We consider all product for our web assortment first and the decide whether we’d like to feature them in our print catalog. Our buying team searches for new product every day in various ways. We look online (on blogs and in online marketplaces), in person (at trade shows and other live events), and at our current line-up to find opportunities to develop new products with existing vendors. It’s really fun to collaborate on something and build out business together!
We take a lot of factors into account when deciding to work with a new artist or selecting new product. We think a lot about the artist’s story and where and how product is made – half of our assortment is made here in the United States, half is handmade, and about a quarter is upcycled or recycled, so all of these attributes are important factors. High quality craftsmanship is essential as well. We’re an animal-friendly company, so we don’t sell anything made of leather, feathers, fur, or pearls.
Current trends are also a key factor. Both those we see in the marketplace and sales trends we see internally are taken into account as we choose items for inclusion in our catalog. We use historical sales data to ensure that we make informed, strategic decisions and offer product that will excite our customer. It’s also important to contextualize an artist’s collection or a new item within our current product assortment. We ask ourselves what void the product fills, what value it adds for our customer, and if it’s a fit for our brand. We also ask ourselves what makes it uncommon, because ultimately we want to offer truly special product that our customer will be thrilled to receive.
2 Comments
We’ve had our product in your store for a while now and have yet to be in the printed catalog. We’d love to be considered if possible. We currently do the Lawn Ornaments – Personalized Dog ornaments.
Thanks for reaching out, Sue! I’ll pass your message along to our garden buyer.