Let's Talk Shop

A Week in the Life of a Gift Shop Owner - Day 1

2009-07-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! It is market time again! Twice a year we pack up our most comfortable shoes and head down to Atlanta to see the newest stuff on the market! We love this part of our job (of course - we ARE professionals shoppers:)) but it is also VERY stressful! What should I get? How much of it should I buy? Will my customers like it?

Usually, I write about what lines I found, but I thought you might like more of a "behind the scenes" version this time!

Preparation for market starts a couple weeks before we arrive. I go through all the statistics in our Point of Sale System to see what categories are selling the best. Purses? Jewelry? Bath and Body? I think I can tell by gut feeling and visually looking at the merchandise (or lack there of because it soldout) in the store, but sometimes I am surprised by what the actual numbers tell me. It is so great to have a computer system to back up my gut feeling or kick me in the butt to tell me I am wrong and keep me from buying stuff that I love and that you guys don't!:)

Then I look at the HUGE market book to see all the new stuff that is coming out! I also buy In Style, Vogue, Oprah, etc to make sure I am up on all the newest trends!

Finally, I make appointments with the vendor representatives for our most important product lines, so we can work with the sales person who covers our area. I think it is always better to work with someone who knows you, your store, and the town you are located in, so they aren't pushing a bunch of stuff that is totally wrong! That just wastes my time and theirs - and with over 7.1 million square feet to cover - we certaintly don't have time for that!

A typical market day starts around 7 am for us (my mother Jill and I have been coming to market together for the last 5 years) when the alarm clock goes off! I know this doesn't sound like such an early time, but when you have been up till 11 or 12 o'clock review orders, answering emails, and writing blogs:) it comes very quickly! Also, being on your feet all day making important business decisions is tiring both physically and mentally. My husband thinks it is just a big shopping trip - which it is, I guess - but I'm NOT shopping for MYSELF so it is WAY more stressful!:) I have to make sure that all of you are going to like what I pick out!

First appointment is always at 9 am. Today we had appointments at 9 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 4 pm, and 6 pm. Very long day! AND we were late for each appointment because we spent so much time buying stuff at our 9 am appointment!:) But it was WELL worth it and I think you guys are going to LOVE the new personalized stuff that we have coming in the next week or so - TOTALLY blew my mind and I think it will do the same for you! Very exciting stuff happening and I can't wait to share it all with you!

Next we went to dinner with the rep from VERA BRADLEY. I know, I know - I'm not the biggest fan of quilted fabric (which is surprising since I was raised in the south:)) but she had some very intersting things to show us. Now those of you who know me are probably going to be shocked that I am even entertaining the idea b/c of all the nasty things I have said about the bags in the past, but who knows - stranger things have happened - AND I do like some of the newer products. What do you guys think of Vera Bradley? Have you ever seen her stationery? Do you like it? Do you have any other favorite pieces? I can't guarantee you will be seeing it at Swagger anytime soon - but I would love to hear your opinion! You never know...... I like to keep you on your toes and I want to provide my customers with the products they love!

Finally got home around 9, finished checking my email, and writing this blog - it is now past 11!DAY 1 is complete and I am SOOOO tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I'm going to bed!
Peace out,
Mandy

ps - I almost forgot - one of the coolest things that happened today was that Scout Bags by Bungalow (one of Swagger's and your favorite items - seriously we can't keep the stuff in!) asked us to give our opinion on the new patterns and styles for next year! We get to help with the product selection! They are asking some of their best customers for opinions - and we made the cut - yeah! We are VERY excited about it!!! You know I am always good for an opinion!:)

Facebook Friday Winner for June 3rd is.....

2009-07-03T08:01:00.001-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away our Set of 4 All Purpose Wine Glasses! I laughed out loud several times while reading the comments! I love that you guys like wine and monograms as much as I do! Good thing we let customers pick a number at random for the winner of the FB contest or I wouldn’t have been able to choose!
And the lucky winner is:Ali McGee – see her comment below!

Congrats Ali! Email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday July 10th to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away our brand new Water Bottle Coozie! All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday July 10th!Good Luck!

