GIFT SHOP Magazine Winter 2014

THE BIRD BARN

COGNITIVE SURPLUS BABY JACK BLANKETS

globalized world, ‘Made in India’ is no longer ‘exotic’ – it’s commonplace,” he says. “Who wants to walk into a store and purchase something that was mass-produced thousands of miles away when you can get something handcrafted from a person you can tangibly support and sometimes, even meet?” The G2 Gallery stocks Etsy sellers’ merchandise, locally made jewelry, soaps and other items.

From sea to shining sea As Lucas has found there is a wide array of options when it comes to Made in America gift items—from clothing to crafts to food products and more. Terri Toner and her husband, Jonathan, started a small,

local business—Pirate Jonny’s in Clearwater, FL, in 2010. The company sells Caribbean BBQ rubs, seasonings and sauces. “We are always doing events and festivals which allows us constant contact with the consumer,” Toner says. “We often hear from people that they want local.” The same sentiment, she says, comes from the retailers they serve. Natalia Ortiz says that her own experiences as a mother,

drove her belief that quality was more important than price when it came to products targeted at parents and kids. Two Hippos produces innovative products for kids, including

124 GIFT SHOP n Winter 2014

bed rails, cot mats and body pillows. “We are proud to invent, manufacture and sell our unique products and are even more proud that we are making them in the USA,” says Ortiz who admits that she had, at one point, considered going overseas “to make my prices more appealing to the mass market.” Her biggest concern, though, was quality. “My customers love that I’m made in the USA,” she says. “Our products are expensive because of this, but I feel that for our customer base it’s worth it. Made in the USA means that the quality and attention to detail is there—as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.” Boxai is a concept that offers “an exhibition in the palm

ESSSCENTUAL ALCHEMY

of your hand.” It’s a box, in a box, in a box—designed in Santa Barbara, printed in Colorado and folded and fulfi lled through a company in Utah. “It’s nice to help the U.S. economy, although our main motivation for being U.S. made is keeping a very low carbon footprint and knowing that workers who help to make Boxai are treated fairly,”says Mary Aspinwall, marketing director. The Boxai might be likened to a greeting card, but are presented in a 3-D format, with a blank box spring that allows the addition of a personal message.

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