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what would your ideal small, hometown stamp store be like? What would they carry, offer as far as classes, etc? What type of "deals" would you expect to see? What if they designed and sold their own images in addition to a few other companies? What would get you to stop by the store for the first time if you just found out it was there?
I would love to have my own rubber stamp/craft store. I would have sales because the little stores around me never do. I would offer classes on the newest stuff I could find.
I think a rubber stamp store shouldn't be all cluttered because I hate bumping into people as I'm bending over to see things. Sometimes I want to sit on the floor to look at the bottom row and I would like to have tables available to lay stuff out on to look at it.
I think my idea of a good little local store would be what we once had. In a good location, select good and tasteful companies and stamps they have to offer. Not necessary have to have everything they have to offer but truly what is good for consumers.
If they design their own stamps that'd be awesome, because they can do preview classes at the store. People love to feel like they're one of the first to get their hands on the hot little stamps (example ala Paper Pretties got their club members gets to see MFT stamps before the masses).
The type of classes I'd like to see, Intro/Basic stamping ... alot of veterans take that for granted. Some demos assumes that you know how and left some newbies in the dust. But yet they want the business. Hello, you need to teach them how to fish first...duh! Then, technique stuff, then theme stuff or product class.
I'm an SU Demo and I prefer their stamps since they are in sets and real rubber I go straight for the accessoires. I want all the extras like dew drops, glitter pens, epoxy brads, stickles, rubons out the kazoo. I also love alterable items like the Bo Bunny books and Provo Craft tins. I also look for a place that carries inks and stamps since they show samples of things other than just scrap pages.
I love Impress here in the Seattle area along with my local scrap shop for some of those goodies I mentioned, but neither has the perfect blend of stamps and scraping stuff for me.
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the LSS that used to be here...
they had a BUTT LOAD of die cuts and punches and other tools that were available to use when using the space for crops or classes.
they would offer times to come and use their space for a nominal fee. sometimes it would even include pizza. nice clean space, good lighting, clean bathroom and... no phone calls, don't have to let the dog out, no dryer buzzer... loved it! miss it!
there were a limited amount of spaces so you could sign up to hold a spot. my favorite thing was that i could 'run a tab' while i was there. it is very nice to have a store 'in the next room' while you are stamping or scrapping. you could just settle up when you were ready to leave.
you could stay as long or as short a time as you wanted. anywhere from say noon to midnight.
Interesting..... in that two of the 3 stores mentioned above both state "used to be here". As in - are now gone....
I think running a little neighborhood stamp/scrap store can probably be very challenging.
Yes, you have to sell a LOT of .69 sheets of paper to make that $1000 rent payment every month. Let alone payroll, utilities, advertising... I don't know how anyone makes it! It I wanted to run a store and clear a $2000/month salary (modest considering the hours I'd need to put in) I'd probably have to sell at least $10,000 per month. If the average sale is $30, I'd have to have at least 13 customers a day, 6 days per week.
We don't have any local stamping stores, and I'm in a major metropolitan area. There is one scrapbooking store that I know of, and it's tiny. There's JoAnn, Michaels and ACMoore, and that's it. Same stale inventory month in and month out. I look forward to the one or two local stamp shows that I can attend each year, and I do the balance of my shopping online.
we have a little craft /gift store here in town for almost a year, a couple of friends and i have gone 1 night a month to card class. It's getting disappointing as when we walk in they want to know -what do you want to do? we're the class you tell us and show us please! that's why we're here.
I would LOVE to have a place to go to use stamps,die cutters, etc. kind of like pay so much for an hour and be able to use they're stamps and other larger type stuff i can't afford. but do my own thing. clear as mud right?
This store offers everything from pictures, to stuffed animals , statues, jewelry, etc. to rubber stamps inks etc. very crowded ! makes me nervous to go in there as i'm afraid something is going to fall over if you turn around.
also her crafting space is claustraphobic!!,
and good lighting would be a must!
ok enough sorry to ramble
I don't know if they would help you out but Eclectica in Memphis, TN is a stamp/scrapbook store. They actually in the past year/ year and a half had to expand the store. They have a website and a blog, you might shoot them an email and see what advice they might have.
