Wholesale News & Articles

Although kiosks and carts are increasingly present all year long, they swell by double digit proportions during the fourth quarter holiday season, propelled by none other than Santa. For retail vendors and beginning entrepreneurs who may have missed cashing in on Christmas this year, it's never too early to plan for holiday 2008.

Among the most prominent of Santa related cart and kiosk suppliers are The Gift Giant Ltd., based in Central Islip, NY, and creator of the, "Personalized by Santa," holiday ornament cart concept, and Honolulu based, Joseph K. & Company LLC, which offers the, "Santa's Pen Christmas Ornament Personalization Station," program.

This year, the two have formed an alliance that will take Gift Giant's holiday program to 352 malls throughout the U.S., and both companies have plans for significant expansion in 2008. Under the agreement, Gift Giant adds 77 Santa's Pen ornament carts to its existing realm of more than 278 Personalized by Santa cart programs, previously negotiated with vendors.

Michael Brielmann, Gift Giant president and CEO, said, "This agreement gives Gift Giant a much larger footprint in key markets throughout the U.S., and a stronger market position during the 2007 holiday season. The additional Santa's Pen carts will offer our customers incredible access to the most diverse and attractively priced product line in the industry," he added. It also opens up additional opportunities for both Santa's Pen and Personalized by Santa vendors.

The program's combined product mix includes Gift Giant, Santa's Pen, Deb & Co., and Kurt Adler personalized Christmas ornaments, stockings, table toppers, and other holiday gifts. Brielmann said the combined program, "will generate significant sales revenue and profits to increase our market position in 2008 and beyond."

In announcing the collaboration, Karen E. Sotomura, president of Joseph K. & Company, said, "With the constant evolution of the specialty retailing industry and the manner in which mall leases are now awarded, we have made the complex decision to accept Gift Giant as one of our Santa's Pen operators."

The Gift Giant will oversee a majority of Santa's Pen locations at General Growth Properties and Simon Properties, under the Santa's Pen trade name. Simon is the country's largest owner of malls and shopping centers, and General Growth is not far behind.

"We have always been known for our attractive designs, and we are pleased to announce that they will now not only be available through our Santa's Pen independent operators, but also through Gift Giant's Personalized By Santa carts," Sotomura said.

Santa's Pen pioneered the concept of personalized ornament carts in 1995. Neither a franchise nor a licensed program, it offers vendors a turnkey program that requires no royalties, license fees or advertising fees, but does provide comprehensive training.

While the company helps its cart and kiosk vendors secure prime locations and provides an exhaustive support program, it ensures that they own their own cart business, set their own hours and hire and manage their own personnel. At no charge, a national consultant helps vendors along every step of the specialty leasing process, and each Santa's Pen operator is assigned a customer service representative to assist throughout the holiday season.

Giant Gift's Personalized by Santa program is equally comprehensive. In addition to its Santa program, Giant Gift is currently testing a, "ggBaby," personalized gift carts program at select locations. Less seasonal, it sells personalized gifts for infants and toddlers.

For more information, contact:

The Gift Giant Ltd.
555 North Research Place
Central Islip, NY 11722
Tel.: 631-242-4929
Websites: www.personalizedbysanta.com

Joseph K. Company LLC
Santa's Pen
P.O. Box 26026
Honolulu, HI 96825
Toll Free: 800-459-9627
Tel.: 808-593-2883
Fax: 808-593-8082
Website: www.santaspen.com

Article ID: 357