your vendor? Thanks in advance!! – Jaci, Hays Medical Center Gift Shop, Hays, KS. 1/20/22

SE Marketplace – Jill Dugaw. 1/26/22

Worlds Softest Sock Company (Crescent Socks) were huge for us fourth quarter. You have to order now for inventory for fourth quarter this year. If you don’t, you will miss out as they sell out every year. – Sabra Shields. 1/18/22

Anything with a cardinal on it. – Margaret Legut 1/17/22

Warmies! The slippers, neck wraps, and all of their animals. We also sell them over the phone like crazy. Customers love the thought of something warm and comforting going to their loved one. – Linda Armstrong. 1/17/22

See’s Candy! We brought them in late, but they moved really quickly. It was great to have options for holiday candy for our staff. – Justin. 1/17/21

Wicked Minis crackers are a popular snack and they come in several flavors. Our top seller is the Dill flavor. Itzy Ritzy is a great baby line! They have a wonderful selection of trendy designs and moms love the variety of teethers, toys, pactifiers and lovies! Last June we picked up a new line of sun glasses and readers from DM Merchandising. The brand name is Optimum Optical. They have awesome displays where the extra boxes of sunglasses are stored next to the sunglasses which keep our volunteers from going to the back so much. The displays have a modern, sleek design. Our employees love the designs! We have restocked twice so far! You can’t go wrong with Funky Freshies car scents made by Funky Fleur De Lis. We have used them for about 2 years and always sell out. Cute designs and great scents! – Betty Beck. 1/17/22

Our winners for 2021 was an increase in clothing sales. Staff who were not willing to hit the malls during COVID were shopping in our Gift Shop! – Lynn, Misericordia Health Centre Gift Shop, Winnipeg. Manitoba, Canada. 1/17/22

Santoki Lego Keychain Lights.  Roman light up holiday lanterns.  Cardigans from Davi & Dani and Rose N Mary. – Stephanie, San Juan Regional Medical Center, Farmington, NM. 1/17/22.

We’ve done great with Paint by Sticker books for adults and Kids from Workman Publishing. They were a great find for us during the pandemic! – Keri Schwartz. 1/17/22 

Loungewear particularly sleep/blanket hoodies did great! Careful for 2022, the cost on the blanket hoodies have increased tremendously with certain vendors!! Giftcraft, Simply Southern, LazyOnes. – Connie Slingluff. 1/17/22

Umgee USA clothing and Myra handbags – Ginger Taylor. 1/17/22 

Our Jen & Co purses were great sellers this past year. We also do really well with Coronet and Accessorize Me jewelry. Our Evergreen’s Sassafras Mats and garden flags are also top sellers. Crazy as it sounds, our Ganz mini glass animals are an item we can hardly keep in stock. They sell so well for us at $1.95. For books, we are very pleased with Choice Book Distributors. Other surprising best sellers are the satin pillowcases and microfiber hair towels from Morning Glamour. We sold out of these over the holidays and just got more back in, due to the continuing requests. – Tamara Szarszewski, Gift Shop Manager, Logansport Memorial Hospital Gift Shop, 83 beds. 1/17/22

TY Squish-A-Boos are great sellers for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Gift Shops. -Traci G. 1/16/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

CINDY’S NEWSLETTER for Gift Shop Managers

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers delivers practical, ready-to-implement content to gift shop managers, retailers, and volunteers across the country. We help our readership of over 3,000 retailers optimize shop operations, grow revenue, and connect with one another. The newsletter is published monthly and free since 2001.

Have you paid your dues this quarter?

The value and richness of this newsletter comes from your participation. Do your part by submitting two comments per quarter, at minimum. Reply to reader’s questions listed throughout the newsletter (in green) or simply share what is working or isn’t working in your shop, a great selling product, a helpful website or resource, an operating question, your biggest challenge right now, a terrific vendor you’ve come across recently, tips on managing volunteers, or tips on managing yourself!

LEAVE A COMMENT! Click the green comment tags throughout the newsletter, enter it in the comment section, or send to cindy@cindyjonesassociates.com.