I would love a LSS that carried things like Nestabilities, Marvy punches (all of them) and good quality alterables like paint cans, chipboard albums, etc. My LSS carries some of this but mainly paper, paper, paper. Not that I don't love paper but they never carry a complete line. For instance, I have fallen in love with Basic Grey papers and this store will carry some of the patterns in a collection, but not all. And they only carry a couple of collections. I like a store that has a section for a complete product line with all of the little goodies that match, like Basic Grey's stamps, embellishments, etc.
I am not fond of purchasing things online as I hate paying shipping charges, so it would be nice to have a LSS with a buyer who is up on the latest thing and stocks it. The LSS around here do not carry Cuttlebug or Sizzix or Quickcutz - it would be nice to have the Cuttlebug folders at a LSS.
There is a LSS in another town I go to once in while and they have been in business for years now. THey sell items that cater to the stamper and scrapper. They have weekly specials of 30% off on about 6-8 different items. Part of their success is they advertise. They have business from all over the state. They attend every stamp show that is around Wisconsin. He said that was the key to their business as the town they are in could never support them so they depend alot on travelers. It works!
THey have such a HUGE selelction of stamps as well. And the prices are not that bad. The carry alot of Northwoods Rubber Stamps and Stamp Scapes. In Wisconsin, these stamps do go over really big.
SO I think your key will be good selection of product to make people want to drive to your store and Advertising to let them know about it.
Interesting..... in that two of the 3 stores mentioned above both state "used to be here". As in - are now gone....
I think running a little neighborhood stamp/scrap store can probably be very challenging.
Yes, it is *very* challenging! I owned small stamp store for 3 years, I worked all day, almost every day (my mom would come in once a week to help out) because my business partner worked a full time job. I also did all the ordering, paid bills, did the taxes and taught classes too. It's ALOT of work, I loved it and am so glad I did it but we just couldn't keep our heads above water. A few months after we opened another lady opened another stamp store in town and then the small scrapbook store expanded, plus with Michael's, etc it just became to hard to pay the bills and we decide when our lease was up to close. This was about 6 years ago and now with the internet being a place so many shop I think it would be even harder. But if you have the time, the money, a good location and alot of determination you might be able to make it.
Tina--I am also from Wisconsin and visit the central part of the state a few times a year for work and vacations--I was just in Rapids last weekend for state gymnastics. Where is this wonderful store you speak of?
Thanks, Barb
Quote:
Originally Posted by meluvstampin
There is a LSS in another town I go to once in while and they have been in business for years now. THey sell items that cater to the stamper and scrapper. They have weekly specials of 30% off on about 6-8 different items. Part of their success is they advertise. They have business from all over the state. They attend every stamp show that is around Wisconsin. He said that was the key to their business as the town they are in could never support them so they depend alot on travelers. It works!
THey have such a HUGE selelction of stamps as well. And the prices are not that bad. The carry alot of Northwoods Rubber Stamps and Stamp Scapes. In Wisconsin, these stamps do go over really big.
SO I think your key will be good selection of product to make people want to drive to your store and Advertising to let them know about it.
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local store
I would love to have a local store to visit, there is nothing around me!
But a great store would have to have:
-a good variety of companies represented
-some basics (paper, punches, inks, etc.) but also some 'out-there' stuff for more advanced/adventurous crafters
-classes are not important to me, I am a do it yourselfer, but I am sure they appeal to many
-room to look around, good lighting, a place to stash my husband while I shop
-friendly customer service-you don't have to know that much about your product to please me, as long as you act happy to help me.
-motivation to come in frequently; sales, new products, contests, swaps, etc.
Within 30 miles of me we have 3 actual stamp stores. Each one caters to a different market. My fav although I don't get becuase she closes at 6 pm. What she has that I like are:
Clean uncluttered shop, she has a wonderful class schedule, modern stamps, good paper selection, and a great selection of mediums (ink, powders, etc.). I talked with her about she selected the products and she said that she was told to carry 85% of what she likes and I like her style.
