We’re in a time of drastic change in the retail environment. The independent brick-and-mortar retailers in the crafts industry are on the front lines of this upheaval, working hard every day to figure out how to keep their products and store experience relevant.
That’s why I’m really excited to be organizing a webinar all about craft retail. On Thursday, August 31 at 1pm EST (10am PST) three brick-&-mortar craft shop owners will give us an honest picture of the challenges and opportunities they’re currently facing, and how designers and suppliers fit into the retail picture. You’ll learn:
-What’s working right now (and what’s not)
-How designers and other industry -professionals can support local shops
-How designers or suppliers and shops can work together to sell more products
-Innovative approaches to creating community and making a shop a destination
-What new revenue sources can help shops thrive in the current market
Paper Craft Pantry; Calico Cals; Finch Knitting + Sewing Studio
Our panelists include Pei Sim, Janet Lutz, and Nicole Morganthau.
Pei Sim is the owner of The Paper + Craft Pantry in Austin, Texas, a stationary shop showcasing independent designers and a workshop space offering classes in everything from calligraphy to cookie decorating.
Janet Lutz is the owner of Calico Gals quilt shop in Syracuse, New York, and is the founder of Row-By-Row Experience, a summer travel event for quilters worldwide.
Nicole Morganthau is the owner of Finch Knitting + Sewing Studio in Leesburg, Virginia, a boutique sewing + knitting shop with modern fabric, quality yarn, cool tools, and fun, on-trend classes for all ages and interests.
I think this is a fantastic opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look into craft retail and to ask question, live, to three hardworking business owners. I hope you’ll be able to attend!
This webinar is for Craft Industry Alliance members. Membership is really affordable even for very small businesses ($35 for six months OR $60 for a year) and you’ll get access not only to this webinar, but over a dozen others (we do them monthly) all taught by industry experts. Among those we’ve already recorded are Mei Pak teaching how to do Facebook ads the right way, Kate Ahl explaining the top 5 things you can do right now to optimize your Pinterest strategy, Vanessa Vargas Wilson talking about how to diversify your income streams, and so much more.
I hope to see you there! Find out about all of the benefits Craft Industry Alliance offers and join here.