What's new for Q2?

Who else is ready to kick off Q2 with me?  After several false starts, it now looks like spring is here to stay - at least south of the Mason Dixon line.

Q1 was wackadoodle in many ways, and my plate was full with a new line package (and the learning curve that comes with it) and getting my dad through a medical scare (which is all resolved and fine now).

Now it's time to refocus and reconnect.  Oh, and West Virginia - I haven't forgotten about you.  We'll be meeting this month now that snow-covered mountain passages are no longer a threat.

The most exciting development is the addition for four(!) new product lines that will add color, whimsy and laughter to your retail experience:

Dammit Dolls

FCTRY

Simply Whimsical

Umlaut Brooklyn

You may be familiar with Dammit Dolls as it's not a new line to market - only to my line package.  Each 12" creation is a sturdy stress management tool that can really take a whacking - just grab it by the feet and do a dammit slam when stress makes you ready to shout and destroy.  Each doll also has a side-splitting poem to encourage you to vent your frustration with it rather than causing property damage or getting arrested! 

Dammit Dolls are available in many prints but all have the same construction

Unicorn Snot is the most prominent collection from FCTRY.  Your tween customers especially will love this glitter gel collection of products for body, face & hair that will make them sparkle more than they already do!  Choose from Body Gel, Lip Gloss and new SPF30 Glitter Sunscreen.  Gel & lip gloss are available in 5 colors using cosmetic-grade glitter.

Glitter Gel & Lip Gloss from Unicorn Snot

Simply Whimsical was created out of a love for aprons and a passion for fashion.  All of the vibrant, cheerful fabrics are original designs, and the range has grown to include other domestic items such as oven mitts, pot holder, household gloves, "pot pinchers", shower curtains - and the super hot category of dish towels.

The Lemonade apron is also available in a coordinating oven mitt/pot holder/waffle towel set

Umlaut Brooklyn pairs vintage and retro-inspired graphics with irreverent, sometimes naughty humor on greeting cards as well as giftable items such as compact mirrors, business card holders, journals, magnets & notepads.

Just a few of the humorous greeting card options from Umlaut Brooklyn

As Q2 unfolds, I do expect more new product introductions that I will share with you as soon as they are announced.  Keep your shop's assortment fresh and keep customers coming back during the spring months when the weather we compete with changes from snow to sunshine!

Gift Ideas Under $25 - Green Tomato Pickles from Lauri Jo's

Green Tomato Pickles - the item that launched Lauri Jo's

Holiday entertaining and gift-giving will drive business for the remaining 8 weeks of the year, and your customer will be looking to you for fresh ideas to make their events unique and memorable.

Lauri Jo's is not only a welcome gift idea, it is also an easy way for your customers to add that special ingredient to their holiday meals and parties that will have their friends begging for their recipes.

Lauri Jo (she's a real person!) started the company with a few of her great-grandmother's recipes and began home canning - launching a growing and successful business that now offers over 40 products.

The first item was Green Tomato Pickles:

The Green Tomato Pickle is my HERO!!  It is what started my business and is still to this day my favorite product.  They are the real deal.  It takes 4 days to make this old-fashioned lime pickle....Chopped up, they make the best deviled eggs or chicken salad you will ever eat.  Some people eat them on grilled hamburgers.  Food Network serves them on Turkey Cheddar Melt sandwiches.

She works with local growers and suppliers to bring you the agricultural bounty of South Georgia, producing award-winning pickles, pepper jellies, salsas and other gourmet products, using locally-sourced and all-natural ingredients.

Pepper Jellies are available in 14 different flavors

The pickles and pepper jellies can retail for $8.95, making them easy additions to gift baskets and ideal for multi-unit selling because just one isn't enough!

The pickles are available in 6 different varieties, while there are 14 flavors in the pepper jellies.

All items taste great on their own, and they are often used as ingredients to add a new flavor dimension to common dishes - like with her meatball recipe which I had the good fortune to taste last week and can affirm they are delicious!

Gifts Ideas Under $25 - Hand Cremes from Lollia

Hand cremes from the Wish and Breathe collections

Luxury hand cremes from Lollia are always a welcome gift.  For your customers seeking a thoughtful gift that is not too personal, make Lollia's hand cremes your go-to suggestion this season.

Available in seven distinct, romantic fragrances, each hand crème is a rich formulation of shea butter, aloe and avocado oil.

Lollia is well-known for beautiful packaging, but it is also an exceptional product.  Each collection also includes an eau de parfum, a shower gel, bath salts, bubble bath and a soap.  Because each one is a consumable, users will return to your shop when they need more.

Relax is Lollia's #1 selling giftable fragrance collection

Still not convinced this is an ideal gift suggestion?  The hand crème is such a popular item that Lollia offers it in 3 sizes:

• Full size (4-oz) - retail for $25
• Travel size (1.25-oz) - retail for $15
• Petite Treat size (.33-oz) - retail for $7.50

Not sure which scent to get someone?  Relax (pictured above) is Lollia's #1 best selling giftable fragrance collection.  It's hard to go wrong with this lavender & honey based fragrance.