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FEBRUARY 15, 2022

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Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH

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Solutions to common cash wrap/checkout counter problems

by Cindy Jones, Editor

Cash wraps, also known as a checkout counter, should be thoughtful, well-designed points-of-sale and the cornerstone in your shop. It is where you create impulse buys and solidify the customer experience, not where the sales staff hide. The cash counter isn’t a hang out.

Most shops have contactless payment and distance shopping so the function of a cash wrap varies. However, it must have three considerations: security, function and design.

The register itself needs to be in full view with easy access as customers enter your shop. There must be adequate room for product, bags, elbows, etc. ADA guidelines call for it to extend 9 feet from a wall. Also, it should be more than 36 inches from the floor and 36 inches long. Consider the ease of handing items back and forth, card readers, payment methods and more.

Consistency + Maintenance

With a multitude of team members working different shifts, you’ve got a problem with people all organizing and putting things away differently. Establish a routine checklist for opening and closing. The routine ensures that everything including your cash counter is being checked and replenished multiple times a day.

Use a whiteboard or dry-erase clipboards for daily goal setting, team “check-ins”, and messages. Using permanent marker, write up your daily checklists, open and closing routine, sales outline – the things that never change. Then, using dry-erase marker, staff fill in the whiteboard with the necessary information for each day.

Once your cash counter is set photograph it, make a map of the counter and place that standardized tool in your SOP binder for easy reference and training.

Space + Clutter

Everyone has space issues when it comes to the cash counter, and prioritizing what should take up prime real estate and what should not. A cluttered counter gives a bad impression to the customer and can slow down transactions. Have a standard routine for cleaning or clearing counter space at the end of every shift or transaction. Give everything a designated home with a label where it’s easy to locate, grab, go, finish, return and get back to the customer. It will be easier to notice when supplies are running low too.

Take advantage of any space on the back wall (behind the register). Installing a second counter, shelves or a narrow table can provide so much extra storage.

Use vertical storage. Hang supplies vertically helps eliminate clutter. Each item has a home versus left piled on top of each other. Pegboard storage systems easily install under your cash counter or inside a back counter cabinet.

Post a “Five Spare Minutes” checklist whenever staff find they have five minutes of down time.

Inefficiency

Walking away to go get more bags, boxes, or receipt tape while your customer waits will negatively impact their experience. Less time-in-store is one of the top consumer demands today. Everything you need to complete a transaction – and the backup supply – should be within an arm’s reach.

Use horizontal dowels for gift wrap and hanger storage under or alongside the cash counter. It frees space and prevents trips to the supply room.

Some helpful resources

6 Retail Cash Wrap Tips to Help You Increase Sales at the Checkout Counter

Set Up Your Cash Wrap to Drive Sales in 4 Steps

How to Use Your Checkout Counter to Make More Sales

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UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

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How to deliver negative feedback well: 4 things that good managers do

by Claire Lew / Oct 15 2018

The most common question I get asked by a manager who doesn’t want to become a bad boss is: “How do I give negative feedback to a coworker?”

Giving honest feedback is the most deceptively difficult thing for a manager to do. A survey of nearly 8,000 people, in fact, found that 21% of managers avoid giving negative feedback entirely. In our heads, it seems straightforward enough. We know it’s the right thing to do. We know it’s important. We should just get on with it. But it’s never that simple. We don’t want to demotivate an employee with our feedback. We don’t want an employee to think we’re out to get them. We don’t want our feedback to backfire.

All is not lost. It’s possible to give honest feedback and not feel stressed — and not have it blow up in our face. Here are the four things that good managers do when delivering negative feedback:

Come from a place of care. You’re giving feedback because you care. You deeply care about this person’s personal and career growth. You deeply care about the project’s success. You want both the person and the company to thrive. Communicate these things. Ask yourself: “What can I say to let this person know that this feedback is coming from a place of care and helpfulness? How do I let this person know I have good intentions, and that I’m not trying to spite them or be rude?” As you deliver the piece of critical feedback, make this clear.