Facebook Friday Winner for June 26th is.....

2009-06-26T07:59:00.001-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away our Set of Two 16oz Tervis Tumblers!
And the lucky winner is:Rachel Ellerson – see her comment below! Congrats Rachel!

Everyone is going to be so jealous! Email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday July 3rd to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away Set of 4 All Purpose Wine Glasses! All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday July 3rd!

Good Luck, The Girls at Swagger

Facebook Friday Winner for June 26th is.....

2009-06-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away our Striped Tote! Lots of bag ladys our there!

And the lucky winner is:Arlene Haynie – see her comment below! Congrats Arlene!

Email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday June 26th to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away 16 oz Tervis Tumblers!

All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday June 26th! Good Luck

Mandy is back from Zurich....

2009-06-15T02:02:00.000-07:00

for a couple weeks to attend Market! She will be in the store THIS THURSDAY June 18th from 10 - 7 pm and would love to see everybody! She is even enticing everyone with Swiss Chocolate that she is bringing back just for this event! We will stay open an hour later so hopefully people who have to work late can still come by! We will uncork the wine around 5-ish:)! See you soon!

Facebook Friday Winner for June 12th is.....

2009-06-12T00:16:00.000-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away our Can Cooler! You guys are as passionate about cold drinks as I am!
And the lucky winner is: Jenny Oldham – see her comment below!

Congrats Jenny! Email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday June 19th to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away another brand new item our Monogrammed Sporty Striped Tote! Also, see this post for a special offer with this tote bag through June 17th!

All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday June 19th! Good Luck!

Summer is Here and we have a Special Offer for YOU!

2009-06-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

Check out our Special Offer good from Today until June 17th at 5 pm (EST)

At the pool or an outdoor show, you will love this tote and towel combo! Coordinate colors to create a preppy, sporty, or classic look!

Buy a New Sporty Stripe Tote ($39)

and get 30% off a Beach Towel (regular price $28)

Total for the combo is only $59

Personalization and Font MUST be the same on both items!

(i.e. same initials or name and same font (like curlz))

We can not give the discount for different personalization - sorry!

Enter Discount Code: OFFER1309 at check out to receive your discount!

Here's to looking well coordinated on the beach!

Facebook Friday Winner for June 5th is.....

2009-06-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........

Last week we gave away our Party Bucket! The comments were priceless! I was surprised at how many “Smiths” we had!

And the lucky winner is: Helen Bass – see her comment below!
Congrats Helen! Email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday June 12th to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away another brand new item our Can Coolers! Boo to hot drinks I say! I know I have a few coozies but none with my monogram. Looks like this is my next purchase!:) But you can get one free! All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday June 12th!

Good Luck!

Get your Trollbeads looking shiny and new at Swagger Gifts!

2009-06-04T14:34:00.001-07:00

For all of you Trollbead lovers out there (like me!), we are pleased to announce that we now have a cleaning tumbler for Trollbeads! Stop by with your bracelet and we will clean your beads for you, for FREE in as little as 15 minutes! This little machine works wonders- your silver beads will be sparkling just like they were the day you fell in love with them! Here is a picture of our Swagger Girl Lindsey cleaning away!

See you soon!

Heather

oh, and p.s. You might want to bring your sunglasses-those beads are going to be BRIGHT!

Don't Forget Your Grads!

2009-06-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Graduation party sneak up on you next weekend?

Ummm yeah, it definitely did for me!

No worries though, there are PLENTY of grad-perfect gifts that you can pick up ready to go today or wait a few days and have personalized. Just stop in anytime this week or shop online right now!

Here's a handy reminder of some local high school graduation dates (college was a few weeks ago... hope you didn't miss that boat)!

Wake County Public School System High Schools:

Varying dates and times - June 10th through June 14th

PS - Most, if not all, of the local private schools including Wake Christian, Ravenscroft, St. David's School, and Cary Academy, graduated in May.

Are there any other local public, charter, or private high schools that I've missed?

Facebook Friday Winner for May 29th is.....

