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The 2021 edition of Faire Winter Market finished strong with a final day of insightful programming. Event attendees tuned into sessions about merchandising and business growth, as well as brand spotlights featuring top gift brands.
Lesson in merchandising with Tripar International
Gretchen Kroll, VP of Sales and Marketing at Tripar International, covered merchandising and design strategies during her livestream. As a specialist in visual displays, Gretchen shared her expert advice on how to optimize a store’s layout with space and balance.
Gretchen, who’s been featured on Faire’s podcast Brick & Order, revealed that asymmetrical displays encourage a customer’s eye to keep moving. Further, she shared that white space is the most important element of design as it improves visual comprehension.
Lastly, she encouraged retailers to create tight product groupings. She said, “Repetition is visually important—you want shoppers to be able to pull items out, and not feel like they are ruining your display.”
Business growth with molly&you
Molly Wilson, founder and owner of molly&you, shared insights from her decades of retail experience and journey from a store owner to brand creator and showroom maven. She revealed three important lessons that have helped guide her career in the wholesale industry.
First, listen to your gut and be open to making a leap, even if it means making a mistake. Second, always be prepared to redefine your mission as you grow your business. Lastly, to listen and observe your surroundings no matter where you are. She encouraged retailers to maximize their time by always carrying a notebook to write down ideas of display, marketing, and branding. She shared that Faire’s community forum is a great place to ask fellow community members for questions, ideas, and help.
Brand spotlights with P.F. Candle and Knock Knock
Two brand partners, P.F. Candle Co and Knock Knock, helped us wrap up our third day of livestream programming.
First, Kristen Pumphrey and Tom Neuberger, founders of P.F. Candle Co, spoke about fragrance. Streaming from their Los Angeles facility, they presented specialized ways of using and selling scent. They taught retailers the best ways to help customers identify a signature scent by comparing fragrance to unique experiences or memories.
The P.F. Candle Co. team also provided valuable advice for sampling and describing scent given social distance measures, and shared education on both the safety and sustainability of natural and synthetic ingredients.
Then, gift brand Knock Knock, whose mission is to bring humor to everyday life, introduced us to their brand and top sellers. Their card decks, including their Affirmators! Tarot Card deck, were top sellers in 2020 as people sought out sentiments of positivity and encouragement.
As a fun surprise, Wendy Armington Knock Knock offered live tarot card readings. She engaged the audience by providing members of the Faire community with affirmations for their personal or professional life in 2021.
