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The community we foster at Apparel Candy is incredibly important to us. We work hard to provide our customers with the best products at the best prices. Keeping up to trends and setting them.
Given how important our customers are to us, we've decided to regularly feature them through our newly created Customer Spotlight blog series. Through this blog series we'll meet a diverse group of customers, as they share insight into their business, background, and relationship with Apparel Candy. Customer Spotlight is a way for us to expand our creative community. Through outreach and customer volunteers, we hope to make this a weekly feature. Our main goal is sharing as many of our customers on the Apparel Candy blog. Both through customer volunteers and management outreach.
If you would like to be featured or want to learn more about the opportunity, reach out to us! We'd love to discuss the potential to collaborate and feature you through Customer Spotlight.
For our very first Customer Spotlight, we'd like to introduce you all to Sandra from The Gift Groove. The Gift Groove is a woman owned boutique that offers both hand made items from around the word as well as high quality on trend products at a fraction of the price. Check out our interview with Sandra, and if you're located in Phoenix, check them out!
Name: Sandra
Business: The Gift Groove
Length of business operations: 6 years
Tell us a little bit about your company and how you got started.
We are a small predominantly woman owned business. In our early days we were mostly known for our hand-made crafts and gifts. We had no store front, but rather worked and crafted from our home Office. Since then, we've transitioned into our first brick and mortar store-front. The Gift Groove. We're located inside the metro center mall in Phoenix Arizona. Currently we occupy a little over 1150 ft². Over the years, we evolved into Offering other gift items and currently continue to support fair trade. It's a wonderful concept That helps so many. countries currently supported are Mexico, Uganda, Peru, and Guatemala.
That's truly inspiring. Can you speak more on your work with these artisans?
Our investment in to the merchandise and crafts offered by these wonderful artisans helps them to feed and cloth their families, as well as provide them with healthcare and education. We're proud to continue our support of these artisans. By purchasing their Crafted goods, we make our investment, and every individual who purchases a fair trade item from us can feel that they have themselves contributed to a wonderful cause.
In addition to these fair trade and hand made items, what else do you provide in your store?
We've evolved into featuring a wide variety of quality impressions of our favorite designer and brand fragrances at a fraction of the cost. By making our customers favorite fragrances affordable, we're are able to service a diverse group. We continue to carry our lovely wooden roses. A fine gift or décor for any occasion. Once again we will carry our memory lockets. These are necklaces and bracelets that open; with charms, birth stones, and initials that can be inserted. Lockets are a great way to create a memorable and personalized gift. As always we will continue to expand our Gift lines.
Speaking of offerings, what makes you choose Apparel Candy for your business needs?
They have the best prices, a great selection of items, and service second to none.
And how long have you been working with Apparel Candy?
A little over 2 years.
What do you like about working with Apparel Candy?
Same reasons why I choose to do business with the company. May I add that Kam is and always has been an amazing human being and business person. It has been an absolute pleasure to partner with him and Apparel Candy. He has so many fine attributes that I see filters down from the top clearly influencing the entire company. It is so evident through every communication. I wish to extend a personal thanks and my appreciation to Kam and to Apparel Candy for helping me on a path to success.
As an entrepreneur, what are some lessons you've learned during your career?
Research, network, buy smart, and smile!
What tips or advice would you give someone who's about to start a business?
Do your research, do your planning and commit.
What inspirational quote do you model your business around?
In business and sales, this has always been true. Some will, some won't, so what? Next.
Add commitment, the power of positive thinking, a thankful heart and respect for diverse people, and you have a ticket for success
When faced with difficulties, what helps you get through them?
My spirituality