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Valentines Day is on Its Way – Candy Gift Ideas

October 17, 2005 by FGmarket Leave a Comment

Valentines Day is on its way! There are just a couple of months left until Christmas, which means that it must be time to start thinking about Valentines Day … already! Maybe it seems a little early, but remember that you’re going to have to fill all those empty shelves and display cases with something once the holiday merchandise is gone. Valentines Day merchandise ought to hit the sales floor by January 1st (if not sooner), so it’s a good idea to get it all ordered now; then you won’t have to worry about it during the Christmas rush. To help you along with your purchasing decisions (and make shopping a little easier), we’ve identified just a few of the excellent suppliers from our extensive FGMarket Valentines Day Holiday & Special Occasion vendors’ category. These companies offer a wide array of traditional as well as unconventional Valentines Day merchandise. For gift ideas that go from romantic to whimsical, from stylish to silly, from tempting to tasty to downright tawdry, read on …

Not a Valentines Day goes by without someone, somewhere getting a heart-shaped box of chocolates. You can be part of that time-honored tradition with the high quality, award-winning chocolates from Quality Candy/Buddy Squirrel (as the name suggests, the candy operation merged with the nut company some years ago). A family business since 1916, Quality creates premium melt-in-your-mouth candy in all the traditional milk chocolate and dark chocolate varieties, including double-dipped cherry cordials, buttery caramels, creamy nougats and savory nut clusters. They’re available in a wide range of beautifully boxed sizes and assortments, and they can even be paired with deluxe nut mixes, rich caramel corn or jumbo cashews from the Squirrel side of the business, all presented in an attractive gift tin.
From the Southern part of the country comes Robicheaux’s Specialty Candy, makers of some of the best handmade chocolates in Dixie. As you might expect, pecans figure heavily in their product line, with chocolate-covered pecan turtles being their number one seller. For Valentines Day, they do their traditional turtles in the shape of a heart, either “plain” (not frosted) or dipped in white chocolate and decorated with red, pink or white drizzles… yum!! Robicheaux’s has a large selection of gift bags, boxes, tins and crates filled with their delicious chocolates, or you can buy them in bulk and market them in your own containers. Their 8-ounce red heart-shaped tin, filled with 14 individually wrapped assorted candies, is sure to be a great Valentines Day gift. It’s even comes filled with sugar-free candies.

To help your customers communicate what’s in their own hearts, check out the verbal candy bars from chocolateTalk. Smooth, creamy milk chocolate or scrumptious dark chocolate is hand-molded into a 2.5 ounce bar that delivers a special greeting. For Valentines Day, the ones that proclaim “LOVE” or “SMOOCH” are the likely choices. Each bar is packaged in an eye-catching, multicolor striped wrapping with an attached gift tag. A handy 32-bar counter display comes free with the first order. This is a great impulse item to keep near the cash register, and it can be an easy add-on sale to go with something like a flower arrangement or a teddy bear.
And speaking of teddy bears (did you like that segue?), there are probably more plush animals sold at Valentines Day than during Christmas. For more information, watch for our upcoming newsletter, Valentines Day is on Its Way – Plush Animals Gift Ideas, part two of FGMarket’s newsletter series featuring some great gift ideas for Valentine’s Day. Find these and other fine wholesalers and suppliers of Valentine’s Day gift items in our FGMarket Valentines Day Holiday & Special Occasion vendors’ category.

Christmas Ornaments

September 1, 2005 by FGmarket 1 Comment

If your store isn’t decorated yet for the Christmas selling season, you’d better get busy! Even though some complain every year that Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier, most of your customers are ready to start planning their holiday purchases. For many, that means seeing what new delights can be added to their own Christmas ornament collections this year. And while high-style, color-coordinated, themed “designer” trees do look great in a retail showroom, most regular folks decorate their Christmas trees at home with a hodge-podge of ornaments and other decorations that have been amassed over the years. The result is a familiar and old-fashioned look that’s loaded with nostalgia.

With competition from ‘big box’ stores being what it is, it’s important for other retailers to find a variety of sources for ornaments that are out of the ordinary and grab your customers’ attention. Fortunately, FGmarket.com has identified several vendors that can help you establish your store as the destination for unique and original ornaments. Ne’Qwa Art for example, creates extraordinarily beautiful ornaments in the centuries-old tradition of painting inside the glass ornament, giving the designs a wonderful luminosity. Their artists produce an appealing and diverse array of subject matter, from the whimsical to the dramatic. They can even create custom designs according to your own specifications. These ornaments are unique works of art that will surely become cherished family treasures for their buyers.