For example, you could say something like: “I’m saying this because I believe in you and I want you to succeed…” or “This is important to me because I care about the company’s direction as a whole…” or “This matters to me because I only want to ensure that we perform well as a team…”

Come from a place of observation. We’re often worried that the person is going to take any negative feedback personally. This is a big reason why we avoid giving feedback or sugarcoat our feedback. It’s to say, “Hey look, I don’t think you’re a bad person…” or “I don’t want you to be mad at me…” Instead, look to communicate your feedback more objectively. Come from a place of observation. Focus on the actions and the situation of what happened — what you observed — and not the personal attributes or characteristics of the person.

For example, if you think a coworker wrote a sloppy email to the client, instead of saying: “I think you’re careless and sloppy”… you could say, “I noticed that in the email you wrote, there were a few careless mistakes that seemed sloppy.” See the difference? The former makes it about the person, while the latter makes it about your observations on what has happened.

Come from a place of fallibility. Your feedback is not infallible. Don’t forget that your feedback is only an interpretation of what you observed, and your own perspective of how things can improve going forward. Your perspective is not a universal truth. You could be wrong. Be willing to admit that your feedback, while it’s something you strongly believe in, is colored by your own personal lens. Ask yourself: “How can I remind this person that this feedback is only my opinion? That this isn’t the word of God, that mistakes happen, that there may be information I’m missing?”

A few examples of how you can do this is to say directly: “I might be off…” or to ask, “Is there any information that you think I might be missing?”

Come from a place of curiosity. When you give feedback, it should feel like a conversation. No one likes being talked at. Your time to give feedback also is a time to listen to what the other person thinks, as well. Be curious. Consider: “How does this person feel about my feedback? Was there anything I might have misinterpreted or overlooked? Is there anything that I can be doing better to help support the other person?” During a one-on-one meeting, you want to invite the person to give their side of their story.

To do this, simply ask after sharing your feedback: “What do you think?” When you’re curious, you’re signaling that you value hearing their perspective on what happened. You’re not mad, upset, or resentful. You see the moment of giving feedback as an opportunity to learn and get better as a leader, yourself.

Sure, all the tactics I’m describing are a little more nuanced than other ways you might be familiar with to give feedback — especially the catchy “Shit Sandwich” moniker, in particular. And yes, they require a bit more intention and thought prior to do well. But when you come from a place of care, observation, fallibility, and curiosity — it makes for a much more honest and productive conversation. You’re going to get a better result. The person on the other side is going to feel like you’re really trying to help them. And that’s the whole point of giving feedback, after all.

Source: Know Your Team

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100 Retail Blogs

Here’s a source for retail blogs from thousands of blogs on the web ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness:

blog.feedspot.com/retail_blogs/

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Q. What are some fresh new jewelry lines for 2022?

We are looking to freshen up our jewelry. We currently use Periwinkle but looking for something new along the same price point. Any suggestions? – Tracy Torres, St. Augustine. 1/20/22

Main Street Earrings are a big hit for us. Great quality, great price. We sell them for $8.99! – Lanie Ray, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH. 2/28/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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RESPONSES: What snack vendor do you use?

Can you recommend a wholesale distributor for snacks (popcorn, chips, pretzels, etc.)? Thank you! – Sarah Folio, Garrett Regional Medical Center, Oakland, MD. 55 beds. 12/5/21

I use HT Hackney and Sam’s Club, I have to go and pick up from both. Chips, I use Route 11 Chips, 540-477-9664 in Mt Jackson, VA. Popcorn, I use Jody’s Popcorn 757-422-8646 in Norfolk, VA. Pretzels, Famous Amos cookies, Gordetto’s and Chex Mix have come up hard to find in my area. I have a Sam’s Plus card and some of the items I have to order online. – Greg Holtgrewe. 1/19/22

Wicked Minis crackers are a popular snack and they come in several flavors. Our top seller is the Dill flavor. – Betty Beck. 1/17/22

We have a local supplier – ACC Wholesaler plus we also use Kelli’s Gifts, Tropical Foods (Bulk), Sam’s Club and Costco – Traci Gerdes. 1/16/22

