Download - Darrah & Co. Summer 2012 Magazine
SUMMER 2012
Women’s Accessories
PLUS: How to Use Facebook Effectively as a Retailer
Meet Three of Our Most Fabulous Reps
What you need to know about this hot category
Atlanta International Gift Market:
July 11-18 — Special VIB Day on July 10
Darrah & Co.Suite 1818Gift Mart
ComeVisit Us!
Luminaries
& Fans too!
Where do YOUR
Wine Bottle Holders by
www.decobreeze.com • 800.979.4326
candleshang out?
DarrahAD2012.indd 2-3 5/11/12 2:07 PM
Darrah & Co.Suite 1818Gift Mart
ComeVisit Us!
Luminaries
& Fans too!
Where do YOUR
Wine Bottle Holders by
www.decobreeze.com • 800.979.4326
candleshang out?
DarrahAD2012.indd 2-3 5/11/12 2:07 PM
2 DARRAH&CO. SUMMER 2012
IN EVERY ISSUE
Let’s Chat!Vicki Darrah and Lindsay
DeMyer welcome you to July market.
Trend AlertRetailers flock to Facebook
to offer customers a personal
look at their stores.
Meet the RepsGo behind the scenes with
three of our wonderful sales reps.
Coming AttractionsSummer market will sizzle with
special events, deals, line signings,
and more at Darrah & Co.
CONTENTS SUMMER 2012
COVER STORY
The World of Women’s Accessories
Shoes, purses and rings, oh my —
ladies love to accessorize, no matter
the economic climate.
Darrah & Co. Ltd.230 Spring StreetSuites 1818, 1819, 1812 & 1834Atlanta, GA 30303(404) 577-6538; (800) 741-6614 Fax: (404) 577-9278www.darrahreps.com
Madison Miles Media GroupPresident Adam WeissCreative Director Mario MedinaEditor Haley ShapleyDesigner Ben CarpenterCover photo by Jimmy Clemmons
Darrah & Co. is published twice a year by Madison Miles Media Group, 600 Six Flags Drive, Suite 400, Arlington, TX 76011. Visit Madison Miles Media Group on the Web at www.madisonmilesmedia.com. No part of this publication may be reprinted without permission. © 2012 Darrah & Co.
6
4
14
1610
madison/miles media
Joy
Love
Expression
Faith
GiftsHealing
Comfort
Comfort
Look what’s new...
BRAND NEWWINE DECOR
Switchables presents...Sweet & Charming. A line of beaded
glass rings and wine decor that are handmade in America!
Visit us at Darrah & Company located in showroom #1818 on the
18th floor of building 2.
www.switchables.com
Sweet &Charming
Call us toll-free @ 866-539-9331
4 DARRAH&CO. SUMMER 2012
As most of you have heard (we
hope!), we are so appreciative
of you, our loyal, resilient and
awesome buyers! Darrah & Co., along
with our neighbors here on the 18th
floor, are throwing a party (or parties) to
celebrate YOU! It all kicks off on Tuesday
with VIB Day. Come shop early and enjoy
unique specials and yummy food while
you get the royal treatment. On Wednes-
day, we are hosting Customer Apprecia-
tion Day, and Thursday through Saturday,
we will have live music, food and drinks to
show you how much we appreciate you
all! If you haven’t called your sales rep for
an appointment, do so now!
Speaking of our sales reps, we have
taken the opportunity to introduce you to
three more of our great reps, all of whom
have been with us for about a decade or
more. They have a tough job, but these
three manage their territories with pro-
fessionalism, grace and hard work.
These reps have been successful in the
industry for a long time, which means
they know how to adapt to change. And
there’s perhaps no better example of
change than the influx of social media
sites we’ve seen in the past few years.
Check out our Trend Alert article (page
6) for information on how retailers can
take advantage of the biggest social
media presence of all, Facebook.
