Fragile Earth Stuffed Animals

DID WE FOLLOW OUR OWN ADVICE?

So, how did my tips work for us at the Gift Show last week? Let's see:

Have a plan. We decided to go to the Baby & Child section first because a majority of our inventory falls into this category and they opened a day earlier than most of the show. The first day was kind of nice because it wasn't as crowded as the other days and we could take our time talking to the vendors without people crowding in behind us. Several of the stuffed animal manufacturers were spread out over different floors so we had to go searching for them over the next few days.

Before attending the show, we talked about expanding Fragile Earth Stuffed Animals to include more than just stuffed animals. Starting with Day 2, we looked for new and interesting items that would fit the bill. And we found some great pet items and jewelry that will work very nicely! We can't wait to get them in and introduce them to our customers.

Wear comfortable clothes/shoes. I was far from the most sophisticated dresser in the joint, but my geeky sandals meant I could still stand at the end of the day. Skirts and light tops proved to be the perfect attire for the heat of NYC and the pressing crowds inside the Javits Center.

Don't be intimidated by greeters. I have gotten very good at not looking people in the eye as I pass by. I know it's an easy way out but I don't do well at saying no, especially when I know how excited these people are to show me what they sell. As it was, we didn't get to everyone on our list because we ran out of time.

Bring your own food to save money. We threw sandwiches and snacks in our bags and had them while catching our breath. Our great expenditures (other than parking) were a couple of cokes and on one really hot day, an ice cream. We kept it to under $25 for all 4 days, which is pretty damn good.

Ask potential vendors to email you their information so you don’t have a lot to carry. We went in with the best of intentions on Saturday – we didn’t carry bags because we were going to research websites after we met the manufacturers. Unfortunately, not everyone was ready for us. Can you believe that there are some people who don’t have a website for their wares? And others have websites but they weren’t updated with the newest materials. So we wound up carrying quite a few catalogs anyway. Sunday we were better prepared with backpacks. Again, not the most stylish but a necessity.

Bring plenty of business cards. People loved our cards from moo.com and we handed out a few of theirs (moo’s) as well. They might want to send us a commission.

As I mentioned before, I tend to get overwhelmed by the crowds and all the pretty things. We brought our iPhones with us so we could take pictures of anything that caught our eye and have it to refer back to when we got home. I thought it might be cool to send some of them to twitter while I was at it – you know, actually instigate a discussion or two instead of just reacting. Over the four days we were there, I took a total of three pictures. I’m so glad we invested all that money in the new phones so we could have technology at our fingertips!

THIS IS DIFFERENT

Yesterday was day one of the International Gift Fair at the Javits Center in New York. Not all the booths were open but there were enough to keep us occupied. Since the majority of our inventory is stuffed animals, that's what we shopped for yesterday. We visited some of our favorites - Jellycat & MerryMakers- and found some new things as well.

We ran into something new this year. As we introduced ourselves as an online retailer to new vendors, we found out that many of them are not opening any more online accounts. After the third or fourth dismissal, one manufacturer explained that within the last few years, some online stores are selling their merchandise at hugely discounted prices and are undercutting everyone else. And now, many of the sellers are leery about working with anyone who sells online.

I know, from working in a small, independent gift store, the problems that arise when someone else slashes the price of an item. We would hear that a giant corporation, with a store less than 2 miles away, had the same item for less than what we paid to the wholesaler. Since the bigger stores can buy in such bulk (we're buying 2 or 3 of an item, they are buying 2 or 3 THOUSAND for all their stores across the country), they get a huge discount and can then sell the item for much, much less. How could we even compete? However, that was strictly the choice of the wholesaler.

I also understand that, upon first meeting us, these wholesalers have no idea if we are the enemy or not. Without researching our store and looking at our sales, they would never know if we sell our merchandise for regular or discount pricing. And since that isn't possible in the hustle & bustle of a gift show, they have made a blanket decision not to sell to online stores for now. The person we spoke to said they were trying to weed out the bad sellers and decide where to go from there. 

Luckily for us, we didn't find anything we completely fell in love with that was denied us because of our lack of a brick & mortar store. There were some things we would have considered carrying but nothing that we couldn't live without. If we do find that item, I'm sure we can argue our case, and maybe they'll change their minds. And maybe it will be the kick in the a$$ that we need to take the plunge and open a store. I truly believe that, sooner or later, manufacturers will come around again and allow others to sell their items online. Because, really, how often do you buy online compared to in a store? I buy the majority of my items online. But that's just me. How about you? 

TIPS OF THE CHRONIC ATTENDEE - NY International Gift Fair

Next week, we will be attending the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF).  We have the benefit of living right outside NY so it's a piece of cake for us to go each year in August and January/February.  If you are attending for the first time, here are a few tips from a chronic attendee.

1. Have a plan. Remember, there's a lot to see and a lot of people to get around. Especially if you're on a time crunch, every minute counts.

2. Wear comfortable clothes and most importantly, comfortable shoes. Ladies, having a bag that sits comfortably on your shoulder is a bonus.

3. Don't be intimidated by greeters and don't let them pull you in to something you don't need or want when you are on a time budget. Don't be afraid to say no.

4. If you're on a budget, you can save a bunch of money by bringing your own food. Lunch & snacks can get pretty expensive very quickly.

5. Ask potential vendors to email you their information. Trust me, carrying around a bagful of catalogs gets really heavy, very fast!

6. Bring lots of business cards to trade with potential vendors. Getting their information allows you to follow up at your leisure.

PLOT A COURSE

Gift shows overwhelm me.  There are so many things to see and booths to explore. Everywhere I turn, something catches my eye. I see stuffed animals that would be perfect for Fragile Earth Stuffed Animals, knick-knacks I'd love to sell but have nothing to do with our inventory, and things I personally want to own. The sheer number of people wandering through the Javits Center during the New York International Gift Fair all trying to get in as much as possible in the shortest amount of time is enough to send me into a corner. 

I know going in that I will only be able to put up with being pushed and bumped for so long before I start getting claustrophobic so I need to have a plan that allows me hit my spots of interest. This year, the New York International Gift Fair has an on-line website that allows me to search the exhibitors and make a walking plan so I can get from points A to Z with the minimum fuss. However, names don't always tell you exactly what the exhibitor carries. The search function gives the stores' websites, but clicking through takes time so, a few weeks before the show, I start looking for new shops to visit. I study the floor plan, looking at what is near the stores I know I will be visiting and skim through store titles, checking to see if anything pops out at me. There are certain booths I know I will visit - like Jellycat, Merrymakers, Unipak and Yottoy - because they are mainstays in our inventory. But there will be new products out there and I need to know where they are.

Most gift shows try to organize the exhibitors so that like items are together. For us, we find the majority of our booths in the Baby and Child sections. However, we stumbled upon Jellycat one year in the middle of General Gifts, and we realized that there are hidden gems everywhere. Don't become convinced that one section will encompass everything you want. Explore!

KEEPING THINGS FRESH

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.

Next week: What to do before you go to a gift show.

posted by Mary Beth