March 2025
So Much to Share… And It’s All So Worth It!
This issue is packed — because there’s just that much good stuff happening! We’re diving into SPRING SAVINGS WEEK, including Morning Coffee, DOUBLE DISCOUNT DAY, and our FRIDAY FLING (Free Freight). You’ll also meet our newest PPP vendors, and we’re excited to share a special travel incentive from our friends at Dallas Market Center (with updates from AmericasMart and Las Vegas Market coming as soon as they’re available). Plus, we’ve included some incredible insights from retailers answering questions from fellow retailers — this kind of connection and support is exactly what we love about our community. Don’t miss out — we’re so glad you’re here!
🌸 PPP Spring Savings Week (A Virtual Event): Preview, Plan & Save Big!
April 22–25, 2025
We’ve expanded Friday Fling into a full week of connection, inspiration, and exclusive savings—designed to support our incredible PPP retail community. This is your opportunity to discover new vendors, build relationships, and unlock valuable savings—all while gaining practical strategies to elevate your shop. Can’t attend live? No problem! You can still register and receive access to the sessions to view online at your convenience. We don’t want you to miss a thing.
🛍️ What to Expect:
Tuesday & Wednesday – MORNING COFFEE (Live at 11:30 AM EST):
Start your day with vendor previews and daily retail education sessions to help take your shop to the next level.
📄 Download the Spring Savings Week Agenda & Source Guide (PDF) — includes the full overview of vendors and education topics.
Thursday – Double Discount Day (April 24):
Enjoy 2X your regular PPP discount from participating vendors — a perfect day to try something new or stock up on bestsellers.
🔗 View Double Discount Vendors
Friday – Friday Fling: Free Freight Day (April 25):
Take advantage of FREE FREIGHT from select vendors — maximize savings with PPP discounts and net terms.
🔗 View Friday Fling Vendors
Please note: Double Discount and Free Freight offers must be used on separate orders.
We need your support during this exciting week — for our vendors, for our community, and for your shop. Let’s make it a meaningful time of connection, collaboration, and smart buying.
👉 Register Here for Morning Coffee & Your Access Code
Introducing New Vendors
a digital feature to introduce you to PPP Vendors before they appear in Network News. Click on the image to watch a short video highlighting the featured line.
Butterie
10% Discount
(818) 678-9002
BUTTERIE.COM
Opening $90 Reorder $185
Butterie is the world’s first butter dish with an attached flip-top lid. By attaching the lid to the base, the lid never touches your butter or counter, and you don’t have to wonder where to set a messy lid. You’ll fall in love with how well this butter dish sells!
Northern Lights Candles
10% Discount
(585) 593-1200
NORTHERNLIGHTSWHOLESALE.COM
Opening $300 Reorder $150
Northern Lights has been brightening the world and beautifying homes with the warmth of candlelight for over 40 years. Their deep roots in the “art of candle making” have led to an eminent reputation as a leading designer of luxury candles and artisan made accessories.
Nuangel Inc
10% Discount
(256) 729-5000
NUANGEL.COM
Opening $150 Reorder $100
NuAngel, Inc. is a woman-owned, U.S. manufacturer dedicated to creating eco-friendly, hypoallergenic products for moms and babies. Founded by a lactation consultant, their award-winning product line includes nursing pads, pillows, and baby essentials, all proudly made in Cullman, Alabama. They prioritize quality, comfort, and sustainability to support families worldwide.
Scentchips
10% Discount
(800) 472-3687
SCENTCHIPS.COM
Opening $150 Reorder $100
Introducing a trusted brand with over 45 years of experience, offering handcrafted luxury wax melts and exclusive touch-activated warmers. Made with the finest ingredients, Scentchips provide a superior fragrance experience. Pair with one of their stylish warmers to turn any space into an aromatic sanctuary. Scentchips are a great addition to any retailer’s offerings.
Summer Market Travel Incentive – Dallas
Time to plan your trip to attend our June 18 – 24, 2025 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market. As a valued retail member of PPP, the Dallas Gift Market would like to offer you 2 complimentary nights to attend their summer market.
The offer is first come first serve and the deadline is May 16th or until sold out. See it first, buy it first in Dallas!
Comp nights are not calculated in the running total but will be noted on your confirmation. Credit cards are not charged at the time of booking.