While it’s great to experiment with
new strategies for your store, sometimes
it’s nice to know that the tried and true is
there as well — and women’s accesso-
ries definitely fits into that category. Our
feature article (page 10) delves into the
topic of selling shoes, jewelry, scarves
and more. We have a lot of strong lines
profiled in the story, and we think you’ll
be as impressed with them as we are.
Also, don’t forget to read Coming At-
tractions (page 16) to get the lowdown
on new lines, events and much more.
See you soon!
Thanks to You
LET’S CHAT
6 DARRAH&CO. SUMMER 2012
When Facebook launched in
the beginning of 2004 at
Harvard, no one could’ve
imagined what it would morph into.
But now, eight years later, it’s spread
far beyond the walls of the Ivy League
institution in which it started, with a
reported 900 million active users.
What does this mean for retailers?
One-quarter of consumers now visit
an official Facebook page for a retailer
or consumer product at least once a
month, according to a 2011 study by
Compete, a Kantar Media company that
works with brands to improve their mar-
keting based on the online behavior of
consumers.
“Our data show that Facebook pages
can be a highly strategic and relatively
low-cost marketing tool for retailers
to engage with shoppers,” said Debra
Arbesman, Compete senior associate,
retail and consumer products, in a press
release. “Savvy retailers are now making
Facebook pages part of an integrated
online shopping experience, and we
expect this model will take the industry
by storm in the coming months.”
Making a Personal ConnectionChaffee Braithwaite, owner of upscale
baby boutique B Braithwaite in Atlanta,
has been running her store’s Facebook
page for about two years, posting at
least four to five times a week on a va-
riety of topics, including special events
and new arrivals.
“We get a great response from our
Facebook page,” Braithwaite says. “It is
important to understand who your cli-
ent is and what they’re looking for from
The Age of FacebookHow retailers can take advantage of the behemoth social media service.
TREND ALERT
you. We have a unique store — we create
personal relationships with our clients
because we are working with them dur-
ing a very personal part of their life.”
As a result of this — and because the
majority of B Braithwaite’s customers
are women in the 25 to 40 age range —
Facebook is an ideal outlet for the store,
Braithwaite adds. “Women and mothers
tend to share a lot with one another
about their experiences — they are look-
ing for advice and [insight on] how they
are doing managing motherhood and
their life,” she says. “We use Facebook
Keeping production within the country is a greener option, says Georgia-based shoe manufacturer OKA b.
Discover America� rough these beautifully illustrated picture books, young readers can explore the history, natural wonders, and unique features of their state.
State by State
Here Come the Holidays!
A Part of CENGAGE LearningTM
Florida Mississippi South Carolina North Carolina Tennessee Georgia
Kentucky
More than1.5 million copies sold!
Alabama
Discover America� rough these beautifully illustrated picture books, young readers can explore the history, natural wonders, and unique features of their state.
State by State
Here Come the Holidays!
A Part of CENGAGE LearningTM
Florida Mississippi South Carolina North Carolina Tennessee Georgia
Kentucky
More than1.5 million copies sold!
Alabama
8 DARRAH&CO. SUMMER 2012
to integrate our business into those
subjects of their daily motherhood life.”
Influencing Buying DecisionsManufacturers, too, find Facebook to
be a worthwhile marketing tool. Bun-
nies by the Bay answers any questions
shoppers post; Deco Breeze posts fun
photos and asks fans to write captions
for them; and Novobeads boasts more
than 64,000 fans who interact with the
page, to name just a few.
Shoe manufacturer OKA b. has been
active on the social media site for about
two and a half years and uses Facebook
to reach retailers and end users. “It’s a
fun way to do promotions and contests
and engage with customers,” says Kelly
Schmidt, vice president at OKA b. “It gets
people to know the behind-the-scenes
things going on at OKA b.; they know
more about our company than just what
they see on the website.”
Don’t underestimate how important
that connection can be. Compete’s re-
search found that more than 20 percent
of consumers said that Facebook pages
have been “influential” or “extremely
influential” in making a purchasing deci-
sion, which suggests that posting sales,
promotions and other calls to action on
Facebook can be a great way to drive
incremental sales.
