The Laughing Dog Gallery

Susie Wilber, co-owner
Vero Beach, Fla.
What changes did you make to your inventory mix during the economic downturn? What types of items are selling best right now?

We are still positioning ourselves as a destination shopping experience.

We are known in our area as an exclusive, customer-oriented gallery with many one-of-a-kind items. We’ve worked hard to build our brand and our reputation, so we have no interest in sacrificing either.

We are still selling big-ticket items, but not as quickly as in the past. We are not having sales or slashing prices, but we are slowly adjusting our inventory and concentrating on what is working well right now.

Langman Gallery

Lisa Evans and Joseph Miceli, co-owners
Willow Grove, Pa.
Have you reduced your inventory levels? What needs to happen before you will feel comfortable increasing your inventory levels?

Yes, we have reduced inventory in some areas to get the proper turnover, and in other areas we have increased inventory. Even in better economic times, this is how we run our business. We review our inventory item by item. The one thing we have been conscious of is purchasing crafts with lower price points and maintaining quality. When the economy turns around we will undoubtedly increase our purchasing of higher-ticket items.

Hanson Galleries

Art and Donna Milstein, co-owners
Houston, Texas
How do this year’s sales compare to recent years’? Are you seeing a consistent decline or a slow improvement?

This year’s sales are down a single digit. We’ve experienced a slow, but consistent, decline over the last several years. We definitely believe that sending a monthly e-newsletter for the last two-and-a-half years has kept this decline to a minimum.

From Our Hands

Ann Harmon, owner
Des Moines, Iowa
How do this year’s sales compare to recent years’? Are you seeing a consistent decline or a slow improvement?

Sales have been down 3% each year, which is not too bad.