Before I leave you for the holiday weekend, I have a lovely shop tour to share with you all, from one of our even lovelier sponsors, Kim from The Studio! Kim runs both an online and brick and mortar store, and still somehow finds time to create her own line of jewelry and raise cute kiddos too! Sheesh! Let's take a closer look at this busy lady's bustling store...
What is the name of your shop and where is it located? How long have you been in business?
The Studio on State St in Newburyport, MA. We've been open for a little over a year.
What sorts of items do you sell? Who are some of the designers you carry?
We
carry eco-friendly clothing, jewelry, and accessories by indie
designers. Our inventory changes constantly, but some of the mainstays
are Super Maggie T's and Tanks, Prairie Underground Hoodies, Orla Kiely
Handbags, Mohop Sandals, Dresses from Kelly Lane and Modaspia, jeans
from Del Forte Denim, Purses from Ashley Watson, hats from Goorin,
skirts from Love TanJane, and tunics and T's from Moontide dyers,
jewelry from Figs and Ginger, Muscovie Designs, Rust Belt, Handmade
Julz, Anna Korte Vintage, and our own Jonesy's Jewels.
What sort of mood/design aesthetic does your shop have?
We are all about good design. We are always on the look out for new environmentally conscious designers, but they must produce a clean modern product that can sell. We carry items that are well made and fabricated with care. We strive to have items that are unique- we look for things to be one of a kind, or single season runs.
What price range do you carry?
We have jewelry from $16 - $1500, Clothing from $28 - $300, and purses of every price point!
What sort of mood/design aesthetic does your shop have?
We are all about good design. We are always on the look out for new environmentally conscious designers, but they must produce a clean modern product that can sell. We carry items that are well made and fabricated with care. We strive to have items that are unique- we look for things to be one of a kind, or single season runs.
What price range do you carry?
We have jewelry from $16 - $1500, Clothing from $28 - $300, and purses of every price point!
What do you think makes your shop stand out from the crowd and keep people coming back?
We
carry brands that no one else does. I always make sure that we have
exclusive rights within our zip code to the designers we work with.
Often, we are the only shop anywhere around that has something and we
also work with some designers to produce lines solely for us or special
variations or color ways that only we have.
Do
you operate on wholesale or consignment? Do you accept
submissions of handmade items from designers? If so, what's the best
way for them to approach you?
We generally just work with wholesale terms, sometimes we try consignment, usually it is with a local artisan. We are happy to look at line sheets or photos of work. I like email, but sending things in the regular mail is fine too. I really need line sheets and photos to look professional with clear prices and quantities available. If the submission looks thrown together I'm not inclined to take the work seriously. Also, I don't always respond to everyone right away, sometimes we are taking on new lines, sometimes I am waiting for the right time to bring something new on.
What is the best thing about owning your own shop? And the worst?
The best thing is that I get to live and work in the same community and having my own business means that I am the boss of me, which is nice! My favorite part of the shop is that people just drop by and my kids can wander around downtown and visit with me or friends. All the shop owners know eachother and we watch out for eachother, Newburyport is a great place to have a shop, everyone is so nice! The worst thing is that no one writes me a paycheck, I have to be on top of sales, marketing, researching new product lines, web sales, blogging, and everything else, all the time.
What is one lesson you can pass down to future shop-keeps who are just getting started?
Be patient, and pick a good location. I cannot emphasize that enough, LOCATION, Location, location. Do some research and make sure your concept is right for the place you are going to set up shop. Then, protect your lines, don't poach from other shop keepers and never carry anything someone else has!
I think that's great advice Kim, don't poach! Arg, that was my biggest pet peeve as a shop owner myself! If you're ever in MA near Newburyport, be sure to check out The Studio in person!
And, if you're a shop owner who would like to give us a virtual tour of your own store, just email me with the subject "shop tour" and let me know!
We generally just work with wholesale terms, sometimes we try consignment, usually it is with a local artisan. We are happy to look at line sheets or photos of work. I like email, but sending things in the regular mail is fine too. I really need line sheets and photos to look professional with clear prices and quantities available. If the submission looks thrown together I'm not inclined to take the work seriously. Also, I don't always respond to everyone right away, sometimes we are taking on new lines, sometimes I am waiting for the right time to bring something new on.
What is the best thing about owning your own shop? And the worst?
The best thing is that I get to live and work in the same community and having my own business means that I am the boss of me, which is nice! My favorite part of the shop is that people just drop by and my kids can wander around downtown and visit with me or friends. All the shop owners know eachother and we watch out for eachother, Newburyport is a great place to have a shop, everyone is so nice! The worst thing is that no one writes me a paycheck, I have to be on top of sales, marketing, researching new product lines, web sales, blogging, and everything else, all the time.
What is one lesson you can pass down to future shop-keeps who are just getting started?
Be patient, and pick a good location. I cannot emphasize that enough, LOCATION, Location, location. Do some research and make sure your concept is right for the place you are going to set up shop. Then, protect your lines, don't poach from other shop keepers and never carry anything someone else has!
I think that's great advice Kim, don't poach! Arg, that was my biggest pet peeve as a shop owner myself! If you're ever in MA near Newburyport, be sure to check out The Studio in person!
And, if you're a shop owner who would like to give us a virtual tour of your own store, just email me with the subject "shop tour" and let me know!