Fine, hand-made porcelain is what gives the ornaments from Piazza Ltd. their exquisite, delicate appearance. Using a labor-intensive “slip trailing” technique, these award-winning ornaments have a dimensional surface that’s embellished with lots of detail. They are manufactured from high-quality kaolin clay, which makes them very lightweight, translucent, and soft to the touch. Other beautiful bisque porcelain ornaments are produced by The Rhyn-Rivet Collection, Inc. These ornaments are hand-decorated using China paints, dimensional glazes, inlaid metals, and a fine dusting of diamond glitter, giving them a subtle shimmer. The vibrant colors and distinctive shapes give each of their diverse ornament collections a unique character.

When decorating a Christmas tree, whether it’s for display or for home use, it’s important to remember the design principle of depth, which helps give your completed tree a more dimensional appearance. Enhance the overall depth by placing some of the ornaments deep within the boughs of the tree, drawing the viewer’s eye inward. This is a good place to put inexpensive, solid-color, shiny glass balls, creating a backdrop for the finer ornaments that are placed in front of them.

Doing this also gives the tree the appearance of looking fuller and having more volume, while allowing the nicer, more expensive ornaments to be seen to full advantage. For good balance, hang larger ornaments near the bottom of the tree, placing smaller, more delicate ones closer to the top. If you’re using bead garlands, place them on the tree before the ornaments, so you can more easily control the shape and size of the swags. With the garland in place, you’ll have clearly-defined spaces in which to hang the ornaments.

The Barnhart Gallery has an original line of ornaments called Ornaphints & Yulery, created from thinly-sliced segments of ancient volcanic agates fitted with jewelry findings. These naturally-colorful ornaments are lustrous light catchers, and their porous outer edges can act as diffusers for scented oils. In the smaller sizes they’re also great to use as package ties or to hang on the neck of a bottle of wine. You might consider pairing these natural jewels with some of the beautiful leaf-shaped ornaments from Crafta.com. Available in different shapes and colors, the artificial leaves are decorated with beads and glitter to dress them up for the holiday season. In addition to a wide range of more traditional kinds of ornaments, Crafta.com also carries a distinctive pine cone petal ball in two sizes that will coordinate perfectly with a naturalistic decorating theme.

Some of the realistic nesting cardinals offered by Floraltrims.com would also complete this setting nicely. Both the male version (Harrison) and the female (Holly) are nestled into frosted grass nests, and Holly even has a couple of eggs in her nest. (Never mind that cardinals don’t actually lay eggs in winter… all fantasies are permitted at Christmastime.) If you prefer cardinals without nests, Floraltrims.com offers those, as well as many other birds in every size, shape, and wing span.

For a Christmas tree with plenty of personality, start with some of the ornaments produced by Bottman Design. Artist Paris Bottman has created an adorable line of hand-painted, resin Animal Angels collection ornaments – winged dogs, cats, pigs, bears, etc. – that could be matched up with the whimsical Chubby Cherubs collection (the name says it all) or the Real People Holiday Ornaments collection (for example, ‘More Chocolate Please’ – a “plump” woman with a box of chocolates, passed out on Santa’s lap), both designed by the talented Erika Oller.
Combine these ornaments with some of the clever Clay Dough Ornaments from Decorative Traditions. Be sure to check out their hand-painted Classic Tin Ornaments as well, featuring such motifs as dancing Santas and smiling snowmen. Then, hang some of the charming, handmade Christmas stocking ornaments from Christmas Cove Designs, are made of 100% virgin wool and available in several sizes. Hang a few of their beautiful, full-size traditional stockings nearby to promote add-on sales (also, check out their clever stocking hangers). The Heirloom Tree Skirts also offered by Christmas Cove would make a nice addition to any traditional holiday decor that endures in families for generations.