We use several as it is difficult to only have one vendor. Kelli’s Gift Shop Suppliers – Texas, Sam’s Club – local, and Truly Good Foods (Tropical Foods) online. – Marla Baker, Atrium Health Floyd, Rome, GA. 304 beds. 1/16/22

We use our Nutrition Services food vendors, which have had good prices. Is that an option for you? – Justin Alcanter, Salem Health, Salem, OR. 484 beds. 12/6/21

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Shrinkage | PART 2. Preventing inventory shortages

by Cindy Jones, Editor

This month we revisit the topic of inventory shrinkage or shortages. With so many opportunities for shrinkage, not just customer theft or transaction errors, it’s important to realize how many there. Each and every one, when added up, can significantly – even drastically – cut into your net profit. Last month, in Part 1. Preventing inventory shortages, we provided a list of useful shoplifting deterrents and how to spot a potential theft when customer’s exhibit shoplifting behavior.

In the second part of this series, we’ll dive into employee theft – which accounts for roughly equivalent shrinkage as shoplifting – and how to reduce shipping errors, and a few shop security tips.

Employee dishonesty, whether volunteer or paid, usually occurs when there are few, if any, internal controls. It is important to maintain cash handling controls and procedures. Clearly written job descriptions that state policies and procedures are crucial.

Inventory shrinkagE
Shoplifting
Price tag switching
Employee theft
Shipping errors
Weak shop security
Incorrect price tags
Breakage
Sloppy record keeping
Incomplete POS transactions
Orders/shipment shortages

Reduce employee theft

• Spot-check your inventory/drawer. During unannounced visits, inform staff: “I’m just double-checking inventory numbers and doing a register check.” Pick a few products and check physical inventory against inventory sheets/POS inventory figures. If possible, run a cash drawer reconciliation. Couple it with: “I’ll be back again soon to run through this again.” This lets employees know management is keeping its eye on the ball.
• Use an inventory-tracking system. Use a POS system that tracks inventory automatically or, at a minimum, use paper-based inventory-tracking sheets to send a signal to employees that inventory is indeed being monitored.
• Check the z-tape numbers. If yesterday’s z-tape was number 24 and today’s is 27, what happened to 25 and 26?
• Encourage anonymous tips. Publish a email or number employees can call to leave an anonymous message if they suspect a co-worker of stealing product or cash. If employees are aware their co-workers are watching and could report them, they will be less inclined to get sticky fingers.
• Check cash-to-credit purchase ratios. If the typical purchase ratio is 30% cash to 70% credit, and then suddenly the ratio is 10 to 90, it’s time to ask a few questions.
• Watch the “no-sales.” Many shop managers know that the leading indicator of theft is a single piece of data on your x-tape: the “no sale” number. If a typical day’s no-sale tally is four, but every time a particular employee works the tally is 10, there may be a problem.

Of course, there’s no way to completely protect yourself against shoplifting and employee theft, but if you make customers and employees aware that you’re keeping a close eye on your business, experts say that’s the first and most-critical step in shrinking your shrinkage.

Reduce shipping errors

• Establish procedures for checking-in merchandise
• Use purchase orders for all inventory purchases.
• Buyer should check-in all goods received. Then match goods received with the purchase order and packing slip.
• The implementation of a perpetual inventory system (POS) helps greatly in determining the areas/categories where shortages are occurring. A perpetual inventory system assists management with the purchasing function and would provide beneficial information as to items being sold.
• When an invoice arrives, it should be matched with the purchase order and packing slip. Manager or shop chairman should approve invoices for payment.

Shop security

Keys to the gift shops should not be given to anyone except the administrator, the Manager/Chair and the Director of Security. The Director of Security should be requested to monitor the shop key carefully (even to his own staff) and release it only on a sign-out basis. No one should be allowed to enter the shop after hours unless accompanied by the supervisor or manager. Weekend staff should sign out the shop key from the hospital security office. Most gift shops now have digital keypad locks. Housekeeping (vacuuming and general cleaning) can only be done while gift shop personnel are present. 

