what is your #1 & 2 sellers except custom framing
- Thread starter suzy
- Start date
Ted
CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
To me, the answer to this question really hinges on the type of customer that your shop attracts. If you find that you have a lot of lower end customers...I perfer to call them less educated on custom framing customers...you might want to think about adding a selection of quality ready made frames. I find that people seem to think that their saving money when they buy one, but you can easily add custom matting or acid free backings to boost the sale and the profit margin on ready mades are usually quite good. Another item that boosts custom framing is a selection of art posters from a good wholesaler, eg. McGaw. I don't sell a ton of them, but when I do they are usally accompanied by, at least, a poster framing job. Gift items are a guess and I find that they usually are pricy to buy and can sit for along time.
Ted
Ted
We started out with photo frames, then added affordable gift items. I made a commitment to spend five hundred per month building up my retail front of my shop. We now average about $2,000.00 per month in sales and are still spending the same $500.00. Last December we did almost $5,000.00 in sales.
Our main suppliers for gift type photo frames are Russ-Berrie Co., Fetco, Gift & Whicker Imports, La Marche Moulding, Roma Moulding & many other smaller companies.
We just added a line of Trolls that I found out about though The Grumble. They are doing very well, I placed my second order one week after recieving my opening order of about 20 items.
I am also getting ready to add a very pricy line of photo frames I learned about on The Grumble, Cornel Rosca's American Choice Frames. I am putting in locking glass display cases for those though.
If you want to sell retail, you have to commit yourself to spending on it and working at it. Be willing to spend on display methods and be willing to build others. Don't think of it as a side line to custom framing. Think of it as a business that has to be built, put the effort in and it will reward you.
John
Our main suppliers for gift type photo frames are Russ-Berrie Co., Fetco, Gift & Whicker Imports, La Marche Moulding, Roma Moulding & many other smaller companies.
We just added a line of Trolls that I found out about though The Grumble. They are doing very well, I placed my second order one week after recieving my opening order of about 20 items.
I am also getting ready to add a very pricy line of photo frames I learned about on The Grumble, Cornel Rosca's American Choice Frames. I am putting in locking glass display cases for those though.
If you want to sell retail, you have to commit yourself to spending on it and working at it. Be willing to spend on display methods and be willing to build others. Don't think of it as a side line to custom framing. Think of it as a business that has to be built, put the effort in and it will reward you.
John
Framerguy
PFG, Picture Framing God
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by JRB:
We started out with photo frames, then added affordable gift items. I made a commitment to spend five hundred per month building up my retail front of my shop.<FONT COLOR=RED> We now average about $2,000.00 per month in sales and are still spending the same $500.00.</font> Last December we did almost $5,000.00 in sales.
Our main suppliers for gift type photo frames are Russ-Berrie Co., Fetco, Gift & Whicker Imports, La Marche Moulding, Roma Moulding & many other smaller companies.
We just added a line of Trolls that I found out about though The Grumble. They are doing very well, I placed my second order one week after recieving my opening order of about 20 items.
I am also getting ready to add a very pricy line of photo frames I learned about on The Grumble, Cornel Rosca's American Choice Frames. I am putting in locking glass display cases for those though.
If you want to sell retail, you have to commit yourself to spending on it and working at it. Be willing to spend on display methods and be willing to build others. Don't think of it as a side line to custom framing. Think of it as a business that has to be built, put the effort in and it will reward you.
John<hr></blockquote>
John,
I may be misreading your post but, if you are only spending $500/month on gift items and making a whopping $2000/month retail and up, what the heck do you use for a markup???
My calculations would run you out of inventory in about 2 months!
Just curious if I'm doing things correctly.
Framerguy
We started out with photo frames, then added affordable gift items. I made a commitment to spend five hundred per month building up my retail front of my shop.<FONT COLOR=RED> We now average about $2,000.00 per month in sales and are still spending the same $500.00.</font> Last December we did almost $5,000.00 in sales.
Our main suppliers for gift type photo frames are Russ-Berrie Co., Fetco, Gift & Whicker Imports, La Marche Moulding, Roma Moulding & many other smaller companies.
We just added a line of Trolls that I found out about though The Grumble. They are doing very well, I placed my second order one week after recieving my opening order of about 20 items.
