Blue Hydrangea, a chic and cozy gift store located in Wickford, RI, typifies many of the gift shops we reach. It has a loyal local customer base, gets a lot of tourist traffic and has a good mix of merchandise in all the basic gift categories. When Donna Trottier, its proprietor, learned she had won GIFT SHOP's Ultimate Makeover Contest, she was thrilled. "My customers have been asking why I am going ahead with this, I am excited and change is always good," Trottier said.

The makeover was executed by Donna Kent, a visual merchandiser who has years of experience in the business, including a few at Laura Ashley stores.

Makeover on a Budget
Carpet ............................ $200
Paint ................................ $50
Pilasters ........................... $80
Fabric & trim................... $120
Hardware, etc. ................. $25
Total .............................. $475

GIFT SHOP thanks OneCoast for sponsoring the contest. Jeremy Hirsch, vice president of marketing for the company, said: "OneCoast strives to help its retailers grow their sales. One of the key ways for retailers to boost sales is through terrific merchandising. We love how the GIFT SHOP Magazine's Makeover Contest pairs a design expert with a retailer who can benefit from the improvements."

Donna Trottier and Donna Kent are all smiles after the successful execution of the makeover. "Donna is just the kind of roll-your-sleeves-up person who is so great to work with," said Kent. "We were on schedule, on target, and it feels pretty good all around."

Trottier was delighted with the results. "This was really neat to see: Someone else's interpretation of my inspiration is really valuable," she said.

From left, the makeover team
Patricia Norins, Publisher and CEO of GIFT SHOP,
Donna Trottier, owner of Blue Hydrangea and Donna Kent, visual merchandiser.

Donna Kent is an experienced visual merchandiser with varied experience in retail. She worked as Director of Visual Merchandising for all Laura Ashley stores nationwide. Kent implemented new visual merchandising standards at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and continues to consult there for special exhibitions. She now works as a designer at Bloomsbury Designs in Boston and as an independent retail consultant. Kent can be reached at donnakent@cox.net.

GIFT SHOP magazine is for and about the gift retailer. It's the one-stop resource for information, products, ideas and inspiration. Every issue of GIFT SHOP is jam packed with tips and ideas to increase your bottom line. Subscribe today.

OneCoast is a national provider of wholesale marketing and sales services for home, gift and collegiate products.