Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers | August 15, 2024 💮
| CINDY’S NEWSLETTER for Gift Shop Managers |
Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers delivers practical, ready-to-implement content to gift shop managers, retailers, and volunteers across the country. We help our readership of over 3,000 retailers optimize shop operations, grow revenue, and connect with one another. The newsletter is published monthly and free since 2001.
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The value and richness of this newsletter comes from your participation. Do your part by submitting two comments per quarter, at minimum. Reply to reader’s questions listed throughout the newsletter (in green) or simply share what is working or isn’t working in your shop, a great selling product, a helpful website or resource, an operating question, your biggest challenge right now, a terrific vendor you’ve come across recently, tips on managing volunteers, or tips on managing yourself!
LEAVE A COMMENT! Click the green comment tags 
throughout the newsletter, enter it in the comment section, or send to cindy@cindyjonesassociates.com.
AUGUST 15, 2024
A Thanksgiving Tree
A hospital gift shop is the perfect place for a Thanksgiving Tree. Many of your customers may be facing challenges. Or carrying a lot of baggage. Patients, their families, brave doctors, and tired nurses. The HGS is often a place of respite and relief. They’ll be thankful for a place to “unload”, find reprieve, celebrate a victory, or thank a professional.
How does it work? Customers write “I’m thankful for” messages on the leaves and post them on the tree. This idea is a fun, interactive wall or store window.
Be sure to post photos of your tree on social media of messages mentioning specific medical staff. “Thank you Dr. Jones for fixing my broken leg. Love, Joey”.
Try it year around on other holidays or make it a quarterly event. Consider incorporating the tree into your rotating displays so you don’t have to remove it.
There are several DIY methods for making a tree design. A removable peel-&-stick wall decal, window cling decals, a fabric cloth, metal wall art. Short on space? Place several smaller trees around the shop.
There is always something to be thankful for….especially at a hospital.
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Q. What is the ideal stockroom size?
Q. What is your stockroom sq ft compared to retail square footage? We are looking for some kind of benchmark. I know there are many other factors which include; current retail and sales per sq foot, bed count, and employee count. We have two locations with the possibility to remodel or move and I would LOVE to have some hospital-specific data to for my requested layout. Thanks for continuing to support hospital gift shop managers. – Anne Sutton, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Gift Shops, Cincinnati, OH 7/30/24
What size is your stockroom sq ft compared to your retail sq ft? Provide both your stockroom and retail space. We’ll report back next month. Comment below.
What size is your stockroom sq ft versus your retail square footage?
Do your part and leave a comment here or enter it at the bottom of the newsletter.
Thank you!
FROM CINDY
Stockrooms do not generate sales. Prioritize the sales floor sq ft because that’s where your shop makes money. Determine this and work backwards from there. What is your target for Sales Per Sq Ft and does it align with benchmarks. Then what is the minimum square feet of storage required to hit Sales Per Sq Ft, calculating in-shop storage as well (drawers, backoffice, etc.) Since stockrooms don’t make money they need to be very efficient. You could consult a planner to design a space-saving layout for your stockroom design. They will help you build an efficient storage plan using less square feet. Ask other shop managers to share their designs. We generally don’t recommend using bed count or employee count to help you determine the size of your stockroom, assuming no unusual space allocations.