I am also getting ready to add a very pricy line of photo frames I learned about on The Grumble, Cornel Rosca's American Choice Frames. I am putting in locking glass display cases for those though.
If you want to sell retail, you have to commit yourself to spending on it and working at it. Be willing to spend on display methods and be willing to build others. Don't think of it as a side line to custom framing. Think of it as a business that has to be built, put the effort in and it will reward you.
John<hr></blockquote>
John,
I may be misreading your post but, if you are only spending $500/month on gift items and making a whopping $2000/month retail and up, what the heck do you use for a markup???
My calculations would run you out of inventory in about 2 months!
Just curious if I'm doing things correctly.
Framerguy
tnframer408
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Like John, we sell Roma and LaMarche photoframes and higher end gift candles--triple scented jobbies-- from Old Virginia Candle.
We just now invested in the new Nielson-Bainbridge photoframes. Rather higher end with retail of $50 to $125 or so and a display unit that's a carousel with about a 27" footprint.
Like John says, though, you gotta commit the display space and be willing to have this stuff sit awhile until it catches on.
We;re alse seriously looking at some of the decoupage art from Art in Motion so we can have a selection of smaller "prefrmed art" selections.
We just now invested in the new Nielson-Bainbridge photoframes. Rather higher end with retail of $50 to $125 or so and a display unit that's a carousel with about a 27" footprint.
Like John says, though, you gotta commit the display space and be willing to have this stuff sit awhile until it catches on.
We;re alse seriously looking at some of the decoupage art from Art in Motion so we can have a selection of smaller "prefrmed art" selections.
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Suzy,
Great Question -- As diversification has more power than ever before. In light of a "downturned" economy, increased competitive pressure from Big Boxes, Chains, and other retailers, adding complimentary merchnadise to your offering accomplishes several things.
To answer your question directly, for us our top two items are.....
1) German wooden collectibles -- Nutcrackers, Smokers, Pyramids, Candle Holders, etc.
2) European Glass Christmas Ornaments -- Several popular makers exist.
Other items that score in our top 10 list, are ones you should consider......
3) Premium Photo Frames -- as already mentioned by several others, this is a natural, and the key is to avoid the big chain store names and "commit" to the specialty brands, Bedford Downing and Danielson Design are two I would recommend.
4) Premium / Unique Cards -- Again the specialty lines are most complimentary to frame shops / galleries: Legend Designs out of Toronto is great and exhibits at most US gift markets.
5)Pillows, 6)Candles, 7)Baskets, 8)Lamps, 9)Teddy Bears, 10)Plush are other possibilities. Go get em!
John
Great Question -- As diversification has more power than ever before. In light of a "downturned" economy, increased competitive pressure from Big Boxes, Chains, and other retailers, adding complimentary merchnadise to your offering accomplishes several things.
- Increases advertising potential -- Marketing other product, not just framing!
- Creates identity -- You become known as a "unique" shopping destination that carries items larger stores won't specialize
- Merchandising appeal -- Don't discount the value of making your business more attractive with soft goods mixed with framing and art. It has been well documented that shoppers shop at stores that make them feel comfortable.
- Impulse sales -- Increases the average daily sales.
- Specialty items may end up drawing in customers who are attracted to the specialty then begin to use you for framing -- Nothing like using another product to draw away customers from your "framing competition".
To answer your question directly, for us our top two items are.....
1) German wooden collectibles -- Nutcrackers, Smokers, Pyramids, Candle Holders, etc.
2) European Glass Christmas Ornaments -- Several popular makers exist.
Other items that score in our top 10 list, are ones you should consider......
3) Premium Photo Frames -- as already mentioned by several others, this is a natural, and the key is to avoid the big chain store names and "commit" to the specialty brands, Bedford Downing and Danielson Design are two I would recommend.
4) Premium / Unique Cards -- Again the specialty lines are most complimentary to frame shops / galleries: Legend Designs out of Toronto is great and exhibits at most US gift markets.
5)Pillows, 6)Candles, 7)Baskets, 8)Lamps, 9)Teddy Bears, 10)Plush are other possibilities. Go get em!
John
Framerguy, I spotted that myself, it should have read a minimum of five hundred per month. I had to leave for work & didn't have time to correct it. My point was, you have to commit yoursef to X number of dollars per month & stick to it. Spend more if you want, but never less.
John
John