An Untapped MarketRemember, though, that social media
marketing isn’t the same as a tradi-
tional advertisement. “Don’t push sales
on your Facebook page!” Braithwaite
says. “Your Facebook page should cre-
ate a desire to want to go to your store.
It should make your clients feel like
you’re letting them in on a behind-the-
scenes look at your business that gives
them a deeper personal connection to
your store.”
That doesn’t mean the opportunity
to sell doesn’t exist — it’s just a softer
sell, made through getting your cus-
tomers excited about you and what
you have to offer. The Compete report
found that more than half of respon-
dents say they use retailers’ Facebook
pages to keep up to date on sales and
promotions. Additionally, nearly half
of consumers say they are a fan of five
or more retailers/brands on Facebook.
“The opportunity for retailers may
be largely untapped,” said Matt Pace,
Compete managing director of retail
and consumer products, in a press
release. “As more data is available to
retailers about the benefits of engag-
ing shoppers on Facebook, we’ll likely
see more emerging strategies to en-
able brands to more aggressively tap
into this opportunity.”
Still wondering if you should set up a
Facebook page for your store, or post
more regularly to it? As Braithwaite says,
“It can’t hurt to try” — and just like Face-
book’s meteoric rise, you just may find
brand loyalty and sales increasing more
than you could have imagined.
“One-quarter of
consumers now visit
an official Facebook
page for a retailer or
consumer product at
least once a month.”
OKA b. promotes new products on its Facebook page, which has attracted
more than 9,000 “likes.”
OKA b. Ballet Flats for Fall.Beautiful & Unbelievably Comfortable.
Made in AmericaBuilding 3, 2nd FloorBooth 1501
Darrah & CompanyBuilding 2, 18th FloorSuite 1818
MADE IN THE U.S.A.
Contact us at 888-730-6522 or [email protected]. Visit OKAb-trade.com
Ballet Flats $20/$45
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Darrah & Co ad for OKA b.pdf 1 5/3/12 3:17 PM
10 DARRAH&CO. SUMMER 2012
COVER STORY
SUMMER 2012 DARRAH&CO. 11
Accessories may be second-
ary to an outfit, but there’s
nothing second f iddle
about this product category
— women’s accessories have been a
strong trend in the industry the past few
years, and Darrah & Co. has responded
by bringing in and continuing to support
powerhouse lines in this arena.
“There are a lot of reasons retailers
are flocking to this category: higher
margins, women love to buy fashion
for themselves and as gifts, and more
dollars per square foot in the stores, to
name a few,” says Lindsay DeMyer, vice
president at Darrah & Co.
The Perfect Gift If there’s one thing most women can
never get enough of in their closets,
it’s shoes. And what women want these
days are shoes that are practical and
pretty, all in one package. Enter OKA b.,
a spa and fashion footwear line made in
the USA. “Our core concept is that we’re
comfortable and cute at the same time,”
says Page Timmerman, director of sales
at OKA b.
The fall collection will include shoes
in jewel tones and some with a tribal feel
at a higher price point. Everything has
an ergonomic footbed, so they’re great
for posture and feet. “People purchase
Shoes, purses and rings, oh my — ladies love to accessorize, no matter the economic climate.
Women love trying on bags in stores, including these from Tikka, an eco-friendly line.
12 DARRAH&CO. SUMMER 2012
the shoes because they see them and
like the way they look, but once they try
them on, they become a customer for
life,” says Kelly Schmidt, vice president
at OKA b.
Another great selling point for OKA
b.’s ballet flats is that they come in a gift-
able box and in boutique sizing. “When
you’re purchasing them as a gift for
someone, you don’t have to necessar-
ily worry about a person’s shoe size,”
Schmidt says. Plus, unlike something
purely decorative, shoes are a present
that’s always practical. “People want
to make sure they’ll be spending their
money on something someone will ac-
tually use and enjoy,” Timmerman adds.
