RETAILER PROFILE for about 5 hours in one evening. This year, due to the pandemic, we sold tickets for hour-long appointments throughout the day. We offered a gift certificate for the cost of the ticket, so the customer was guaranteed a spot, but yet was able to get the cost of their ticket back upon check-out. We had such positive feedback that we are going to continue to do our open house all day. How do you keep in touch with customers now, does that differ from methods you used prior to the pandemic? MP: We are sending out more emails to our customers than we previously did. We try not to inundate them but do let them know when we have a new line or promotions going on. What are your top three best-sellers and the vendors used to source them? MP: Our top sellers are Mud Pie home décor items, Brighton jewelry, and Scout Bags and accessories. Do you have any display tips to share with other retailers? MP: I feel that merchandising and product offerings are key. We strive to make our displays fresh and change them frequently. I've learned that having complementary products help to sell add-ons. For key holidays/occasions we will show our best-sellers and new merchandise worked into a display but it helps Photos by Debbie Eisele to have that " wow " factor even if it means going out of your comfort zone and purchasing a higher priced product. Circle 383 64 SUMMER 2021 GIFT SHOP® PLUS