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Effective Messages, Creatively Delivered
Pufferbellies Toys opened in historic downtown Staunton, Virginia, in 2006. Since that time, mother and daughter retailers Susan and Erin Blanton have experienced a level of success that’s surprised them: sales that exceeded their expectations by 100 percent in their first few months followed by year-over-year growth of about 20 percent in 2007 and 2008. Despite the economic downturn, they report a respectable rate of about 10 percent in 2009.
How did Susan and Erin do it? They started with a great deal of research and a detailed business plan, then followed it up with a truly unique approach to marketing. Through it all, they’ve worked hard to cement the store’s reputation for playing a big role in their small community. Here is their story.
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The 55th Museum Store Expo
Must-See Products and Invaluable Seminars
The Museum Store Association (MSA) is holding its 55th Expo at the Austin Convention Center this year, April 17 to 19. It offers some unusual buying and educational opportunities, and though it’s geared towards the needs of cultural commerce professionals, all retail buyers and non-MSA members are welcome to attend. Read More
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 From www.smallbiztrends.com
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| Where Are Your “Educational” Books? |
| January/February 2007 |
By way of disclosure upfront, I came very late to the idea of carrying “educational” toys and games. I considered all of the activities we do with our children educational, and I didn’t see the need to separate these items within the store. Now I ask myself why I waited so long to respond to t ... [click here to read more]
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New Venue for WTHRA
The Western States Toy & Hobby Representatives Association will present its 2010 show from March 27 through March 30. This year it moves from Pomona to the Long Beach Convention Center in California, located right on the Pacific Ocean. The venue provides a bird’s-eye view of the Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific, and is in walking distance of waterfront entertainment, shopping, and dining available at Shoreline Village and The Pike.
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Play Sets Pretty Much the Perfect Product
Helping a dad and his son choose a fun, inexpensive gift for a 6-year-old’s birthday party? Or a great-aunt find a big-impact Christmas present? How about a recommendation for a child who needs help working through troubling events? A diorama idea for an in-store play table? An exciting window display?
As a busy toy store owner, you probably love play sets – with their figures, accessories, vehicles and buildings – because they meet all these needs. Thanks to a variety of price points and sizes, a wide range of realistic and fantasy themes, and many choices for boys and girls, play sets often fit the bill as the perfect gift. Moreover, the ones available from manufacturers in our industry are the best, and have earned a reputation for high quality, creativity and innovation. Read More
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wordplay
by Kevin Fahy
Stealing Time
In a 1937 cartoon for The New Yorker magazine, James Thurber skewered wine lovers and critics in his usual pitch-perfect voice. It showed the host of a dinner party saying to his guests, “It’s a naive domestic burgundy with no breeding, but I think you’ll be amused by its presumption.”
One of our magazines actually includes some wine reviews from time to time, and I always hear Thurber whenever I read about a wine that has a “flinty nose,” leading to an “elegant structure” with a “layered, spicy, petulant depth,” plus a “hint of mango” and “pear notes.” Petulant? Really?
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