PREVIOUS ARTICLE

Shrinkage | PART 1: Preventing inventory shortages

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CHRISTMAS MERCH VENDOR

Q. Have you been able to source Christmas merchandise? Anyone know of a vendor for “out of the box” Christmas merchandise?

My buyer just returned from the AmericasMart in Atlanta and was surprised by how limited the Christmas merchandise was, particularly ornaments. I understand that ongoing supply chain issues will be felt for a while, in addition to 25-50% increase in wholesale prices across the board. So, that said, does anyone have suggestions for “out of the box” sourcing for Christmas merchandise? Perhaps a vendor that doesn’t go to the buyers’ markets? – Jill A Dugaw (She/Her), Spartanburg Regional, Spartanburg, OH. 1/19/22

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

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BOOK DISTRIBUTOR

Q. Can anyone recommend a book distributor that sells current best sellers? We have suppliers for other types of books like Harvest House and Harper Collins, but not for popular fiction. – Sabra Shields, Sanford USD Medical Center, Sioux Falls, SD. 450 beds. 12/8/21

We have a Choice Books rack that has mostly inspirational and religious titles that they update on a regular basis and sell very well for us 1-877-598-7759. I also get some books from our local Sam’s Club; children’s, adult and puzzle. – Greg Holtgrewe. 1/19/22

I used to buy my paperbacks from Costco. – Margaret Legut. 1/17/22

Choicebooks – Marla Baker, Atrium Health Floyd, Rome, GA. 304 beds

We order from Ingram on their Ipage website and directly from publishers when able. – Karla Glanzman, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA. 360 beds.

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CINDY’S NEWSLETTER for Gift Shop Managers

Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers delivers practical, ready-to-implement content to gift shop managers, retailers, and volunteers across the country. We help our readership of over 3,000 retailers optimize shop operations, grow revenue, and connect with one another. The newsletter is published monthly and free since 2001.

Have you paid your dues this quarter?

The value and richness of this newsletter comes from your participation. Do your part by submitting two comments per quarter, at minimum. Reply to reader’s questions listed throughout the newsletter (in green) or simply share what is working or isn’t working in your shop, a great selling product, a helpful website or resource, an operating question, your biggest challenge right now, a terrific vendor you’ve come across recently, tips on managing volunteers, or tips on managing yourself!

LEAVE A COMMENT! Click the green comment tags throughout the newsletter, enter it in the comment section, or send to cindy@cindyjonesassociates.com.

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DECEMBER 15, 2021

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Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital, Dover, OH

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To our loyal readers

Wishing you the gifts of love, joy and smiles throughout the season and the new year. May your days be filled with everything and everyone you love.

Today is a good day to say THANK YOU!
Thank you for being a valued subscriber.
Thank you for telling others about my Newsletter.
Thank you for trusting me to deliver valuable content to you.
Thank you for clicking on the recommended links.
Thank you for all your wonderful comments and responses.
Thank you for being YOU!

Here’s wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah!! And, my warmest wishes to those celebrating Kwanzaa.

After Christmas, take a few days of well-deserved rest to prepare for another challenging year of retailing.
 
– Cindy & Nicole

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UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

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We are now on LinkedIN!

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To-Dos for the first week in January

First week in January, put all Christmas merchandise on sale at 40% off. Hallmark did a study and found customers did not purchase differently whether the discount is 40% versus 50% off on after Christmas sales. So, just do 40% off for the first week after Christmas, and then go down from there.

Make judgment calls on certain lines whether or not to discount further after the first week. Then pack leftovers away or donate. Try not to hold over any product. If it didn’t sell this year, chances are it won’t sell next year. However, you might hold over items that sold well but perhaps you were a little too optimistic in your ordering. 

Here are additional sale ideas to jump start your planning for the year!

📆
Plan Now
Relax Later

🎉 FIFTH FRIDAY $5 OFF SALE
Get out your 2022 calendar. Mark the months with five Fridays and hold a “FIFTH FRIDAY $5 OFF SALE”. Qualify it by taking $5 off any purchase totaling $25 or more. That way you are only giving a 20% discount at the most, but usually it is less than 20% off because they often spend more than the $25. It’s also a good incentive to add on to a sale that might only be $20 initially. It helps to have a ‘$ off’ button setup on your POS register which pro-rates the discount off each item purchased. If a customer returns just one item, the sale price is listed by item on the receipt. Remember to advertise this event over email to all hospital employees.

