There is a fine line between making sure your inventory doesn't get stale and looking like you can't make up your mind as to what kind of store you want to run. Okay, maybe the line isn't that thin, but I seem to keep tripping over it anyway.
As we build our clientele, we bring in new things so our customers don't get bored with our choices and look elsewhere for something new. The real challenge is to recognize the new "it" stuffed animal before everyone else does and to make sure you have enough in stock. You don't want to have too many, especially if they don't sell, because then you're tying up space and money in a dud. But, you want to have enough on hand so you can fill your orders.
So, the question we face is ... where do we find this super stuffed animal? Living and operating out of New Jersey, our best option is the New York International Gift Fair, held twice a year in August & January/February at the Javits Center, and the Toy Fair in February, again held at the Javits Center.
Finding a gift show to attend is as easy as googling "gift show", where you'll see all the different cities that host these trade shows. GLM is a great resource as well. They are one of the largest hosts of tradeshows in the United States and their website has information on all their upcoming shows.
Comments