Page 391 - Jan 2019 MM

Business Decisions
Neither Lisa Kelechava of Joy to the World Collectibles nor Teresa Thibault of Heart Gifts by Teresa considered making personalized products when they started their ornament companies. But the category has become a major part of their businesses because both retailers and consumers want to feel special.
Kelechava created her first personalized ornaments in 1999 when a retailer asked if her artisans in Europe could create several hand-blown glass ornaments with a design specific to the store. Those ornaments sold out, word spread quickly and more clients have asked for custom ornaments ever since.
Thibault got into custom ornaments in 2008 to survive the deep recession. She simply wanted to keep her artists working.
“It really opened up the floodgates for us,” she says.
“Now we do custom ornaments for just about anyone you can think
of. The first time NASA called me, I thought,
‘Are you kidding me?’ \\\\\\\[Custom ornaments\\\\\\\] have doubled”
our business.
TERESA THIBAULT
J.P. Herring, who heads up the custom business at Christmas by Krebs, says personalized product makes up about a quarter of the company’s business because retailers need to differentiate themselves. “Our customers want flexibility in the products they offer to make their store special,” he says.
Kelechava adds that custom ornaments offer a safeguard against online shopping behavior. “There’s no price war,” she says. “No one can shop on Google or Amazon trying to get a better price. At the same time, it’s creating a new customer base of people who will return every year because they’re interested in buying custom ornaments from that particular store.”
Personal Choices
What is making consumers so passionate about custom ornaments? In a world of mass production, custom ornaments feel personal. “When my daughter travels, she buys an ornament as a keepsake,” says Thibault. “People love having a memory from their trips.”
That’s why Herring says Christmas by Krebs gets custom ornament orders
year round. “People might not vacation much in the fourth quarter, but they do in the middle of the summer,” says Herring. “Retailers must have something when visitors are there.”
That’s a key piece of advice for succeeding with custom ornaments and other holiday products: Use the category to draw tourist traffic into your store throughout the year. Don’t be subtle about merchandising either— ornaments on a tree are more inviting than simply hanging on a rack. Help your customer envision sharing
a special memory with someone important enough to warrant a gift. >
HOLIDAY & FLORAL/HOME DÉCOR
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