Bling’s the ThingAnother great quality about accessories
is that they’re bought repeatedly — es-
pecially when it comes to jewelry. That’s
something Novobeads knows well, as a
manufacturer of high-quality beads for
customizable bracelets. The made-in-
America beads, in a huge range of col-
ors, materials and designs, from French
horns and cowboy hats to snowflakes
and lighthouses, keep customers com-
ing back to a store again and again.
“One of the things about beads is that
it’s not a single purchase,” says Don
Clark, director of marketing for Novo-
beads. “You don’t buy one bracelet and
walk away; before you even leave the
store, you have ideas in your mind about
what you’re going to get next.”
Jewelry is also a good basis for
themed events and promotions in your
store. “This is a category that lends itself
very well to after-hours events,” says Tim
Young, president of Novobeads. “You’re
holding events where you’re going to
get large numbers of people and get
pretty impactful sales.”
More Bang for the BuckWith everyone’s eye on the bottom line,
Mark Ferrel, CEO at Amanda Blu, which
includes a jewelry line, and J. Michelle,
known for its pearls, keeps his products
high-quality yet competitively priced.
“We buy right from the pearl farms. What
that does for the retailer and consumer
is really give them about the best price
that you could get — I’ve never seen
anybody’s real pearls that are less ex-
pensive than J. Michelle,” Ferrel says.
The J. Michelle line has tripled in just
a couple of years, thanks in large part
to its great pricing. “The consumer is
value-conscious, more value-conscious
in the last three or four years than any-
time I can remember in my lifetime,”
Ferrel says.
Value-conscious, however, is different
from inexpensive. J. Michelle’s pearls are
top quality, and the jewelry comes with
an easy-to-work magnetic closure that’s
strong, ensuring it stays clasped, while
Amanda Blu beads are nicely silver-
plated. When the company was testing
some gold-plated elements on a bangle,
they decided to pay 25 percent more
when the material just wasn’t holding
up as well as they wanted it to. When it
comes to turning shoppers into repeat
customers, that kind of quality in your
women’s accessories offerings will keep
them coming back for more.
Prettifying Your StoreIf you need a little eye candy or pop
of color in your shop, women’s ac-
cessories are a good way to go. Stu
Fishman, managing partner of the Tikka
line of accessories, says the items “spice
up a store” with their vibrant colors
and eye-catching designs. Because the
bags, scarves and belts are made from
repurposed saris and help keep women
in small villages in India employed, they
“People want to
make sure they’ll
be spending their
money on something
someone will actually
use and enjoy.”Consumers are always adding new beads to their Novobeads bracelets, which brings them into the store all the more often.
SUMMER 2012 DARRAH&CO. 13
appeal to women on both a fashion and
emotional level.
Plus, as Fishman points out, stores
don’t have to worry about stocking dif-
ferent sizes, as accessories such as bags
and scarves are one-size-fits-all. That
also makes them super easy to model
right there on the spot. “Women love to
try on scarves and bags; it keeps them
in the store a little bit longer,” Fishman
says. “The longer you keep someone in
a store, the more likely they are to buy.
Women’s accessories are a very sticky
category that keeps the customer there
longer, which increases the percentage
of sales.”
Although the environmentally friendly
Tikka line is less than two years old,
it’s already taken off with tremendous
sales. This market, they’ll debut belts and
pure silk scarves, and a new line called
Mountain Wildflower will offer chiffon
scarves that are suitable for all seasons.
Repeat CustomersIn any retail business, keeping the cus-
tomers you already have returning to
your store again and again is the best
way to rack up sales — and a pair of cute
shoes, a fun bracelet, a multipurpose
scarf and a fun-yet-functional handbag
are great ways to do just that.
“The fact is that women continue to
buy fashion accessories even in a down
economy,” Ferrel says. “They may not
buy a business suit, but they’ll put a
new scarf on; they’ll accessorize their
outfit with a new bracelet or ring or
necklace.”
The Amanda Blu jewelry line stands out due to its high quality at a low price.
