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| Knitwits Back in the High Rent District (2005?) |
Yarn shops are like fingerprints, there are no two alike--nor should there be! Every shop has its own personality, merchandise mix, strengths and weaknesses and NONE are perfect! If they look perfect...they must not be very busy. And, if they're busy it doesn't always mean they're making money. Trust me on that one.
People will seek out a Local Yarn Shop (LYS), so location is important but it isn't everything. Rent is a biggee! It is what you pay in rent AND happens within the doors that makes a yarn shop successful...or not.
Yarn shops are the quintessential "Mom and Pop" operations or in the case of Knitwits, "Mom, BFF and Best Employees" operation. Unless you're willing to spend a lot of money, everyone involved in the operation has to wear many hats to keep the doors open. A LYS has to sell a lot of yarn and needles to pay the rent. It is the marketing of the shop, customer service, selling the classes, clubs, events and creating positive experiences that will get people coming back. Building a loyal customer base takes time (lots and lots of it), creativity (lots of crazy ideas), resourcefulness (lots, again) and money (way too much). After nine years, we're finally getting our expenses in line with our sales---but we're working harder than ever!
Turn back the hands of time by 9 years.
Janet knew how to knit but she wasn't a knitter. She thought it would be "fun" to have a little yarn shop and she wrote some of her thoughts down on a cocktail napkin. Soon after, Knitwits Contemporary Yarn Shop was opened as a birthday present from Janet's late husband, George.
An amazing series of events has occurred since then.
We've laughed and we've cried.
George's gift of Knitwits continues to touch and change many lives in too many ways to count!
It has been the gift that keeps giving!
Happy Birthday Janet!
(Jay too, Janet's twin brother)
