Smart Moves in Giftware: Leverage local makers • Use consignment to expand offerings without upfront inventory costs • Curate vendors whose work fits your brand aesthetic • Highlight artisans with signage to tell their story • Turn your shop into a community hub with events like markets or bazaars


that slowed camping trips and drove more shoppers our way.” Programming has also become a


key means of engagement. Moore hosts a monthly book club that draws a mix of regulars and newcomers, some of whom joined shortly after moving to the area to meet people. The gatherings often double as retail touchpoints, with attendees browsing merchandise before or after meetings and returning later for gifts and plants. She is also exploring hands-on classes that merge books and floristry, from page-folding crafts to themed events tied to popular titles. In October, she plans to host a dress-up event with a local bar to celebrate the release of the next installment in Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series. “It’s like the series was made for a flower shop bookstore!” she says. Inside the shop, books are just one


part of a broader retail mix designed to complement the floral business. Shelves feature reading accessories such as bookmarks, lights and lap pillows, alongside home goods, puzzles, vases, containers and gardening pieces. The crossover works both ways, with book shoppers picking up flowers and long- time floral customers discovering the bookstore side of the business. The added revenue stream has brought a measure of stability. “It is such a relief to have this side


of the business. With tariffs, you never know what your fresh costs are going to be,” Moore says. While flowers remain the core of


her business, the bookstore is already making a meaningful difference. “This is a pretty good chunk of


revenue that didn’t exist a year ago,” she says. “This is paying off. And it’s doing well for my community.” Moore’s experience underscores a broader takeaway: Expanding into


non-floral offerings doesn’t always require a full-scale reinvention. For some, it can be as simple as finding low- risk ways to broaden their product mix while strengthening ties to their local community.


Local Treasures Sue Goertler, owner of Findery Floral & Gift in Yakima, Washington, has done just that by building a consignment pro- gram centered on local artisans. Over the past two years, she has filled her shop with a rotating mix of handcrafted goods, including wooden boxes and containers, hand-turned pens, jewelry, pottery, cards, stamped bags and mugs, along with a few furniture pieces. The model allows her to expand her offerings without taking on additional costs. “This creates great add-on sales, and we don’t have to carry extra inventory,” Goertler says. Goertler is always looking for arti-


sans whose works will complement the store’s offerings. She often finds them at bazaars, but they also come to her store to inquire. She structures the program with an 80/20 split, with most vendors adjusting their pricing to account for the commission. Rather than charging display fees, she designates a shelf, table or corner space throughout the shop and highlights each maker with signage, reinforcing her commitment to support- ing local artists. That community-first approach is extending beyond the store: This spring, she plans to host her first outdoor bazaar, offering affordable booth space to vendors and drawing additional foot traffic ahead of Mother’s Day. The strategy not only diversifies revenue but also positions her shop as a hub for local creativity.


Katie Vincent is the senior contributing editor for Floral Management.


The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF)


Go to page 30 to see hot giftware items. 29


ARTISAN ADD-ONS At Findery Floral & Gift in Yakima, Washington, Sue Goertler fi lls her shop with a rotating collection of consignment items from local artisans, expanding her product mix without inventory risk, while reinforcing the shop’s role as a hub for local creativity and connection.


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