Greek Collections Holiday Collections
Collegiate Collections
Destination Collections
City & State Collections
Inspiration Collections
And many More! 478.271.3800
It’s a Southern Thing
dinnerware glassware ornaments tea towels totes custom designs
DESIGNED AND PRODUCED IN THE USA
t hed i sh l td .com Dar rah & Company | Bu i ld i ng 2 , Su i te 18 18 478 .27 1 . 3800
At Chr i s tmas T imeNew Ci ty I tems
I Love Co l leg ia te | Avai lab le NOW!
Tailgatte Approoved
14 DARRAH&CO. SUMMER 2012
A t Darrah & Co., we’re lucky to
have an army of amazing reps
who provide top-notch service
every day in their role as the crucial link
between retailers and manufacturers.
This issue, we’re pleased to highlight
three who have been with our company
a decade or longer:
The Accidental Dream Job: Dave ClarkDave Clark never set out to be a sales
rep, but with two decades in the posi-
tion, he’s found his niche. “I became
a rep in this industry strictly because I
needed a job,” he remembers. “I’d been
a stockbroker for a while, and I took the
job as a temporary measure to have
some money coming in.”
Now that he’s found it, though, it’s a
position he doesn’t intend to let go. “It’s
not like having to go into a job every
day and work from 9 to 5 or any of that
kind of thing; we just go and have fun,”
says the 11-year Darrah & Co. veteran,
who lives with his wife and four cats and
enjoys hanging around on the computer,
lounging at the beach and cooking.
Clark, who covers most of Missis-
sippi and West Tennessee, finds that his
extensive experience comes in handy.
“I’ve been doing this around 20 years
now, and because of that, I have a
perspective on how things are and how
things aren’t and how things are going
to be that takes a while to learn,” he
says. “When you’re brand new in this
business, you hear about some hard
economic times, but being in it a long
time, you know it’s nothing but a thing
and everything passes.”
One thing that isn’t passing? Clark’s
commitment to his work, as surprising as
that would’ve been to him when he first
started out. As he says, “If somebody
would’ve told me that 20 years later I’d
still be selling teddy bears, coffee mugs
and wind chimes, I would’ve told them
they were crazy.”
Going Coastal: Mary SalterAs a rep for a long, narrow area in
southeast Florida from Fort Pierce
to Key West, nature lover Mary Salter
can be in the Everglades seeing an al-
ligator one day, and the next down in
the Keys. “I love that independence of
being out, driving around in beautiful
areas,” she says.
The area is undeniably scenic, but
it has a unique set of considerations.
“One of the challenges for my territory
is we’re very seasonal; we have a 12-
week window where our population
doubles,” Salter says. “Retailers have to
do as much as they possibly can quickly,
so it makes my territory a lot different
than others.”
Salter takes her 11 years of experi-
ence at Darrah & Co., plus previous
experience as an independent sales rep
and small manufacturer, to help her
customers carry the best possible lines
for their stores. “I’m not pushy at all;
I sell to them like I were selling to my
mother,” she says. “People find me easy
to communicate with and talk to. I know
everybody’s life story, it seems like.”
Good communication is also what
she values from working at Darrah &
Co. “They’re good at communicating,
yet they don’t tell me how to do it,” says
Salter, who in her spare time is involved
with nonprofit organizations that help
people in distress. “They give me the
tools to do my job but don’t expect me
to do it in their particular way.”
Representin’Get acquainted with a Mississippi cooking fan, a Florida nature lover and an Atlanta travel devotee.
MEET THE REPS
“I’ve been doing this
around 20 years now, and
because of that, I have a
perspective on how things
are and how things aren’t.”
SUMMER 2012 DARRAH&CO. 15
In the City: Sarah BishopNo matter their age, many people strug-
gle with what they want to be when they
grow up. Not so for Sarah Bishop.
“I plan on retiring with Darrah,” says
Bishop, a sales rep who covers the metro
Atlanta area. “It’s a unique organization
and I’m very proud to be a part of it, and
I mean that wholeheartedly.”