Keep in mind that the smaller sizes are also great impulse items, so fill a jar or vase with them to promote multi-unit sales.

If you're not currently a Lollia retailer, it's not too late to get the collection in your store for holiday sales.  All you need to choose is which 3 fragrance collections to start with (and I'm here to help you with that), and the opening order assortment is already set.

Gift Ideas Under $25 - Canvas Pouches from Emily McDowell

Another hot category this season is zippered pouches, especially among younger female customers.  You know what else is hot with this demo?  Emily McDowell's humor!

So having her signature humor and graphics in a collection of 9 zippered pouch design means you need these in your shop this season!

Your retail customers already know Emily's greeting cards that put into words their feelings on the quirky, complicated relationships we have with friends and family.  Now they can express themselves with a fun twist on an everyday accessory.

This is an ideal holiday gift for so many occasions - girlfriend, secret santa, stocking stuffers, office or book club gift exchanges - but is also a popular impulse purchase.  They also make a fun addition to a girly or beauty-themed gift basket. 

Retail them at $20 with a comfortable margin.  Each pouch is made of sturdy 100% cotton canvas with a cotton lining and gold zipper with fabric pull.  The dimensions are 8.5" x 6.5" - perfect size for makeup, meds, note pads, phone chargers, pens and personal items.

Gift Items $25 & Under - Drinks for Mundane Tasks from Knock Knock

You can always rely on Knock Knock for fun merchandise, so you won't be surprised that they have a plethora of items under $25 for all categories of gift-giving.

Drinks for Mundane Tasks features 70 convivial cocktail recipes to make even the dullest to-do lists more intoxicating.  The tedium of daily life requires at least as much spirit as special occasions do, and the recipes here will make you look forward to your household chores.

Author and aspiring mixologist David Vienna serves up drinks like The Grass Chopper (for mowing the lawn, pictured below), Three Sheets (for making the bed) and The Debt Charge (for paying bills).

It is a 128-page book that is easy to read with colorful graphics.  It's a humorous option for stocking stuffers, co-worker gifts, girlfriend gifts - but maybe not a teacher gift.

Retail it for $14.95 with some breathing room in your margin.

Let's get your store stocked now so you aren't caught off-guard when holiday business kicks in.  If you order at least $400, you will also receive a free half-dozen Fill in the Love Notes, Family version - a $48 retail value.

Gift Ideas $25 & Under - New sock collection from rockflowerpaper

Dachshund Navy pattern

Socks remain a HOT category at retail and is truly one of the must-have categories for your shop this season.  The new sock collection from rockflowerpaper includes 11 designs, some of which are inspired by popular designs already in the line and others that are completely new.  Each pair is an all-over pattern with no words (or profanity) like you find on some other sock companies.

Socks have become the perfect impulse purchase - for a gift or for self-purchase - and a favorite stocking stuffer.  They add life to your store displays and a touch of whimsy to your customers' outfits.

Fair Isle Red pattern

The socks are crew length in women's one-size-fits-most.  They are a cotton/nylon/elasthan blend that makes them durable and easy-care.  

Retail them for $10-12 with a comfortable margin.  Since it's not uncommon for customers to purchase more than one pair, consider offering a price break on a multi-unit purchase ($10 each or $28 for 3).

Holiday Gift Ideas $25 & Under - Aromatherapy Shower Bursts

Shower Burst Variety Packs - Signature, Wellness, Pure Essentials, Lifestyle & Citrus Collections (left to right)

Shower Bursts are the signature item from Hydra Aromatherapy and will quickly become a must-have item for your shop.  They are popular products because they are like a bath fizzie for use in the shower, are handmade with pure essential oils, come in fun packaging and are consumable - which means customers will return to buy more!

Shower Bursts are sold both individually and in boxed variety packs (pictured above).  The variety packs are an easy way for your customers to try different blends to discover their favorite.

Each variety pack includes 4 different scented shower bursts, a sachet that enhances the aromatherapy experience, and instructions for use on the back of the box.  Sachets help shower bursts last longer by allowing them to dry between uses.

To use, unwrap the shower burst and place it on a dish or in a sachet.  Wet briefly to activate.  As it dissolves, aromatherapy oils mix with the rising steam to provide a true spa experience.

Retail the variety pack for $20-$22.

If you order with me before the end of the year, I can offer you two promotions:

• Order $300 or more - receive 1 FREE case of individual shower bursts (your choice of fragrance)
• Order $500 or more - your freight charges are capped at 7% (in addition to the free case of shower bursts)

Let's get these on your shelves.  It's the unique gift that keeps your customers supporting you as a local, independent retailer.