SF Mercantile began in 2008 with the objective of producing high-quality San Francisco gifts and keepsakes designed by local artists. Their products celebrate the vibrant and diverse culture that is unique to California, and all of their items are designed by artists who live in the San Francisco Bay area.

The company was started by Robert Emmons, who saw a niche in the market after working on a project to revamp the gift shops at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park and Coit Tower. Both of these outlets were in terrible shape, and the assortments consisted of the cheapest of low-end souvenirs (since then the Japanese Tea Garden has been transformed by a new concessionaire, and Coit Tower will hopefully follow suite soon when it changes hands). While trying to plan a new assortment, it became clear that there was a very limited assortment available to retailers and a need for a better line of San Francisco mementos that are trendier, updated and designed by local artists who know and love the city.

After many years of designing products for other retailers, Robert decided it was time to leave the corporate world behind and create a product line of his own, so in 2008 he began collaborating with other local designers, partnering with the best factories in the industry, emptying his savings, and then converting his garage into a makeshift warehouse; SF Mercantile was born.

SF Mercantile launched their line with 12 San Francisco themed items in the spring of 2009 and since then have grown their product assortment to hundreds of designs, including San Francisco, Wine Country, Sausalito, East Bay/Oakland, Coastal and General California, as well as New Mexico, Arizona and Lake Tahoe. They also design and produce custom products for customers throughout the US and are currently working on new SF Mercantile designs that will be available later this year.

Here, Robert shares how his career background set the stage for him to build out the SF Mercantile brand. Robert and Michelle discuss the launch of his product line and how it’s expanded over the years. Robert also shares details of his new retail space, how he’s learned to delegate responsibility to others, what holiday looks like for SF Mercantile, and his transformational work within the San Francisco community.

Cadeau Ami Agency is solely a road rep agency of 10+ associates that handle the state of CA, AZ, HI, and parts of Nevada for many of their 23 or so boutique/gift brands, such as Chive, SF Mercantile, Sock it to Me, French Broad Chocolate, Pomegranate, Calypso Cards, Good Juju, Ryland Peters & Small, Kei & Molly and has been a part of the industry for over 30 years now.

What’s Inside:

• How Robert built the SF Mercantile brand
• All about Robert’s new retail space
• Robert’s work within the San Francisco community

Mentioned In This Episode:
SF Mercantile
SF Mercantile Store on Instagram
SF Mercantile Store on Facebook

This week’s episode is sponsored by @salesproducersinc, a progressive business to business company representing Gift, Lifestyle, Fashion, Personal Care, & Kids lines selling to retail stores with a mission to create long lasting, profitable relationships by adding significant value to our Customer, Vendor, and Team partners. For more information, check out their social media or website
www.salesproducersinc.com

Kelly Bristol is Vice President of Business Development at Just Got 2 Have It, a B2B Sales Representative Agency with 5 divisions serving 36 states. She is an accomplished senior leader in the gift and home industry with nearly 25 years of experience in the sector. Prior experience includes almost 20 years working on the National Stationery Show as well as subsequent positions at the Dallas Market Center, Brandwise/MarketTime, and Purchasing Power Plus, a hospital gift shop buying group.

Kelly is a board member of Gift for Life, the gift and home industry’s longest-running, volunteer-led national charitable organization, and is a Founding Partner of the new industry movement, Reps are Local Too!

In this conversation, Kelly shares all the details on the Reps are Local Too movement and how it’s bringing rep agencies together from across the country. Kelly and Michelle dive into the benefits of working with your local rep as a retailer and some of the challenges of buying outside of that process. Kelly also shares her experience at trade shows and how she sees the wholesale industry changing in the future.

What’s Inside:

• Kelly’s work with the Reps are Local Too movement
• The benefits of working with your local rep as a retailer
• How agencies are streamlining the trade show experience

Mentioned In This Episode:
Reps Are Local Too
Reps Are Local Too on Instagram
Reps Are Local Too on Facebook

This week’s episode is sponsored by Fine Lines, a west coast wholesale rep agency with showrooms in Las Vegas and Seattle representing over 50 fabulous gifts, fashion + home lines.

Along with his partner Bryce, Andrew Gawdun runs the shop curious... in Hermosa Beach, CA. Andrew started his journey in Colorado at a young age before moving to Nevada with family and then Southern Utah for a few years in his early 20’s. He launched himself into the world of photography, where he opened his own business and then relocated it to Southern California.

During the spring of 2012, Bryce and Andrew met at curious... in Hermosa Beach, where Bryce was sanding wood for a table he was building. They started dating, and soon Bryce convinced Andrew to help with the stationery buying for curious… Hermosa Beach. It was all over then. In November of 2015, Andrew and Bryce married as well as started the adoption process.

2017 June led to the opening of curious… Kauai. After a truck drove through the new location, a month after opening, they spent the next 4 months refocusing the vibe of the Kauai location and making sure they had better wall security. curious… Kauai reopened November 2017. By May of 2018, Andrew and Bryce flew to Missouri to adopt their daughter Willow.

During the early part of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe and altered life and business. Andrew, Bryce, and Willow managed to head back to Kauai for the spring season in early March, but like everyone else in the U.S., they were put under Stay-at-Home Orders. During those two months, they launched their online store and came to the tough decision to downsize from two brick and mortars to just one.

After careful consideration, they closed the Kauai, HI, location just shy of 3 years open. This meant also a move from their home on the island as well. Andrew and Bryce know they’ll return to the island one day, but in the meantime, they’re enjoying life full time in Hermosa Beach, CA.

Here, Andrew shares the history of the store and how it evolved over the years. Andrew and I discuss buying at shows, all of the different departments in store, and the challenges of keeping up with social media. Andrew also shares his thoughts on standing behind your brand and being unique and his buying strategy for the upcoming holiday season.


What’s Inside:

• The history of the curious… store
• The importance of standing behind your brand
• How Andrew’s planning for the upcoming holiday season

Mentioned In This Episode:
www.curiousworkshop.com
Curious on Instagram
Curious on Facebook