🎉 SPEND $13 & GET 13% OFF
Mark every Friday the 13th with a “SPEND $13 | GET 13% OFF ” sale.

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12 last-minute tips to grow your holiday sales

Pre- and post-holiday sales can be the difference between a profitable holiday season or a bust. Here are some tips to grow your holidays sales!

• As we get closer to Christmas, have separate tables with bundled items along with a card, last minute grab and go items that make it easy for people to buy.
• Get them in the door! Make sure to send out a reminder on Friday talking about the last weekend of the year to save big.
• Greet them at the counter. You want to minimize customer returns as much as possible so train your cashiers to always ask the customer if they would like to look around for exchange items first.
• Give in. Don’t plant your feet and refuse to give a refund if a customer has a receipt – especially if they paid with a credit card. They will get their money back either in front of you with a smile or behind your back with a chargeback. It isn’t worth the aggravation – give them a refund if there is any way possible.
• Greet customers when they come in, and again as they browse, to let them know what is on sale.
• For one week only after Christmas, neatness does not count. You will get a different customer after Christmas – the customer who enjoys the hunt for a bargain. But, cleanliness counts throughout the rest of the year. There is no excuse for a sales floor that looks like a herd of elephants just ran through. Rotate staff to do a “clean sweep” of the floor every couple hours.
• After a hectic December, shops often look tired and worn out. Pack away the old merchandise and bring out fresh new merchandise. Brighten up your shop!
• Sell! Sell! Sell! If all your prep work was done in advance, nothing should stop you from being on the floor helping customers and selling merchandise.
• Stock and restock!
• Schedule additional staffing to work from 10am – 2pm to handle the increased business during the last busy weeks before Christmas.
• Give lots of ‘pats on the back’, words of thanks and showings of gratitude to all the workers in the shop (volunteer and paid).
• December 27, take a well-deserved rest. Soak your feet, read a good book and relax!

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Survey Results: Gift show travel budgets

Does your budget include travel expenses to a major gift show in January? ✈️

Missed the survey? Submit your response

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TCMH gift shop reopens for staff, patient visitors

Houston Herald / Dec 6, 2021

The welcoming aroma of coffee and a sweet treat of cookies greeted patrons at the Texas County Memorial Hospital Gift Shop last Wednesday. The occasion was its reopening since COVID-19 forced a closure in March 2020.

There is much to choose from, including floral arrangements, apparel, pillows, throws, coffee and cups, home décor, books, bags, jewelry and more. “It’s fantastic to be back,” said TCMH volunteer Doris Scheuer. “The gift shop has helped support the hospital auxiliary for the past 30 years. The auxiliary has contributed approximately $60,000 to different projects for the hospital, which were not in the hospital budget,” said Reese Bucher, president of the hospital auxiliary. Ammie Williams and daughter, Courtney Traw, of 2 Kinds of Krazy, a mobile boutique, provide and stock the inventory.

“Without their input, the re-open would have been difficult,” said Renina Pearce, executive assistant and volunteer services director at the hospital. Scheuer added, “And they make beautiful bouquets.”

The gift shop is open to employees and patient visitors; however it is still closed to the public. They do accept phone orders and a website will soon be available. The shop needs volunteers to help staff it from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

SOURCE: The Houston Herald

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RESPONSES: Good scrub vendors or fundraisers

Q. I am looking for information on scrub sales. Are there any good scrub vendors or any good fundraisers? I would rather go through a wholesale company. Thank you! – Cathy Taschler, Marshfield Medical Center, Marshfield, WI. 319 beds. 10/16/21

I have a vendor, Alexander’s Uniforms, I use where I don’t have any stock in store. The customers order online and the items ship here to the shop where the customer, if an employee in the hospital, uses payroll deduction to pay. We get 20% and all we do is ring it up!! – Christine Parker, Kent Hospital, Warwick. 11/4/21