AE Wholesale is an excellent source of inexpensive ornaments, made with a variety of materials and in several themes, including sets of twelve snowmen, Santas, or angels packaged together in attractive hexagonal boxes. Another supplier, Kel-Toy, Inc. also offers a large selection of Ornaments online at https://www.keltoy.com. There you’ll find lots of unique baubles, bangles and beads with faceted surfaces, adding a touch of sparkle and light to any decorating scheme. Think of these ornaments as Christmas tree jewelry! Hanging several of these reflective ornaments within the interior of the tree will help carry light into the center and make the decorated tree more dazzling.It can sometimes be challenging to exhibit Christmas ornaments in an attractive way, that’s also accessible for customers to purchase. One handy idea for displaying non-fragile items is to wire different-sized baskets directly onto the boughs of the tree. These baskets can then be filled with ornaments for customers to select. (Hang a few ornaments in nearby branches, too.) Baskets like this could also hold seasonal plush toys in assorted sizes. Another idea is to use

It can sometimes be challenging to exhibit Christmas ornaments in an attractive way, that’s also accessible for customers to purchase. One handy idea for displaying non-fragile items is to wire different-sized baskets directly onto the boughs of the tree. These baskets can then be filled with ornaments for customers to select. (Hang a few ornaments in nearby branches, too.) Baskets like this could also hold seasonal plush toys in assorted sizes. Another idea is to use display trees without needles, such as the ones offered by Christina’s World. You’ll find trees in a variety of sizes, styles and finishes, from freestanding, 6-ft. tall “rhinestone” trees to 42-in. high countertop models finished in matte gold.

While at Christina’s website, indulge yourself by viewing her slideshow and touring her entire selection of exquisitely-detailed blown-glass ornaments, featuring both traditional and out-of-the-ordinary images. These are the kinds of heirloom ornaments that are passed down through families and cherished for generations – and, they are infinitely collectible! Produced in a myriad of styles and price points, Christina’s ornaments give you the means to compete with some of the more well-known, “designer label” lines that require a deeper commitment of inventory. One look at these ornaments and you’ll see how well they live up to their slogan, “Poetry in Glass.”

Christmas ornaments are such wonderful, versatile gifts that they practically sell themselves. They’re good impulse items and they make excellent stocking stuffers. Perfect as hostess gifts for holiday parties, they’re also great for those office grab bags or as tokens of appreciation for favorite teachers. However, most of your ornament sales will probably come from customers as gifts for themselves, usually giving in to the urge to add a few new “special finds” to their own ornament collections each year. With the Christmas shopping days countdown soon to begin, visit all of FGmarket’s Christmas ornament, holiday, and special occasion vendors to see what we have collected… just for you!

Great Pumpkins & Gifts for a Bountiful Thanksgiving

August 1, 2005 by FGmarket Leave a Comment

Christmas is coming!! And we all know what THAT means… Thanksgiving is coming first! Sometimes in our rush between Halloween and Christmas, it seems that Turkey Day gets overlooked as an opportunity to harvest more holiday sales. That needn’t be the case if you designate one or more areas within your store – somewhere between the jack-o-lanterns and the angel tree-toppers – to create an enticing display of specially-selected merchandise that’s geared toward the festive fall celebration. Whether your customer is the host or hostess of the traditional meal, seeking to decorate for the season, or one of the dinner guests looking for an appropriate gift, there’s a bounty of merchandise from which to choose.

Pumpkins, of course are a perennial and versatile symbol of the autumn season. For carving spooky (or friendly) faces, baking into pies, or simply setting them on the front stoop, their selling period extends for several weeks. Some of the best fresh pumpkins anywhere come from Bottomley Evergreens and Farms, Inc., where the pumpkins are given special treatment so they are prettier, cleaner, and last longer. They plant pumpkins through a cover crop, such as rye, giving them a nice soft, clean bed to grow on, as well as yielding a bumper crop that is clean and ready for sale. The variety of pumpkin shapes and sizes is almost endless, from small, round pie pumpkins to jumbos weighing in at 60 pounds or more! Bottomley Evergreens also grows Autumn Wing gourds; a beautiful assortment of shapes, sizes and colors that are perfect for decorating indoors or out.
Now, what’ll you do with all these pumpkins? You could showcase them on The Pumpkin Tree from Creative Displays. These unique pumpkin merchandisers are designed to sell more pumpkins in a minimum of floor space with maximum visual impact. Rings hold pumpkins up to 12lbs. each; and after Halloween or Thanksgiving, you can also use these racks to display mums and poinsettia plants.
While we’re on the subject of gourds (a pumpkin is really just an oversized gourd), check out the fanciful creations at Gourdaments. Your customers will love the menagerie of whimsical animals, like cats, roosters and other barnyard animals that artist, Devon Cameron creates by applying paints, dyes, clay, and varnish to various dried gourds. Sizes range from 3 inches (ornament size) to 12 inches or more, and the finished products are as hard as wood. Cameron turns some of the gourds into birdhouses with many distinctive styles, like the “Beatrice the Bird House Cat” whose open, meowing mouth is the hole through which the birds may enter.
Thanksgiving is the time for home and hearth, for family, and for celebrating the bountiful harvest. Decorating themes center on products that nature offers. For example, see an assortment of gorgeous wreaths, composed of natural, dried materials that are made by Naturals by Webster, Inc. Their Farmer’s Market Harvest Series features a lush “Fall Gathering Wreath” created of yarrow, coxcomb, globe amaranth, sunflowers and more. Spicy wreaths of dried red chili peppers are included, as well. Webster’s also produces a line, “Haystack Harvest,” free-standing bouquets of dried flowers that make great cash-and-carry purchases. If you or your customers like do-it-yourself (D.I.Y), Webster’s has all the natural loose, dried flowers, pods, grasses and berries necessary to create beautiful fall arrangements, wreaths, and door swags.