Providing adequate on-floor inventory to reduce the amount of relatively expensive stockroom space is perhaps the biggest problem in developing retail space. For you to accomplish this, the design plan includes shelves and hanging bars to limit the stockroom’s use of space to 15–20% of the overall area. – Lily Stamets, Hospital Gift Shop Consultant
Ours is 1/2 the size of our shop space. We are housing products in the director’s office. – Ann Bergmann, Cumberland Healthcare, Cumberland, WI. 25 beds
Our shop is 415 sq ft, with a back room of 96 sq ft and our store room is 119 sq ft Never enough space! 😉 – Vesta Smith, Adventist Health Columbia Gorge, The Dalles, OR. 49 beds
1/3 the size – Loretta White
We have a very small storage room (2 boutique locations). We have to use our office space to store some inventory. The storage space we do have is located in the “old wing” of the hospital about a 10 minute walk one way. – Kate Ellwood
The Stanford Health Care Gift Shop has a warehouse that occupies 5,000 sq ft. The main hospital (600 beds) gift shop is 3,000 sq ft and the women’s cancer center boutique is 400 sq ft. We also have an online store and orders are fulfilled from the warehouse. We currently ship to residential addresses within CA only and offer in-store pick up at the warehouse or gift shop as they are located in different cities. – Jordan Alvarez, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA. 600 beds
Mine is about 1/2 the size due to a walk-in cooler. Once used for flowers now used for cold drinks. – Tricia Rochman, MHC Pink Geranium, Carbondale, IL. 155 beds
I’d love to swap the two–my stockroom is at least three times the size of my retail space, but because of their respective areas in the hospital (and the fact that the storage room is essentially a concrete bunker), it would never work. – Kevin McClurg
We have an old radiology room. Always cold because the walls are concrete. Lol – Nancy Williams
Our gift shop is 1000 sq ft and our storeroom is 110 sq ft. That is a good size for the storeroom, as it is just out of past season merchandise and various display materials. Everything that is current season is kept in the gift shop, too easy to forget what you have to sell, if you can’t see it. Our storeroom is one floor below, so it’s convenient also. – Mary Robinson, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mankato, MN. 151 beds. 8/21/2024
Our retail space is 950 sq ft and our storage space is 204 sq ft. – Andie Kirchner, Spartanburg Medical Center, Spartanburg, SC. 500 beds. 8/21/2024
Our retail space is 270 square feet. Storage space is about the same. Not a lot of room! – Peter Waugh, Memorial Hospital, North Conway, NH. 8/21/2024. 25 beds
♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡
‘It’s been fun’: Hospital gift shop closing doors after 70 yrs
NEW BRUNSWICK Aug 3, 2024
Dwindling nurses’ auxiliary membership factors in decision to close the gift shop at The Moncton Hospital
After 68 years raising money for health-care causes, a hospital gift shop run by the Moncton Hospital Nurses’ Healthcare Auxiliary will close its doors. The group, formed in 1940 by retired or semi-retired nurses, opened the gift shop in 1956.
Gisèle Riley, gift shop manager and member of the auxiliary since 2002, says it has changed a lot in that time. “In 1956, it was a small canteen, and it was selling cigarettes and candy, just little snack items, and it morphed into this shop,” Riley said. “This shop was renovated in about 2005 to what it is today.” Now, Riley said, the space has evolved into much more.
She said people describe it as a reprieve from the stressful hospital atmosphere. “I’ve often witnessed this myself, that visitors will come in, patients will come in, even in wheelchairs, the staff will come in. Sometimes they’re just looking around to get a little break from whatever it is they’re dealing with,” she said. “Be it sick patients, be it visiting a sick patient, be it just coming in for tests. They always come in and say, ‘Oh, it’s so nice to come in here. I can forget what’s going on outside.'”
Sale proceeds from that business went to a variety of health-care needs over the years, Riley said, and totaled about $2.5 million. The group contributed to hospital fundraising for new equipment, continuing education for nurses, the tissue bank, covering travel expenses for patients, and more.
But a dwindling membership left the auxiliary with little option but to close.
“We have agonized over this for the last two years, and hoping we would get some new members,” said Riley. “We did get a couple of new members a few years back, but not enough to really fill in the gaps and take over the businesses.” The auxiliary itself will also be shutting down, along with its hair salon and vendors table.
Membership was as high as 30, Riley said, but has now fallen below 20 — with members ranging in age from 70 to 104.
In a statement, Jeff Carter, Horizon’s vice-president of operations, and Julie Thebeau, communications director for Friends of the Moncton Hospital Foundation, thanked the group for their decades of contributions. “For nearly 85 years, this non-profit, volunteer-driven organization has contributed greatly to the fabric of the Moncton Hospital, and this includes their remarkable work with the gift shop,” the statement said.
“Horizon and the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation are working collaboratively on a modern vision for the future state of the hospital lobby space, and we look forward to sharing more on this exciting initiative as details are finalized in the months ahead.”
Planned renovations to the Moncton Hospital’s lobby will begin in January, and the gift shop will close in September.
As the store shelves grow emptier, and store operations wind down, Riley says she feels a sense of pride.
“We’re, I’d say, very quiet and unassuming. We don’t go out and shout about our accomplishments, but … we can close and be very proud of what we’ve accomplished over the years,” she said. “We’re a very dedicated group of women — smart women spending the time and the effort to make this happen.”
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Search over 4 years of articles in the Newsletter Archive.
Search articles on inventory control, POS software, volunteer management, online ecommerce software, sale and event suggestions, formulas for calculating shop performance, what are other shops selling and more.
It is full of valuable information and reader comments to help you run your shop.
Which POS has the best support?
