Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, Woodbridge, VA

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

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.


JANUARY 15, 2023

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, Woodbridge, VA


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

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

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

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

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

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

– Cindy and Nicole

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡


How one gift shop is selling custom gift baskets online

DeShea’s Gift Shop

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

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

DeShea’s Gift Shop online store
Themed custom gift baskets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


SPONSOR

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

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

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

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


SPONSOR

QUICKCHARGE POS

Quickcharge POS provides all of the point of sale features
you need in an easy-to-use solution with automated
payroll deduction capabilities, contactless payment,
and reliable customer support!

Transitioning from your current POS system

is fast, easy, and affordable.

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


Proof that social media can increase sales💲

Facebook post

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

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

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

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

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

You can view the full post on Facebook here.


UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

FEBRUARY
Black History Month
Feb 3 – Ntn’l Women Physician Day
Feb 4 – World Cancer Day
Feb 12 – Super Bowl Sunday
Feb 14 – Valentine’s Day 💕
Feb 20 – President’s Day
Feb 21 – Mardi Gras/Paczki Day
MARCH
Mar 1- World Candle Day
Mar 2 – Ash Wednesday
Mar 3 – Employee Appreciation Day
Mar 12- Daylight Saving (Start)
Mar 17 – St. Patrick’s Day ☘️
Mar 22 – First Day of Ramadan
Mar 30 – Doctor’s Day 🩺 🥼
APRIL
Apr 1 – April Fool’s Day
Apr 7 – World Health Day
Apr 9 – Easter Sunday 🐰
Apr 18 – Tax Day
Apr 22 – Earth Day 🌎
Apr 26 – Admin Prof Day

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

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

Have you tried flower vending? Why or why not? Costs? Vendors?
3
Are you using flower vending machines?x
<-CLICK TO COMMENT

♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

ncr pos point of sale system

SPONSOR

i3 Verticals – NCR Point of Sale Solution

A “Volunteer Friendly” NCR Point of Sale solution
for hospital gift shops. Easy to learn! Easy to use!
Payroll Deduction and Inventory Management available.
Take your gift shop to the next level!
Ask for a FREE copy of our “Hospital Gift Shops:
Tips for Success” booklet.

887-809-9980
www.i3pos.com


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

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

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

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

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

Click here to add your vote.


Winter action items

🧸 DISPLAY

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

BUY

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

📝 PLAN

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

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

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

January and July are the best months for a shop renovation. Inventory is low and there is less to move. Traffic is slow, so sales figures are usually low. Therefore, the least amount of money and profits will be lost while the shop is closed for renovation.
 
Working with a qualified hospital gift shop designer will help you communicate your needs to the architects and avoid costly mistakes.

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


SPONSOR

snoozies!® Spring 2023

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

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

See all snoozies!® collections at snoozies.com

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


💮 GIFT MARKET CALENDAR 💮

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

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


Video: Go inside Massachusetts General Hospital gift shop

Click to watch

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

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

SOURCE: WCVB


Hospitals’ volunteers run risk of skirting federal labor laws

Lauren Sausser / Jan 10, 2023

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

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

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

Except, there’s a catch.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nonprofit hospitals must follow federal labor laws, too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOURCE: Business Insider


Product Pick: Luckables

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


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

  • Robots deliver shop purchases to patients
  • 4 ways to crush it in 2023
  • It’s Inventory Day!
  • Move merchandise with a Power Lunch Flash Sale
  • Product Pick: Luckables
  • Your 2022 Income Statement
  • The costly impact of too much inventory
  • Have you written your resolutions goals for 2023!?
  • A. How to work around IT firewalls for gift cards?
  • Tallahassee Memorial Gift Shop
  • Survey: Do you use a cash register or POS system?
  • A. Does your shop use Emporos POS?
  • Gift Market Calendar

DISCUSSION


EMPOROS POS?

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

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

FROM CINDY

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

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡


GIFT CARDS & FIREWALLS

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

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

VENDOR RESPONSES

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

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

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡


POS SYSTEMS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PRIOR COMMENTS

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

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

Did you miss this question? Click to comment. 

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SHOPPING BAG VENDORS 🛍

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kelli’s Gift Shop Suppliers. Used to use Benton Kirby but they are no longer in business. We use paper bags. – Peter Waugh. 9/15/22Announcing: TWO New Nashville Wraps Catalogs! | Nashville Wraps Blog

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

Click here to share your favorite bag idea or vendor.

https://www.swalter.com/wp-content/uploads/bags.png

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡


PROMOTIONS



SPONSOR

Thank You Card for Healthcare Workers

A note of appreciation for healthcare workers!

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

GiftsWithHope.com
hello@giftswithhope.com



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

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