Holiday Retailing:
The Never-ending Season
by Bernadette Finnerty

For craft retailers, finding inventory for next year's holiday season will start long before this year's lights, candles, ornaments and trees are packed away. So if you've just begun thinking about selling your work for the holiday retail rush -- think 1999.

As the holiday season grows ever longer, independent retailers have found that buying for the busiest season of the year has to be budgeted, ordered, delivered, unpacked and sold earlier. The early rush, plus competition from larger retailers, has prompted some small stores to begin buying as early as a full year ahead.

We talked with several "seasoned" gallery owners about some of their holiday buying habits. They closed the gaps between some commonly held myths and the realities of high-end holiday retailing.

Market reports:

Spiritual Art: Long considered holiday items, spiritual, symbolic and religious art has experienced somewhat of a renaissance, one which has extended the selling season to last all year long. Its heightened popularity has been a boon to craft artists, whose religious and spiritual beliefs have manifested themselves in handcrafted Judaica, Christian and African spiritual art. In Kirsten Coughlin's article, "Symbols of a Revitalized Market," the artists who create these works of art share their insights on the recent growth of this booming market.

Headwear: Headwear has its seasons, too. But creators of one-of-a-kind hats have had to go beyond traditional retail outlets to find a market for their work. Noelle Backer talked with several hat makers for her article, "Hats on the Horizon." Many of their works, she found, are truly artistic expressions, and suit a rather narrow market. But despite the fact that many of these works might be considered far from mainstream, the headwear market is growing in many segments, including men's hats and the entertainment fields.

Holiday retail buying is a year-long practice

Although retailers try to do a lot of buying in advance, the summer shows are still very popular with craft retailers. While they see a little more than half the attendance of the winter markets, these shows are crucial, as they provide a way to replenish, restock and renew for the holiday season. In fact, most gallery owners say they are constantly looking for something new and different to offer their customers. They are often open to slide submissions and they attend local retail craft shows looking for new work. It seems that the holiday retail buying season never truly ends.

Bernadette Finnerty is editor of The Crafts Report.

JULY 1998 HOME