Q. We are looking at a new POS register system and need cold hard truths please! 1) When you need support, how long before it is fixed or resolved? 2) How often do you need to call? 3) How good is support? Our current one, which I hope they can just upgrade since it is wonderful, is fixed usually within 20 min. Never any issues. We use GemPay for staff purchases. – Tricia Rochman, MHC Pink Geranium, Carbondale, IL. 155 beds. 6/20/24
We are a larger hospital, but the Unity Point system gift shop mostly use NCR CounterPoint from i3 Verticals in Michigan. They have gotten much better about fixing things quickly. It’s easy for volunteers to understand. Our Payroll and credit card processes are all incorporated in the system, we used to have 3 separate machines. It is pricey though. – Noelle B, St. Luke’s Floral & Gifts, Cedar Rapids. 540 beds.
Our Gift Shops are on four different campuses in four different towns all with different managers. We have three on PSG POS and the fourth is converting now. When you call for support if you do not get a tech, they call back usually within a few minutes. They are also responsive to email in the event they are helping someone else. The system itself works great and has many reports available to you. Payroll works great on it! – Ginger Taylor, Cox Health Systems, Springfield, MO. 7/23/2024. 1050 beds.
We just received Square POS system (I wasn’t given a choice) I just finished all the programming of the inventory and now have to start training my 70- 80+ yr old volunteers that are scared to death of it. I am not thrilled with it. It doesn’t come with a way to do payroll deduction which I am getting back lash over from employees. It’s isn’t the easiest system to maneuver. And the training really to put as politely as possible, sucks! And it doesn’t come with a handbook. So I am trying to write as simple as I can instructions for my volunteers to follow because my main job at the hospital is the Admin assistant and Physician Credentialer that takes up 40 hrs. a week so it isn’t an option to sit in the gift shop for if the volunteers have issues. I honestly wish they had given me a couple options and let me research them prior to them just picking one. – Deanna Mehlenbacher, Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital, Bath, NY. 7/18/2024
We use Quickcharge from Transact (acquired from MM Hayes). We learned about them here in this newsletter. In the beginning they worked with our Hospital IT department to get things set up and our IT was very complimentary of the process. We haven’t had very many support issues but but when we do they have been very responsive and the support team is very knowledgeable. You can reach out to them and start a ticket right from the register. – Judi Stallings,UNM Hospital Gift Shop, Albuquerque, NM. 620 beds. 7/17/2024
♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡
Markups standards
Should we consider pricing our merchandise a bit over the standard? When product comes in ticketed with Manufacturers Suggested Price (MSP), do you try to sell at those prices or do you re-ticket? – Sarah
STANDARD MARKUPS BY CATEGORY
| Jewelry | Flowers | Candy & sundries |
|---|---|---|
| 60-70% markup 🎯 Cost x 2.4 or more **Most jewelry comes pre-priced. | 33-35% markup 🎯 Cost x 1.5 or more | 30-33% markup 🎯 Cost x 1.4 or more **Higher for specialty candy |
| Gifts, toys, apparel, cards, plush, baby, accessories |
|---|
| Double + 6-10% for shipping 🎯 Cost x 2.5 or more |
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Job Openings
Gift Shop Coordinator ($16.89 – $20.06/hr)
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH
Supervisor, Gift Shop ($48.5K – $58K)
U of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Cntr, Houston, TX
Gift Shop Manager (part-time)
Mayo Clinic Health System, Jacksonville, FL
Gift Shop Manager ($66.5K – $75K)
Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation, Arcadia, CA
Gift Shop Assistant Manager ($51.4K – $85K)
UT Medical Center, Knoxville, TN
E-commerce Gift Shop Manager ($34 – $49/hr CAD)
Vancouver Coastal Health, Canada
Director of Gift Shop ($40.6K – $51.4K)
Neshoba General, Philadelphia, MS
Assistant Gift Shop Manager ($18.50/hr)
Cloverkey Shop, Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, IL
Gift Shop Assistant
Kettering Medical Center Network, Kettering, OH
Volunteer & Gift Shop Coordinator
VCU Health System, Tappahannock, VA
Gift Shop Manager ($60K – $80K)
Lola Gift Shop, San Francisco, CA
Manager, Volunteer Services & Gift Shop
Norton Healthcare, Louisville, KY
Advice, inspiration, and all the feel-goods!
How are sales? Retailers share year-end projections
SmartRetailer / Aug 2024
Independent retailers throughout the country say inflation, interest rates, and an upcoming presidential election are affecting sales at their stores.
“Having been in retail for 45+ years, I have seen and experienced a lot. This year, I will be cautious but hopefully not to a fault,” said Oscar La Vine. “I carry high inventory in my stores. This year, I plan to sell down on the inventory and reorder on my strongest-selling product lines.” La Vine owns Celebrate Door County in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin. The store offers clothing, gifts, souvenirs, pottery, candy, and food items.
