May 2023

Summer Travel Incentives for PPP Retailers

Las Vegas Market at World Market Center

Showrooms: Sunday, July 30 – Thursday, August 3

Temporaries: Sunday, July 30 – Wednesday, August 2

www.lasvegasmarket.com

^Register to attend: https://www.atlantamarket.com/Attend/Registration (Atlanta) or https://www.lasvegasmarket.com/Market-Info/Registration-Details (Las Vegas).

^Book your hotel: https://compass.onpeak.com/e/60AGMJL2023HIR/in/category/34986  (Atlanta) or https://book.passkey.com/go/LVMJUL23OneNightComp (Las Vegas).

^Email your OnPeak (Atlanta) or Connections Housing (Las Vegas) confirmation to buyers@imcenters.com no later than June 9 (Atlanta) or June 30, 2023 (Las Vegas).

^To cancel or make changes to your hotel reservation, please log in to your OnPeak reservation or call OnPeak at 800-241-6405 (Atlanta) or click the original Connections Housing link above to “manage your reservation” or call Connections Housing at 702-476-6976 Ext. 4121 (Las Vegas).

*Complimentary night applied between July 10-18 (Atlanta) or 29-4 (Las Vegas), either market (not both). One per buyer member company. Stores within 100-mile radius ineligible. Credit card required for reservation; hotel may charge first night room and tax, late cancel or no-show. Restrictions apply. Non-transferable. Offers may not be combined. Complete rules on request.

Introducing

a digital feature to introduce you to PPP Vendors before they appear in Network News.   Click on each image to watch a short video highlighting the featured line.

Amanda Klein Co.
10% Discount
(205) 259-9121
AMANDAKLEINCO.COM
Opening $125 Reorder $100

A woman owned & operated company that creates great gifts. Their products are designed by hand, almost entirely manufactured in the USA, and hand-packaged with lots of love from their Birmingham, Alabama studio. The line includes: notecards, greeting cards, notepads, kitchen towels, pillow shams, prints and plates.

Lifeguard Brands Group
10% Discount (ex Lily Pulitzer )
(800) 992-3006
LIFEGUARDBRANDS.MARKETTIME.COM
Opening $300 Reorder $100

Since 2000, Lifeguard Press has become the industry leader with the largest licensed gift selection focused on products tailored to uniquely reflect each brand. They partner with retailers, fashion designers, creatives, and brands to deliver meaningful partnerships that drive brand

Renfro Brands HotSox
10% Discount
(855) 258-1571
HOTSOXB2B.COM
Opening $150 Reorder $100

HOTSOX is here to help you express your style with socks born out of the latest trends in pop culture. From fashion and art to music and whatever else people are talking about, HOTSOX is a place for anyone to find something they love. HOTSOX make a statement!

Member to Member Questions & Answers

Question:

We are considering starting a customer loyalty program and I’m wondering what other retail managers are doing in their stores in regard to loyalty programs. We’ve been looking at a couple applications that interface with our POS. What are some of the brands you are using? Susan Kash, Gift Shop Manager – Miami Valley Hospital Gift Shop, Dayton, OH

Replies:

I am currently trying to figure out the best way to track a loyalty program at our location. I have considered 2 ways: A. Employees will need to keep their receipts (which is very unlikely) or B. We could track their payroll deduct spending (but this would exclude any cash or credit customers). We use Infor POS and I do not believe there is any capability to track a loyalty program. Terri Kangas, Genesis Hospital Gift Shop, Zanesville, OH

We currently use a punch card from Vista Print we created. It has 10 punches. Every time someone spends $25 they get a punch from a special hole punch we purchased so it would be different. When they have 10 punches they receive ANYTHING in the shop 50% off. This is a huge incentive. If the customer is close to a punch $25 the cashier is instructed to let them know that all they might need is to buy a piece of candy to meet the quota for example. They will most times spend the little extra to get a punch. We also have FIRST THURSDAY events. We open early/late 7a-7p and offer 20% off of everything. We will easily make $3000 that day when a normal day might be $850-1000. We also offer an extra 20% off all clearance. Not 40% off, but 20% off of the price after the first 20% was taken. Linda Bacon, Major Hospital Gift Shop, Shelbyville, OH

