With no signs of slowing down, the vaping market is continuing to boom, and Ultra Hybrid has some good advice for retailers looking to establish a profitable e-cigarette business. “In this industry, repeat business is everything,” says Sam Martinez, a manager with Ultra. “You’ve got to create customer loyalty and get repeat business. Once you get loyal customers, they’ll stop by every few days or every day.”
Author: Jon VanZile
Based in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Valley Supply is a full-service novelty company that has been supplying everything from sunglasses to lighters to plush for 32 years. Mark and Mary Crippen have been running the company together for the past 24 years, with a focus on customer service and building relationships. “We want people to go online, but also to give us a call and speak to us in person while looking at the website,” Mark Crippen says. “We like to see what type of establishment they have, and if there’s something we might be able to show them.”
If your consumers are in the market for printed T-shirts, Mizrahi & Gardner has got your back. Operating as jobbers continuously since 1969, Mizrahi & Gardner has reinvented itself many times over the years, according to company owner Peter Gardner. Today, the company specializes in printed T-shirts.
Sometimes it pays to be a couch potato. At least that is true for Irvine Scales, owner of Fit Marketing, LLC. Through Fit Marketing, Scales is poised to launch Smart Cradle in the United States. The product is a novelty item that makes it easy to watch and use a smart phone or tablet while lying down in bed or on a couch.
Ask OFFPRICE CEO Stephen Krogulski to define the OFFPRICE apparel shows in a few words, and it takes less than a second: “Fashionable, order-writing, value focused, and for the entire family.” For the last 40 years, OFFPRICE has staged one of the country’s largest discount apparel shows in Las Vegas, Nevada.
After years of relentless pressure, experts in the toy and gift market are finally beginning to see signs of a revitalized market for small to midsize retailers. However, they warn, it’s not a simple story. The market that’s emerging post-recession and post-Internet is a very different market than retailers have grown accustomed to. In fact, it may be more like the one their grandparents would recognize.
If you’re looking for electronics, especially security systems or consumer electronics, GNS Electronics has you covered. The company got its start manufacturing and selling home security systems, but according to sales manager Jason Deng, GNS has recently moved into consumer electronics.
Founded in 1996, Urban Expositions has quickly grown to become the largest gift, airport, and souvenir trade show in the country, in part because of the environment at an Urban Expo show. “An Urban gift show is distinguished by its friendly, casual, and comfortable environment,” explains Dirk von Gal, vice president, gift, marketing and buyer services. “We work hard to create a relaxed, yet professional atmosphere that is conducive to doing business.”
Sleefs wants your arms, or at least the outside of them. Headquartered in South Florida and founded in 2012, Sleefs offers a line of popular compression sleeves. The sleeves are similar to the ones athletes use to prevent cramping and to stimulate blood flow in hard-working limbs. They are available in a range of custom designs, or branded with leading sports teams.
Emad Beshara, CEO of Kray-Z Closeouts, is fairly sure of at least one thing: buyers will find his prices “crazy low.” “We’re known for our low pricing,” he explains. “That’s why we picked the name Kray-Z Closeouts.” Founded three years ago, today Kray-Z Closeouts operates from a huge facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California, into which pours a stream of new product every day.