Need some containers for those custom arrangements? A unique wholesaler, Kraft Klub, Inc. carries a large variety of nostalgic, handmade tin items in rust, galvanized, antique white-wash, black colonial, wire, and a new enamel line, their most popular yet. Even empty, these basins, pitchers, buckets, washtubs, and wire baskets impart a wonderful sense of home and history to a Thanksgiving display.
If you’re not in the business of creating your own floral designs (or even if you are), check out the great collection of pre-made permanent arrangements from Burton & Burton from Flowers, Inc. They’re super time-savers … just take them out of the box and fluff them up. Burton & Burton also carries a unique line of home decor items and tabletop accessories that will surely generate Thanksgiving sales. For even more decorative accents, be sure to visit Creative Touch. Their clever wood-carved pumpkins and turkeys are really charming.
Most people have strong and pleasant memories of Thanksgiving celebrations past, and many of those memories are conjured up by the sense of smell. Especially familiar are the aromas of foods traditionally prepared and eaten during the holidays. You can make the most of this fact by offering scented items, like candles and potpourris that carry with them the smells that evoke nostalgic memories. Unique Aromas produces a line of scented, double-wick, poured candles in glass dishes. The sweet aroma of Pumpkin Pie, Lemon Meringue, Blueberry Muffins and other dessert favorites inspired the delicious candle scents featured in the Bakery collection.

Their sophisticated square votive candles (packaged in fours) burn up to 18 hours each, and carry such essences as Cranberry, Gingerbread, Spiced Pear and Cinnamon Cider. The same fragrances are available in 7-oz. poured candles in unique triangular glasses, wrapped in cellophane, and tied with a matching ribbon. Unique Aromas’ Bundt Cake candles smell almost good enough to eat and look like little bundt cakes. They make wonderful holiday and hostess gifts that are sure to please!
Another candle company, Applemill Cottage makes double-wicked, palm/soy candles in old-fashioned 16-oz. cottage jars with domed lids. With such yummy “flavors” as Apple Pie, Cinnamon Buns, and Pears and Berries, their candles carry one of the highest scent loads in the industry. They’ll also create private-label candles, which you can brand with your store’s name and logo. A portion of Applemill Cottage’s profit is donated to help establish freshwater wells in rural villages in India; customers feel good about their purchase and humanity benefits.
If all this talk about food is making you hungry for the real thing (and so much of Thanksgiving Day has to do with eating), let’s go straight for dessert. Award-winning Heart’s Desire Chocolates creates extraordinary confections in the Sonoma Valley in California. Taking the cake, so to speak, is their incredible Chocolate Cornucopia– overflowing with chocolate fruits, vegetables and nuts (unfortunately, it’s too delicate to ship, but local delivery is available). Perhaps more realistic for your store is their uniquely-delicious Pumpkin Fudge, English Toffee Assortment and harvest-decorated Gold Ballotin, a gift that’s filled with tempting chocolate truffles or other sweet treats.

Finally, The Fruit Company creates baskets full of luscious fruits, gourmet nuts, crackers, and such delicacies as smoked salmon and chocolate-covered Bing cherries in all price points. You might also consider trying their irresistible gourmet cheesecakes. They are all out of this world… think Triple Chocolate Raspberry… yum!! Based in Oregon, The Fruit Company has orchards that produce eight varieties of fruit and they also have a drop-ship program, offering online gifting companies the ability to provide orchard fresh gourmet fruit baskets and gifts to their customers.
So, as you’re busy decorating your store for Christmas during the next few weeks, remember that Thanksgiving presents a lot of great sales opportunities long before Santa starts loading his sleigh. From hostess gifts to home decor, FGMarket.com can direct you 24 hours a day to vendors that can satisfy every craving, suit every desire, and fill every sales niche. Don’t be a turkey… go shopping right now!

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