If you’ve been around for a while, you no doubt remember when the separation between apparel boutiques and home and gift boutiques was much wider than it is now. Since the pandemic, we have been on a fast track to see a lot more crossover between these two categories. In this episode, I’m excited to dive into this growing trend with Angela Schmook, VP of Sales and Marketing at Road Runners LLC, a company that represents numerous wholesale brands in every category from home decor to jewelry collections and gifts of all types.Â
Listen in as we delve into what apparel and home and gift boutiques can learn from each other, the common misconceptions between home and gift and apparel, current trends, and the different business practices that work for each. Angela also explains the difference between wholesale representatives and agencies, the advantages of working with a rep agency, and she shares her advice for retailers and insights on where she sees the overall industry heading.
We also talk about the upcoming home and gift show at Dallas Market Center, where you can find Angela next week!
Resources Featured In This Episode:
- Angela Schmook: Website
- Hubventory Home and Gift Week
- The Boutique Hub: Facebook | Instagram | Website
- Ashley Alderson: Instagram
- Summer School
- The Boutique Hub Membership
- Boutique Hub Black
- Retail Bootcamp
- Hubventory.com
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See the Full Boutique Chat Podcast Website here
Watch the episode on YouTube:
Uniting Apparel and Home & Gift Boutiques
- Angela’s advice for retailers.
- What the current trends are in the industry.
- The different timelines between apparel and home and gift.
- The advantages to working with a sales rep.
- The opportunities for apparel and home and gift boutiques to work together.
- The difference in profit margins.
- What the most successful stores have in common.
- Angela’s journey in the industry.
Favorite Quotes from Angela Schmook
“We are right in the middle of a very interesting moment.” – Angela Schmook [7:30]
“We’re in this moment of caution.” – Angela Schmook [8:25]
“The larger your order, the larger your perks.” – Angela Schmook [16:15]
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www.theboutiquehub.com/join
Use the hashtag #AskAshley on Instagram, or tag her at @ajalderson or @theboutiquehub to suggest topics for the podcast and let us know what you thought about this episode!
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Original Air Date: June 13th, 2023
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