We do very well with Cherokee (Carismatic), Dickies and Med Couture. These allow us to cover a good range of price points and styles. – Lisa Garland, Woman’s Hospital, Baton Rouge, LA. 168 beds. 10/18/21

I sent out a survey to all hospital employees and Cherokee won by a landslide! Black was the top color as well! – Jenny Turner, UH Portage Medical Center, Ravenna, OH. 300 beds. 11/22/21

We use Scrubs on Wheels out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. They give back 15% for on-site fundraisers. They order items for employees who need something outside of what they brought with them that ship free to the gift shop. It’s easy for us, because all we do is process the payroll deduction! – Kerri Clark, Community Hospital, Munster, IN. 498 beds. 11/16/21

Do you have a good scrub vendor?  Comment here.

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How are you and your shop doing post pandemic? How are sales? How are you!?

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

We’re actually doing very well. Our hospital employees were ready to shop and they felt very comfortable coming into the gift shop. I try and carry every need they might have so they’re very satisfied! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! – Jenny Turner. 11/22/21

Sales are slow with employees. As patient families are allowed into the hospital our sales have increased significantly. – Lisa. 11/22/21

We are now on one year of having volunteers in the shop, but getting ready to have them out front. Time will tell if we are ahead of COVID or not. We fear we have lost 50% of them. The shop is doing ok but still 80% reliant on employees. We do lots of drawings for them. We use GemPay receipts; their name is already on there :) – Tricia Rochman, Pink Geranium Gift Shop, Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Carbondale, IL. 154 beds. 11/17/21

Our shop was closed for five months and reopened August 2020 with only myself and assistant working limited hours. We’re finally allowing volunteers to cashier but are still short of some coming back. Our sales are finally increasing and we are still doing our own floral as phone orders helped when visitors were not allowed. Looking for a much better Christmas and Valentines. – Karen Ferguson, Manager of St. David’s SAMC Auxiliary Gift Shop, Austin, TX. 334 beds. 11/16/21

We opened to allow our patients and staff the ability to shop M-F 10am to 2pm. Sales are definitely not where they were but it was expected. The difficulty we have now is that some of the vendors we had done business with cannot be reached. – Nancy Collins, New London Hospital, New London, NH. 24 beds. 11/16/21

We are slowly recovering…we are not opened on the weekends yet. Sales are bouncing back and outsiders are returning. Right now candles are really selling!! – Christine Parker, Kent Hospital, Warwick, RI. 359 beds. 11/4/21

We reopened in September 2020, to restricted hours 9 a.m.-1 p.m., our volunteers returned April 2021, so we are open most days from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visitor restrictions went from no visitors, currently it is one visitor, have made a difference in customer count. Sales are down from 2019, by about $100 per day, viewing all the issues from merchandise complications, visitor restrictions, I think we are doing well. We have been to one Gift Show in Oct. 2021. – Mary Robinson, Gift Shop Coordinator, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mankato, MN. 10/29/21

Our Gift Shop has and continues to thrive since we reopened in July of 2020. Our employees find it a ‘place to take a break and breathe some fresh air of course with their masks on!’. We are very blessed and looking forward to a great Christmas season! – Alice Whisnant, Director, Volunteer Services, Caldwell UNC Health Care, Hickory, NC. 110 beds. 10/25/21

Our Shop has been closed since November, 2020. No sales at all since then. – Peter Waugh, Memorial Hospital, North Conway, NH. 25 beds. 10/18/21

Unfortunately, our gift shop was closed again in September due to increased COVID numbers in our area. We hope to reopen by November as we had just received our Christmas inventory. – Robin Truax, Gouverneur Hospital, Gouveneur, NY. 77 beds. 10/15/21

Struggling, we were a very new shop before Covid hit. I have kept it open myself and was able to allow volunteers to come back April 2021, however right now only two have come back so it is still mostly myself running the shop. That being said, we are not even back to full open hours yet, only open about 3-4 days per week. – Kasey B, Volunteer/Gift ShopCoordinator, Tomah Health, Tomah, WI. 29 beds. 10/2/21

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PROMOTION

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