Today I’m peeking inside shop owners and buyers’ bag of tricks to see how they shop for their stores
and what they look for in a vendor.

photo: artist Jennifer Price took her collection of fortune cookie
fortunes and enlarged them to create 4 foot inspirational wall plaques; available at SoLo.

The question Jennifer Price [http://www.jenniferpricestudio.com] of SoLo hears most often is: “where in the world do you find these things?”

It’s something all shop owners and buyers have to deal with…where to go to find NEW products. Trade
shows are great, but with gas prices and plane ticket prices skyrocketing, some buyers are cutting back on
the number of shows they attend. Instead, like Jennifer Price, they are turning to flea markets, art shows,
warehouse sales and the internet.

photo: Mindy says finding new products for her shoppe, Cotton Idea Studio “comes down to finding lines that have impeccable, unique designs,
clever copywriting, flawless craftsmanship and printing, and reasonable price points.”

Mindy (Cotton Idea Studio) looks for talented, customer-service
oriented, communicative, reliable vendors. “We welcome and encourage vendors to approach us directly,
particularly when they have taken the time to research our shop and the products that we carry. If they feel their products could be a good fit with our clientèle and current products offering, we love to hear from
them.”

Ruby Lang’s section at SoLo is filled with curiosities and vintage finds. Shoppers can (and often do)
spend hours at SoLo uncovering treasures.

Email and snail mail submissions are best, according to everyone I interviewed. Carole Carden (SoLo) advises current vendors and reps to follow up once a month with a store’s buyer to see if it’s time for a re-order.

Ruby Lang of SoLo says she finds lots of new vendors by surfing blogs. “There are enough sites to keep me up ‘til all hours of the morning,” she says. “Sometimes I forget I’m in cyberspace and stay up ‘til 3 a.m.”

Michael and Douglas of Cursive attend or about a dozen trade shows each year to shop for their stunning store (inside ABC Carpet & Home in Manhattan)

Michael of Cursive advises being open to finding vendors in unexpected places: “you’d be amazed what you come across at a beauty supply show,” he says.

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