We currently use Clover as our POS system. We have a rewards app through Clover. For every 150 points a customer earns, they get $10 off their next purchase. Customers earn 1 point for every $1 spent. The receipt gives the customer a code and the receipt shows them how many points they earned for that purchase. The customer then needs to input the code in Clover to start earning/adding points to their account in Clover.
Adriana Miranda, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

Question:

What are some of the KPIs (Key Performance Indicator’s) that you are being asked to track? It needs to be something that does not require an explanation and is not labor intensive to get. The POS system I have is TAM. Fran Trouskie, Gift Shop Manager – Tampa General Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop, Tampa, FL

Replies:

I also use TAM and track many KPI’s. I think an easy one that helps with determine trend and develop good buying habits is the Top Sellers Report. I also the Commissioned Sellers Report and reduce the Commission to 1% since we aren’t paying the vendor a commission. This allows you to see what vendor(s) are giving you the best return for your investment. The Daily Summaries Report is great for a breakdown to see where your sales are going by category. You have the ability to change the dates on this and compare year on year or month on month. You can also see how your sales performed and how the money is coming into your shop. I know that my main money driver is payroll deduction, so I make sure to touch base with employees and run surveys to see that they want from our shop. Also, Sales by Hour will help you with scheduling to maximize profit. Cheryl Whited, Summa Health Gift Shop, Akron, OH

We track monthly transactions.
Tammy Benzinger, UC Health West Chester Hospital Gift Shop, West Chester, OH

We track what departments we sell. It helps when we go to market to know best sellers. We also track percentage taken off. Linda Bacon, Major Hospital Gift Shop, Shelbyville, OH

Question:

I am researching possibly using some sort of Ecommerce site and would be interested in hearing what other hospitals use as their platforms, and how that is going? Patty Tager, Retail Services Manager – El Camino Health, Mountain View, CA

Replies:

We just switched over to CLOVER through our local bank. LOVE IT. Linda Bacon, Major Hospital Gift Shop, Shelbyville, OH

Consult your IT department for guidance. Network security is getting tighter with a rash of ransom ware attacks on hospitals. Greg Holtgrewe, Baptist Health Paducah, Paducah, KY

Join the conversation!  Send your reply to one of the three questions above or pose your own question to MEMBERTEAM@PURCHASINGPOWERPLUS.NET

Vendor Profile 

Gifts That Bloom
10% Discount
(512) 863-8541
GIFTSTHATBLOOM.COM
Opening $300 Reorder $300

Gifts That Bloom is a proud women-owned, small business. Founded by a dynamic mother-daughter duo, Gifts That Bloom was created for garden lovers who want to indulge in their passion for gardening. Their products are designed to let you garden from almost anywhere, including those without access to large outdoor gardening spaces. As long as you have sunlight and water, you are good to grow! Their Garden Grocans are easy to use, and a great way to bring some greenery into any living space!

Buzz Worthy Giveaway 

ENTER HERE

Blue Sky Clayworks, Inc.
10% Discount
(909) 930-6200
BLUESKYCLAYWORKS.COM
Opening $300 Reorder $300

GIVEAWAY 1 & 2
$216.00

Winner receives an assortment of six different unique mugs (36 in total) from Blue Sky Clayworks. Each is hand-painted, so no two are exactly alike. The designs are inspired by nature, animals, and whimsical characters, with a playful feel. The mugs come in various sizes and shapes, from traditional rounded mugs to more angular shapes with handles that wrap around the side. Overall, Blue Sky Clayworks stoneware mugs are beautiful and functional pieces of art that are perfect for adding a pop of color and personality to your morning coffee or tea routine. Wholesale Value: $108.00