She has local instructors and the well known likeTim Holtz and Michael Jacobs). Her products are the latest and greatest. Her staff is always friendly and chatty but not annoying.
I think that in order to be successful you have to cultivate a loyal client base that will shop with because of you. This would be an opportunity to shape a community. All the stores get involved in community activities. She has the most wonderful anniversary party - she into her 6th year.
Good luck and I hope you do well. I would love to take the plunge, but can't swing it.
I think customer service! I am blessed to have two great stores when I'm at home (not when I'm at school, though). I think the key to why I shop there (much like the reason I order from my Demo) is because they know what they are talking about and they care
what would your ideal small, hometown stamp store be like? What would they carry, offer as far as classes, etc? What type of "deals" would you expect to see? What if they designed and sold their own images in addition to a few other companies? What would get you to stop by the store for the first time if you just found out it was there?
Just wondering...
Are you thinking of opening your own store? Just wondering....
This store is approx 50 ft from my work. I love it, it is neat and organized but I find myself at the big Retail Chains more often. Which is odd because I always go for the underdog, retail, restaurants, etc.... but I want to get the most bang for my buck and in this hobby, it pays to shop for specials and use the coupons!!!
I would feel really bad if she doesn't make it, but I think she will. http://www.the-paper-garden.com
In my previous job I travelled for a living, and spent all of my expense account on things I could use when I retired; since I had no time to play in that job! Here are my thoughts:
1. I only knew a store was around was if they were in the yellow pages, in magazines, or had flyers in hotels. Depending on where you are, you may not be able to survive just on local buyers.
2. The bigger the square footage and product (and good lighting), the better. Obviously, you'd have to have a pretty good line of credit to start, or be willing to have no income for years. Remembering that the IRS used to give you 7 years to clear a profit, that's probably how long you should figure on squeeking by. Personally, I think $2,000/month is wishful thinking for the self employed, but hey! go for it!
3. You should have some of what is hot at the moment- I shop the magazine ads, but I always go to the local places before I go online. My LSS has some of the spellbinders, so I went there first to check on the Nestabilities; she didn't have them, but I bought some of the Spellbinders that day.
4. Lots of 'boards'. I think some companies make them for you, but you have to buy them. I really do see a card in a shop and buy everything I need for that card. Usually, the board is sitting right next to a display with all that I need. A shop outside of University City in MO (well that's where I was on business) had about 5 of these displays on a table, and I bought every single thing on the table that day. I carried about 7 kinds of stickles home on my lap so they wouldn't explode! When I got home, I already had some of the colors, but at the store I wasn't willing to not get them just in case.
5. Know your customers! Take the time to get mental imprints. One day I called my LSS looking for a Versamark refill. She said she was out, and would order and get them in by next week. But, I needed it that day. Before I had my coat on to go the the mall, she called me back and said she had found one on a shelf out of place. Taking the time to look, and taking the time to remember me and my number, gives me warm fuzzies. Do you think I went and just bought the Versamark? Of course not!
6. I guess it boils down to this: You have to have lots of the basics, some of the new things, and displays that will get people to 'impulse' buy. Then, you have to make sure that people want you to survive and will buy. The LSS referenced above 50 feet away from work is a case in point- that poster said she hopes the store survives but she would rather shop elsewhere.
7. Now, this may sound elitest, but know your Big Spenders! Cater to their needs! It is rare for me to leave the 3 shops I regularly go to now without spending at least $100.00. I know they mean it when I go in and they say 'gosh, we haven't seen you in a while, how are you!'. They ask me what I'm doing and what products I want. They call when they have them. I think they know that the reason I spend $$ is because they have what I am looking for- make sense? Big spenders are few and far between, so make sure they continue to shop with you!
8. Have sales! That brings people in!
Advertise! The little LSS here in town closed recently. I saw her at a craft show at the school a few weeks before and she said that she had a ton of people say they didn't know that our little town had a LSS. At the end of the year when her lease was up, she shut down. She sent an email out to everyone to let us know who were on her mailing list and mentioned that the store inventory and her website were for sale.
Small, hometown stamp store...
