Local Artisans & Craftsman
Business Opportunities for Your Store
As the owner of a small boutique in Fairfield County, CT, surrounded by stores like Lord and Taylor, Target and Old Navy, it is most important that the items I carry in my store are fun, unique and of good value. I have found that local artisans and entrepreneurial moms have much to offer a boutique like mine— and are a pleasure to work with. At Kaleidoscope, we carry a variety of locally made items including; vintage hankie trimmed onesies, pillow-case dresses, handmade minky blankets, appliquéd bibs, tees, and onesies-all of which set me apart from the department and big box stores. My customers have grown to expect to find fun, colorful, trendy items, and the local manufacturers have given me an edge in the gift giving and baby areas.
From season to season we bring in new hair accessories, knit sweaters and hats, headbands and handbags all made by hand to match the fashions of the season. Tie-dye is always popular and fun for both boys and girls. We have pj's, tee shirts, and blankets—all with the hippy inspiration. Peace sign jewelry and hair accessories are also big this summer. Staying on top of trends is important, and my local vendors are quick to respond.
I work on consignment with many of the artisans and this allows me to carry more inventory while they gain a meaningful presence in the store. I provide signage, trunk shows and specific displays for some of the items. This brings in traffic and helps us all.
A very important part of our handmade collection includes ceramics and art. Some of our hand painted items include; piggy-banks, picture frames, canvas art, beach bags and craft boxes that can coordinate with room designs, or just sold as fun personalized gifts. Birthday party favors provided by one of our vendors—she does an awesome job with tote bags and beach buckets—can be personalized and last long after the party is over. We also offer hand painted ceramic plates for christenings, birthdays, or "cookies for Santa" that are a big hit.
Another plus in dealing with local suppliers, is that they often drop off the merchandise which saves me shipping costs, and reorders are normally not a problem. Special requests are also often easy to accommodate, which our customers love. I have recently contracted with a local mom to do marketing for our store's special events. This is another wonderful way to utilize local talent who knows my market and customers.
We also promote local artists through store events, such as our Silhouette Event where we have an artist come to our store two or three times a year to cut hand silhouettes for Mother's Day or holiday gift giving. We feature local photography and many of the pictures in our store are of our own customers' children.