Toula's Home Gift Garden

I am headed to New York City this week, on a buying trip for Toula’s. I will be scouring the market for unique items that work well together and serve as thoughtful gifts. This time of the year I usually fly to California for buying, but I decided it was time to mix it up.

New York is always inspiring—the cool shops, the outrageous store windows, the street fashion. I love ducking into favorite department stores such as Barney’s, Muji, and Takashimaya, and catching a Broadway show. But the best thing is just walking around the city and soaking up the energy of Manhattan.

I will spend the most time at an enormous gift show at the Jacob Javits Center. The New York gift show is one of the best I have found. Thousands of vendors come from all over the world to display their products. For those of you who have experienced a gift show know, the whole thing can be overwhelming. The best part of the hunt is stumbling upon a wonderful gem that I know my customers will love, and will be unique to Toula’s. The summer show is a special treat because it is there that I buy for the upcoming holiday season. It is always a blast gathering holiday merchandise in the dog days of summer. When everyone else is thinking beach or perhaps back-to-school, we are thinking Hanukkah and Christmas! As the product deliveries start to arrive in the fall, it feels like a big surprise. I sometimes forget what I purchased until it lands and we unpack the boxes with great anticipation. Often customers are shopping in the store as we tear into cartons of wonderful gifts and self-indulgences, and they enjoy looking at the new stuff as much as we do. I have often sold things right out of the packing box.

Since opening the store in 2004, I have developed a pretty good sense of how to gather products to meet our customers’ needs four or five months ahead of time. I often look for things with certain people in mind, knowing that they will get a thrill when they come into the store and discover what I’ve found. I guess in a way I am a personal shopper, which has become a lot of fun.

Please stop by the store in the coming months to check out the exciting offerings Toula’s will have this fall and holiday season. I won’t mind if you dig through the boxes with us to discover what great things have arrived!

Eric