2009-05-29T04:57:00.000-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away our Neoprene Covered Ice Bucket!
And the lucky winner is: Kimberly Hartshorn – see her comment below!

Congrats Kimberly! Email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday June 5th to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away our brand new Party Bucket! Such a cute addition for any hostess! I mean who wouldn’t want to put their drinks in something this cute!

All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday June 5th! Good Luck!

The Notorious Smiley Face Trollbead

2009-05-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

I didn't think it existed. I actually thought it was a mythical creature:) But the other day a customer came into our store with 3!!!!

If you don't know the story here is the synopsis directly from Trollbeads:
This January we asked our retailers all over the world to distribute around their neighbourhood 5-10 smiley beads and a wish for, whoever found it, to bring a smile into their own or somebody else’s lives. Finders were asked to go to this website and tell us how they found or were given the bead. More than 3,000 people from 32 different countries told us their personal smiley story.
You can checkout the official site here: http://foundabead.com/

Swagger didn't get any Smiley Face Trollbeads to distribute (which gives me an Un-smiley Face :)) but we did get to finally see one (3) in person! Here they are:

Just in case you guys were wondering, I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted the orange one with the blue smiley face with the ears. Kinda looked like Shrek to me:) So cute! And the idea was to pay it forward.............. :)
~Mandy

Lenora Dame Vintage Jewelry Now at Swagger Gifts!

2009-05-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

If you like unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, you have got to see the new line of jewelry we just got in! Lenora Dame is handmade jewelry that is made from a mix of old, vintage pieces and new found items that come together to make one beautiful piece! You may have seen similar jewelry at Anthropologie- both are made by the same designer! Whether you are looking for a necklace, ring, earrings or bracelet, you will surely find something that stands out above all the rest! Come try some on today...it won't last long!

See you soon!

Heather

Facebook Friday winner for May 22nd is......

2009-05-22T09:59:00.001-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away our Waterweek Reuseable Water Bottles – perfect for the Green Girl on the Go!
And the winner is:Ashley Van Wormer – see her comment below!

Congrats Ashley! You will love these water bottles – they are all I drink out of now! Email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday May 29th to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away our brand new Monogrammed Ice Bucket! So cute and the neoprene makes it functional – keeping your ice cold and not melting! All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday May 29th! Good Luck!

Facebook Friday winner for May 15th is......

2009-05-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is...

Last week we gave away our Sterling Silver and Shell Monogrammed Earrings – love them!

And the winner is: Robin Oke – see her comment below!

Congrats, Robin - these will look great on you! Email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday May 22nd to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away Waterweek Resuable Water Bottles!I brought these over to Europe with me and I used them everyday. I don’t know what I would have done without them! First of all, I’ll helping save the environment and secondly my wallet – it is waaaaaaay cheaper to bottle your own water. This is the perfect size bottle, too – same 16 oz size as the plastic water bottles!

All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook, become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday May 22th!

Good Luck!

New Limited Edition Summer Trollbead

2009-05-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to introduce the Special Edition Summer Butterfly! This Summer Butterfly is mounted with a new glass bead reflecting the colors of the rainbow, made from the same special glass as the Eye of Aphrodite. If you would like to order one - please contact us ASAP - they are limited edition and we suspect they will go fast! $52

Facebook Friday winner for May 8th is......

2009-05-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away our very useful Monogrammed Bucket great for a day at the park with the kids or adult beverages by the pool!
And the winner is:Shannon Haynie – see her comment below! Shannon has actually purchased this gift for several people so I know she’ll be glad to finally get one! Shannon - email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday May 15th to claim your prize!For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away our Monogrammed Sterling Silver and Shell Earrings! I wore these all last summer and plan to do the same thing again this year! All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday May 15th! Good Luck!

Facebook Friday winner for May 1st is......

2009-05-01T15:56:00.001-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is...