Need to book additional rooms? Use this link to book a companion room COMPANION ROOM LINK
Additional rooms will be at your expense.
* *See important details and instructions below**
- The link can only be used based on the initial offer and cannot be combined or shared.
- Stores within 50-mile radius ineligible.
- Your confirmation will state the room nights covered by DMC and the additional nights at your expense.
- If you don’t receive your hotel confirmation within 12 hours, make sure to search your email folders for: Connections Housing, the Official Dallas Market Housing Agency <info@cvent.com>
- Need to make changes? Call Connections Housing at 214-744-7444, option 2.
- Cancel policy is listed on the hotel confirmation to avoid a 1 night charge of room and tax to the credit card provided. The charge is from the Hotel, not DMC.
- We will not cover No Show or Early Departure fees.
- REMINDER: The deadline to take advantage of this incentive offer is May 16th or until sold out.
Buzz Worthy March Giveaway: Last Chance!
Lifeforce Glass
10% Discount
(800) 828-3870
LIFEFORCEGLASS.COM
Opening $125 Reorder $125
Giveaway 1:
One winner will receive a Glass Stone assortment of their choice. (100 pieces)
A basket and header card display is included with this 100 stone assortment.
Wholesale Value: $125.00 Retail Value: $399.00
Giveaway 2:
One Winner will receive a Wooden Postcard assortment. (34 Pieces)
Crafted from sustainably sourced wood, this postcard is laser cut and printed in-house, ensuring vibrant colors and intricate details. It’s an eco-friendly alternative to traditional paper cards, offering a thoughtful way to share holiday greetings while caring for the environment.
Vendor Profile: Michael Malul London Perfumes
Michael Malul London Perfumes
10% Discount
(614) 551-7707
MICHAELMALUL.COM
Opening 12 units Reorder 12 units
Michael Malul believes that scent is the most powerful connection to memory and emotion. The company is dedicated to telling olfactory stories and capturing moods through evocative, long-lasting fragrances. By collaborating with some of the world’s top perfumers, Michael Malul uses fragrance to express the intangible, relentlessly pursuing the perfect scent with the finest raw ingredients sourced globally. Their eclectic collections embody the belief that perfume is a true art of self-expression.
💬 Shop Talk: Real Questions, Real Answers from Your PPP Community
You didn’t hold back — and we’re so glad you didn’t! These thoughtful questions came in from PPP members, and our incredible community showed up with real, helpful answers. From inventory strategies to top-selling vendors and products that stand the test of time, this is the kind of shared insight and support we love seeing across our hospital and pharmacy gift shop network.
Questions Submitted by: Melinda Nash
Gift Shop Manager at Riverview Health Gift Shop and Boutique – Noblesville, IN
📌 What sells best in your stores? Clothing, jewelry, or gift items?
“We sell food/snacks the best. I sell a lot of tea towels and the new microfiber towels. Snacks are always at the top of the list.”
— Michelle Thomas, Mary Lanning Healthcare Gift Shop, Hastings, NE
“Clothing is currently our largest category for sale, 20% of overall sales last month.”
— Sabra Shields, Sanford Medical Center Gift Shop, Sioux Falls, SD
“Food & Beverage – 46%, Clothing – 10%, Bath & Beauty – 7%, Floral & Balloons – 7%, Sundry – 4%, Gift – 4%, Stationery & Books – 4%, Electronics – 3%, Toys & Plush – 3%, Jewelry & Accessories – 3%, Baby – 2%, Pop & Local – 2%, Seasonal – 2%, Inspirational – 1%.”
— John Moss, Atrium Gift Shop, St. David’s Medical Center, Austin, TX
“We don’t have a specific company that sells well but we’ve tried to pay attention to what they’re buying and phase out what they’re not. We don’t do as much in home décor now, but we still have a little here and there. But things like t-shirts and badge reels and new snacks and jewelry and beauty products and toys and kids’ items all do well for us. We try to make it where people don’t have to or want to shop anywhere else when they get off work.”
— Toni Penrod, Sunshine Shop at Mercy Hospital, Fort Smith, AR
📌 What company sells best in your stores?
“Mountain Man is my top seller. Popcorn from Kelli’s also does well. Kelliloons sell well instead of candy bouquets and balloons. Warmies do very well. Ganz, Mountain Man, Evergreen, Mud Pie.”