“I have always felt that when an election year comes around, people tend to be a little more cautious in their spending,” La Vine said. “We will get through this year with a few hiccups — holding on tight and giving attention to detail, so that we survive whatever we are going through and will look ahead to 2025 as a year to straighten some of these factors out and lead us down a smooth highway going forward.” …read more
Fall & Holiday Display Planning
It’s here! Well, right around the corner. Are you ready for the biggest quarter of the year?
✔️ Begin holiday marketing and event planning now
✔️ Finish Fall and holiday apparel buying (sweatshirts, sweaters, warm-ups). Begin spring ladies apparel
buying. 🍁
✔️ It is definitely NOT too early to put out your fall merchandise.
✔️ Clean out storage areas for fall and holiday deliveries
Photo: Courtesy of Retail Details
Hospital Gift Shop Roundtable
Join the HGS Virtual Gatherings over Zoom, hosted by Lilly Stamets, Owner of Premier Retail Consulting and Retail Subject Matter Expert for the California Association of Hospital and Healthcare Systems.
📅 When: Monthly on Wednesdays
What to Expect:
Safe Space: An exclusive and secure environment for all gift shop professionals.
Attendees: Connect with new and seasoned buyers, managers, supervisors, and volunteers.
Purpose: Ask questions, share insights, get answers, or simply vent – it’s your space!
Important Notes:
Invitation-Only: By invitation only, ensuring a curated and comfortable environment.
Exclusions: No vendors, hospital leadership, or publications – just a community of gift shop professionals.
Access: We meet online using Zoom!
Contact Lilly at lilly@lillystamets.com or lstamets@gmail.com to join.
UPCOMING HOLIDAYS
| SEPTEMBER |
|---|
| Sep 2 – Labor Day Sep 8 – Star Trek Day 🖖🏼 Sep 9 – Grandparent’s Day Sep 22 – First Day of Fall 🍁 Sep 25 – National Lobster Day 🦞 |
| OCTOBER |
|---|
| Breast Cancer Awareness Month Oct 11 – Yom Kippur begins Oct 13 – No Bra Day 🤣 Oct 14 – Columbus Day Oct 16 – Boss’s Day Oct 19 – Sweetest Day Oct 31 – Halloween |
| NOVEMBER |
|---|
| Nov 5 – Election Day Nov 11 – Veterans Day Nov 13 – World Kindness Day Nov 28 – Thanksgiving 🌽🍁🌾 Nov 29 – Black Friday Nov 27 – Cyber Monday Nov 30 – Small Biz Saturday |
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List of Hospital Gift Shop Consultants
After retiring from consulting we still get a lot of requests for help. Here is a list of other Hospital Gift Shop Consultants to explore. Please note that this list is provided as a courtesy. We do not necessarily endorse or recommend any specific consultant on this list. We encourage you to conduct your own research and due diligence when selecting a consultant that best meets your needs.
Who are some of the consultants you’ve used? We’d love to add them to the list.
♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡
Cancer awareness merchandise
We gathered some of the most popular recommendations for cancer awareness products from our readers. Join the Hospital Gift Shops Group on Facebook for more!
Fundraising for a Cause has a great product array for all types of cancers
We gathered some of the most popular recommendations for cancer awareness products from our readers. Join the Hospital Gift Shops Group on Facebook for more!
Choose Hope is a great cancer awareness product company with a large assortment.
choosehope.com
Faire always has a large selection of cancer awareness products at wholesale.
faire.com
JULY 2024 NEWSLETTER: ISSUE #654
Did you miss last month’s articles, surveys, and discussions?
- High School volunteer program at Strong Memorial
- Setting your shop hours
- How to display all those stickers!
- Which POS has the best support?
- “Shop Local” at the Hospital Gift Shop
- July Action Plan
- Display Tip: Shower Curtains
- The J Months
- A. Girl Scout Cookie booth
- Gift Market Calendar
DISCUSSION
Discussions have moved to the Hospital Gift Shops group on Facebook
300+ members
Advice, inspiration, product best sellers
Private and vetted membership
Hospital gift shop professionals only!
↓ Click to join ↓
♡ Connect. Share. Grow. ♡
Want to advertise? Click here.
© Cindy Jones Associates, 2022. COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. Redistribution, copying, reselling, re-renting, or republishing is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Cindy’s Newsletter may not to be forwarded, redistributed, reproduced, reprinted, or posted online without prior permission from Cindy Jones Associates. Subscribers may share one issue with a fellow manager. Thereafter, the manager may subscribe here to receive future issues.
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