Last week we gave away our Monogrammed Beach Towel – since I was at the beach and didn’t post the FB contest until Sunday (oops) – I said I would give away TWO towels!
And the winners are: Kori Losack and Brook Davis – see their comments below! Girls - email me at mandy (at) swaggergifts (dot) com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday, May 8th to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away our Monogrammed Bucket!We love this gift for Wedding Shower Gifts, Hostess Gifts, Birthday Gifts, and so much more!

All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook, become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday, May 8th!

Good Luck!

Facebook Friday winner for April 24th is......

2009-04-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away our Monogrammed Umbrella – looks like a lot of you want to brave the rain in style:)! And the winner is: April Roland - see her comment below! April - email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday April 24th to claim your prize!For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away our Monogrammed Beach Towel! I am inspired because I am at the beach with a bunch of my girlfriends and I wish I had one myself! I will have to remedy that as soon as I get home! All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday May 1st!Good Luck!

What's up with the Swagger Gifts' bench?

2009-04-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

So everyone is asking - "Where did the bench come from?" Well, it has been a store fixture inside Swagger Gifts for about 5 years. Who knew right?!:) The bench (it is really an old church pew) has gotten a lot of attention at Lochmere Pavilion these past couple of days since we put it outside the front window to invite you all in. Here is a picture of Heather (our resident artist) painting the cool zebra stripes and our slogan "Swagger on in - you'll be glad you did!" She was thinking about putting out a tip charge because she was getting so much attention!

Also, just so you guys know - we do have security cameras watching the bench 24/7 - so don't go getting any crazy ideas!;)

Don't be Trashy!

2009-04-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

We are trying our best at Swagger to become as "Green" as possible! A couple things we do over here that you can do too are:

1. We just started carrying these reusable super cute water bottles and have now banned plastic water bottles at the store! If you are like us and use plastic water bottles everyday, switch over to something like these bottles to save money and the environment!
2. We recycle shopping bags. If you have a stack of Swagger Bags at your house - bring them back in! We use them for various things around the store including sending off our monogramming orders! Every little bit helps!

3. We use recycled printer cartridges. We love Cartridge World in Cary! We refill our printer cartridges instead of them going into the landfills and at half the price! We spoke with the owner of Cartridge World in Cary, Dan Buccola, and he told us to offer you guys $2 off every cartridge purchased now through May 1st. Just mention the Swagger Blog!

We love saving the environment and keeping more money in our wallets - for shopping of course! We hope you do too - so don't be trashy!:)

Happy Earth Day!

xoxo, Mandy

Facebook Friday winner for April 17th is...

2009-04-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

Last week we gave away our Azula Mat – possibly one of the best summer items ever created! And the winner is: Angelean Hendrix, - see her comment below!

Angelean - email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday April 24th to claim your prize.

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away our Monogrammed Umbrella! You know - April showers bring May flowers: All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday April 24rd!

Good Luck!

Facebook Friday winner for April 10th is......

2009-04-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Last week we gave away our XL Bright Canvas Tote! I am so glad you all loved it! The winner is:Sharon Biggs, - see her comment below! Sharon - email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday April 17th to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away an Azula Mat! Great for all anyone who plans on spending the summer by the pool!

All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday April 17th!Good Luck!

Shaking things up at Swagger

2009-04-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

Today we decided that Swagger needed a face lift! We have moved A LOT of our furniture around to make room for the 25 boxes of NEW merchandise that are overcrowding our back room! So stop by and see our "new look" and of course check out the awesome new stuff!

By the way, I just had to take a picture of Jill and Mandy disassembling a bench while they weren't looking - these divas sure know how to use the power tools and screw drivers- just look at them go!

Facebook Friday winner for April 3rd is......

2009-04-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away our Large Swavorski Pendant and boy did you guys like that! I am so glad you all have such divine taste! :)
And the winner is: Whitney Ludlow - see her comment below!
Whitney - email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday April 10th to claim your prize!

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away our XL Bright Canvas Tote! Another Great Mother’s Day Gift – May 10th folks - don't forget your Mother! I love this bag for all kinds of stuff – the beach, laptop bag, scraping – I could go on and on! All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to this post on facebook , become a fan of Swagger on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday April 3rd! Good Luck!