Smoky Mountain Gift Show Section
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Sales Amid Beautiful (From page 38) for local realtors and housewarming gifts for customers. Our biggest customer demographic is women aged 40-60. Most of our sales are from our women’s clothing—there aren’t a lot of clothing shops in our area. We offer relaxed quality clothing which can be easily worn while enjoying our area.” Food is another great gift because of its practicality and versatility. Rucci said at her store, pretzels, trail mix, and easy grab-andgo items fly off the shelves because “people take them out on their boats or to their cabins.” Limited space for displaying items means some retailers are forced to be even more creative with merchandising stock. Rucci said despite her limited space, creating fun, eyeA Lazy One apparel display at Lake and Pine Co. Customers gravitate toward merchandise that will remind them of a good memory. catching displays is very important to their brand. “For us, the whole founby doing themes. Some people might come in and just dation of our business is giving peowant one thing—such as lake-themed items, so we’ll ple the feeling of nostalgia—going up north and going point them in that direction.” camping on the lake. We try to tell stories with our Besides arranging attractive displays, providing displays. We do groupings [of merchandise]—1,000 stellar customer service is critical. It not only helps to square feet fills up quickly, so we have to be smart drive sales, it goes a long way toward bringing in repeat about how we use the space. We get in as much as we business through relationship building. Simply greetcan without being crowded. We have a lake section, ing customers when they walk in sets the tone for their which could be anything from T-shirts to rugs with a shopping experience. Sloan said they do their best to lake motif to lake-scented candles, or an outdoor cabin camping section. That’s how we create our displays, Continued on page 42
Michele and Steve Rucci, owners of Lake and Pine Co., in Pewaukee, Wis. Michele Rucci said she is noticing an increase in the sales of wood-block signs.
Custom gift merchandise from the Lake Effect inventory. Items with a local flair sell extremely well for the store, according to the owner. Photo by Prata Productions
Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties | October 2021 | www.sgnmag.com