— Michelle Thomas, Mary Lanning Healthcare Gift Shop, Hastings, NE
“Easel & Umgee are currently our highest volume clothing sales vendors. Brief Insanity sleep pants have been a very hot line for us this year. Our customers are loving them and are constantly coming in to see if we have brought in new styles.”
— Sabra Shields, Sanford Medical Center Gift Shop, Sioux Falls, SD
“Kelli’s Gift Shop Suppliers, Southern Floral Company, DM Merchandising Inc., Direct Fragrances, CaseMetro LLC (Phone cords and chargers), Ganz, Brumate, Barlow Designs Inc. (Earrings), Ty Inc. (Plush), Tyler Candle Company.”
— John Moss, Atrium Gift Shop, St. David’s Medical Center, Austin, TX
“We sell a lot of perfume from Direct Fragrances. We keep a locked case with different options, but we also take special orders for people looking for something specific. I get their contact info in case I need to verify size or price before we order. We then let them know when it’s here. We try to bring in new products every couple months.”
— Toni Penrod, Sunshine Shop at Mercy Hospital, Fort Smith, AR
📌 What products do you continue to sell year after year?
“Flowers, Phone cords and chargers, T-shirts, ID Badges.”
— John Moss, Atrium Gift Shop, St. David’s Medical Center, Austin, TX
“Brands that keep selling for us year after year – Dionis, Naked Bee, Inis (Fragrances of Ireland).”
— Sabra Shields, Sanford Medical Center Gift Shop, Sioux Falls, SD
“Warmies and Mountain Man products are among the items that continue to perform well every year.”
— Michelle Thomas, Mary Lanning Healthcare Gift Shop, Hastings, NE
Question Submitted by: Fran Trouskie
Gift Shop Manager at Gift Shop, Tampa General Hospital – Tampa, FL
📌 We are in the process of dissolving the Auxiliary that has managed our gift shop since 1953 and transitioning operations under the hospital’s retail umbrella, where we will be the only non-food entity. Historically, we’ve conducted an outsourced annual inventory. As we shift into this new structure, we’re exploring the feasibility and value of implementing monthly inventory without closing down operations. I’d love to hear insight from other stand-alone hospital gift shops on how often inventory is typically conducted and what processes have worked well.
“We transitioned a number of years ago but continue doing inventory once a year, with the shop closed for that day. We spot check throughout the year on different categories.”
— Sabra Shields, Sanford Medical Center Gift Shop, Sioux Falls, SD
“We do inventories annually for all 3 of our stores. But we do 1 store at a time at the end of the month on the last 3 months before our year ends. Fortunately, our POS system has a great inventory feature that allows us to scan in and get reports about where our shortages/overages are. Unfortunately, we do have to close our stores for a couple of days, which isn’t ideal, but doing it while open is just not an option. We are just too busy. Nights/Weekends would be too expensive due to differential pay. Once our inventory is reconciled and posted in our POS system, we are able to send that report to Finance to update our inventory in our corporate system.”
— Brenda Steele, Emory Decatur Hospital The Dogwood Shop, Decatur, GA
“We use yellowdog inventory and we conduct it annually. We rent a handheld scanner from them when it’s time for inventory and we just scan everything and then upload it.”
— Toni Penrod, Sunshine Shop at Mercy Hospital, Fort Smith, AR
“We do inventory once a year and use an outside company. Throughout the year we do spot inventories of different companies or departments. Throughout the year we divide the inventory into smaller, manageable sections or categories. Most of the time we will do a physical count from a company or for a department. Using our POS system, we can break the count down in a number of levels. We can choose a company such as Kellie’s and then break that down into a department such as Baby. This will then show us only baby items that are sold by Kellie’s.”
— John Moss, Atrium Gift Shop, St. David’s Medical Center, Austin, TX
“We do inventory once a year. We inventory all back stock and under stock ahead of time and then store items that are not frequently bought, if they happen to be purchased, we record it. Then we open late the day of inventory. I have paid staff all come to help. We use Quick Charge as our POS. Just new late last year. We are still entering UPC and quantities into database. We are hoping for more accuracy.”
— Michelle Thomas, Mary Lanning Healthcare Gift Shop, Hastings, NE
💬 Want to join the conversation next time?
Submit your question to memberteam@purchasingpowerplus.net — we’d love to feature you in a future edition!
This is community at its best — sharing ideas, solving challenges, and growing stronger together.
