AOW Insider | Interview with Laurie Kanes of 12 Small Things

Managing a Brick & Mortar Shop During a Pandemic

This month, I decided to interview my dear friend and colleague Laurie Kanes, founder of 12 Small Things. I have had the honor of working with Laurie in the past and see her as a mentor as she has been working with artisans for quite some time. She masterfully juggles the roles and responsibilities of being a sales rep while taking the bold move to open up a beautiful retail shop in San Francisco as a way to showcase many of the artisan brands which she represents. 

Since many of you may have a physical retail space, I thought I would focus the interview on how she is managing, what is selling, and key tips for staying afloat during these times. Read more below.

In summary, how was life running a brick and mortar prior to the pandemic and how are you coping now? 

I have had an e-commerce site for 10 years, but a brick and mortar store for just about four years. It’s kind of like having another child, one who needs constant attention. That is often challenging as my daughters are grown now and I was used to having my weekends free. I’ve never done a lot of marketing for my website or store, but the longer I’ve been open the more customers are discovering 12 Small Things and are very appreciative of the concept. Since we closed the store two months ago – per our mayor’s guidance – people have been very sympathetic and are ordering online and via email. They are really hoping I can hang in there until we are allowed to open again.

For those who aren't familiar, can you tell us a bit about your shop? 

12 Small Things is a collection of fashionable, fairly-traded gifts that are handmade by artisans in need of support around the world. I am based in San Francisco, where I previously worked in the creative department for Esprit, The Gap, Williams Sonoma, and Red Envelope – all before the economy tanked in 2008. I started my website in 2009 but realized pretty quickly that I wasn’t going to make a living on that alone so I took a job as a sales rep working for Keena Co. That opportunity led me to represent some of my artisan groups to other retailers as well. In 2016 I saw a small, vacant retail space near my home in Bernal Heights and thought it would be nice to have an office and showroom where I could showcase and sell my products.  

Since we are in the midst of a pandemic, I think it's only appropriate to ask how you are coping. Do you have any tips regarding ways to stay afloat throughout this crisis?

I am coping pretty well, thanks to my family’s support and an understanding landlord who is helping me with rent until I can reopen. One of the artisan groups I represent, Indigo Handloom, started selling masks in early April and I bought some wholesale to put on my website. I sent an unconventional email for Easter featuring the masks as a thoughtful gift for spring and the 36 I had ordered sold out in under an hour. Indigo Handloom decided to concentrate on their own retail sales, but I was able to purchase other masks from a local artist and friend, and have now sold over 150 masks this past month. We have donated $500 to National Nurses United's Disaster Relief Fund to help support their advocacy work across the country and internationally.

This early decision to sell much-needed masks that are also giving back has helped me reach new customers and keep customers visiting my website. I am also offering free shipping during the store closure but I am trying to drop off the San Francisco orders in person to save postage when possible. I am using my store windows for messaging, letting the public know they can call or email me for special orders as well as how thankful I am for their support. Before the pandemic, we lost a couple of other stores on the block to the retail slowdown and I am one of the few gift shops left in the neighborhood.

I have been taking photos of my products for my website with my phone in the store, instead of hiring my photographer friend, who I miss and will still use in the future for lifestyle photography. I am also using my vendor’s photography when available with permission. This has really helped me to stay responsive and frugal during the shutdown. 

Are you still placing orders from artists? What ways are you still able to help from your side? 

Yes, I am still trying to get all my orders from the NY gift shows delivered but many artisans have been affected by the pandemic and have slower production time or can’t ship due to their country’s restrictions. I think when stores reopen, people are going to want to treat themselves to some pent-up retail therapy. I want to make sure the store is ready and looks great. 

Are you still selling wholesale? If so, how are you managing your orders due to the shutdown? 

I have two key accounts I mainly represent wholesalers to: Whole Foods California and Cost Plus World Market. Whole Foods has stayed open and busy during this time, but they place orders well in advance, so it’s pretty much business as usual. I just received orders for holiday and am working on presentations for next year’s consideration.

World Market had initially remained open, but closed a week or two after the shelter-in-place guidance, even though they do sell packaged foods and beverages. They have made adjustments to their staffing and had to cancel some of my orders in the pipeline for summer, but seem to be gearing up for reopening in the fall. I am busy making sure those orders will be ready to ship from my vendors, although many have also had their international production capacity affected by the shutdown. 

Where do you think retail is headed after this pandemic? In one sense, I think people will crave human contact and experiences so perhaps this could be good for retail but on the other hand, I see it being a long haul to get back to where we were. What are your thoughts? 

I agree on both counts. Since my store is fairly small, I will have to only allow one customer with their companion(s) in at a time and may need to offer scheduled appointments. That will obviously be limiting and challenging around the holidays, so I will need to figure out some prepackaged gift ideas for quick shopping that my employee could help me fulfill outside the store. 

What would you have changed knowing this was all going to happen? 

How can one ever prepare for the unknown? I am lucky that I’m a very small business and don’t have much debt or a large overhead. I do have one employee who had been working on Sundays for me, that I am trying to still pay even though the store is closed. She has been a tremendous help to me and is a wonderful person, and I want her to come back when it’s safe and she feels comfortable.

What items and price points have been selling best for you recently?

Besides the masks (which are $20 each), I’ve been selling simple European tea towels (from Mierco Linens) for $24, which are a cheerful gift to send in the mail. I sold a number of block-printed cotton robes (from Natural Habitat) for $80 each around Mother’s Day. I have also been selling handwoven palm baskets from Makaua ($30 - $140), that I received right after non-essential stores were closed in San Francisco. I’ve placed them in my store windows and am getting email requests to purchase fairly frequently. I think some people are using this time to spruce up their homes and are looking for attractive storage solutions. 

Can you share any marketing or sales strategies that have been working? 

I find the more I post my new products on Instagram and Facebook, the more customers are finding me there. I email only around the major holidays, as people get too many emails as it is. 

What’s next for 12 Small Things?

Before the pandemic, I was working on a collection of artisan products to sell wholesale to companies in the hospitality business, like boutique hotels, spas, and resorts, who obviously are closed right now. But I do think when the world starts to slowly reopen, that people will still want to take trips to explore new places, after sheltering in place for so long. I am using this time to get this collection together and build a wholesale website that people can shop from. It’s nice to have a little downtime to get to some of these projects that had to wait while I was so busy.

Anything else you would like to add?

The other unexpected bonus to this forced shutdown is that I have more time to spend at home with my family. My daughters are sheltering with us for awhile, we do yoga and cook meals together and I get to take walks and have lunch with my husband which is new. Obviously, we are very fortunate to have a home and enough income to be able to enjoy these simple pleasures. I rent my store and office space from the local community center, which is busy every day getting food to those in need, and I see the effect the shutdown is having on our homeless population when I ride my bike around the city. So I am conflicted in my emotions during this time, particularly with the politics of this pandemic. I will be actively campaigning for a change in our federal government come November! 

For more info, please visit: https://12smallthings.com/