Museum of Craft and Folk Art Store

Kpoene’ Kofi-Bruce, buyer and store manager
San Francisco, Calif.

How do this year’s sales compare to recent years’? Are you seeing a consistent decline or a slow improvement?

Our sales are down from last year, but are flat compared to 2007—some months have been up and some have been down. We rely very heavily on tourist and convention traffic.

This year’s sales goals have been about achieving a realistic sales plan with more affordable merchandise, and we will continue that approach for 2010. I think something that works well for our shop is that we have a large number of items for sale for under $50; in fact, 70% of our sales are items under $50.

Max’s

Ellen Hertz, owner
St. Louis Park, Minn.
How do this year’s sales compare to recent years’? Are you seeing a consistent decline or a slow improvement?

Our sales continue to grow each year. In 2008, we experienced double-digit growth over 2007, and we are on track and anticipating similar growth in 2009.

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.