That doesn’t mean the job is easy.
Serving a major metropolitan area as
spread out as Atlanta means a lot of
time in the car, particularly in heavy
traffic. There are also the day-to-day
challenges of drumming up business
in a down economy. “You have to think
outside the box and look in different
avenues,” Bishop says. “When your cus-
tomers are hit hard, you have to look at
creative ways to sell.”
Nurturing the customer relationship
is one of the things this Kennesaw State
University grad takes seriously. “I try to
stay on top of my accounts and really try
to be diligent about servicing my cus-
tomers,” says Bishop, who’s coming up
on 10 years with Darrah & Co. “I believe
that the customer is always right. They
know that I’m not going to push them
on something and be a hard sell if I don’t
really believe in it.”
When she’s not working, Bishop en-
joys traveling, reading and cooking.
But thankfully, she also loves her job
— and plans to do it for a long time
to come.
“I’m very fortunate to have the terri-
tory I have,” she says. “Even though the
traffic gets on my nerves, I still abso-
lutely love my customers — they’ve been
very good to me.”
Handmade Soap, Candles, Personal Care
New Vintage Icon candle designs: Heart of Hearts, Snowflake, and Cupid
Darrah & Company • Americas Mart • Showroom 1818800-434-8277 • e-mail: customerservice @ primalelements.com.
“I believe that the
customer is always right.
They know that I’m not
going to push them on
something and be a hard
sell if I don’t really
believe in it.”
16 DARRAH&CO. SUMMER 2012
W ith summer market com-
ing up, we’ve planned all
kinds of activities to help
you have both a fun and productive visit.
Here’s what you can expect:
We love our customers. Come to
market a day early on Tuesday, July
10, for VIB (Very Important Buyer) Day,
where we’ll roll out the red carpet for
you, with lunch, special discounts and
prizes. We’ll also be participating in
B.A.N.D. (Buyer Appreciation Night &
Day), an 18th-floor party in the evenings
from Thursday to Saturday with bands
playing, food, drinks and more.
Into the night. One of our most pop-
ular traditions, dinner from The Varsity,
will be on Saturday night, so don’t miss
the burgers, hot dogs, chips and fried
pies from this legendary Atlanta carhop.
Break out your pillbox hats and pocket
squares, because on Friday at 4:30, It’s
a Wrap will host a Mad Men–themed
party, while Glory Haus will have a Cele-
brating Christmas in July party on Friday
at 5 p.m. Artist Laura Kirkland will be on
hand for signings.
Meet the artists. Speaking of artist
signings, here’s the current schedule:
Thursday at 5 p.m., Jill Alford with Glory
Haus; Friday at 4 p.m., an artist from The
Dish; Friday at 4:30 p.m., Joyce Birchler
with Switchables; Friday at 5 p.m., Amy
Griffith with Glory Haus; and Saturday at
4 p.m., Jennifer Stevens-Nicholson with
Brushfire Designs.
We hope you’ll stop by the showroom
often and can’t wait to see you soon!
Get ReadyAt summer market, prepare for music, food, parties, great products and more, all in the Darrah & Co. showroom.
COMING AT TRACTIONS
www.annaleece.com/darrah • 866.401.6700AmericasMart • Darrah & Co. Showroom #1818
Annaleece is a proud new partner with Darrah & Co. and is happy to offer a Summer Show Special of
10% off purchases of $750 or more.
www.annaleece.com/darrah • 866.401.6700AmericasMart • Darrah & Co. Showroom #1818
Annaleece is a proud new partner with Darrah & Co. and is happy to offer a Summer Show Special of
10% off purchases of $750 or more.
Darrah & Company, Ltd.Atlanta Gift Mart, Suite 1818230 Spring StreetAtlanta, GA 30303
Ph: 866.953.1762www.GloryHaus.com
Fax: 770.919.0154
Darrah & Co, Building 2, Suite 1818