303 | What Retail Shops Look for When Buying Wholesale with Ginger Diaz, Feliz Modern & Rancho Diaz

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Jul 25, 2023

Ginger Diaz, the owner of Feliz Modern and Rancho Diaz in San Antonio, brings a vibrant approach to retail by showcasing art from local and global makers. She shares her journey of overcoming challenges during the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of relationships in retail. Ginger discusses her buying preferences, highlighting red flags in manufacturer pitches and what draws her to independent brands. She also reveals how teamwork and tools like Trello and Slack have streamlined operations, enabling her to create joyful shopping experiences.

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ANECDOTE

Landlord Relationship

Ginger Diaz asked her landlord for lease relief during the pandemic, showing her financials.
Surprisingly, they were accommodating, leading to a win-win and even a third store later.

INSIGHT

Mainstreaming Local Art

Feliz Modern aimed to mainstream local art, making it accessible daily.
They added other product categories to attract wider customer base, increasing store traffic.

ADVICE

Working with Artists

Work with artists who can meet retail demand sustainably.
Collaborate on product adaptations for broader accessibility, like Kelly O'Connor's prints.

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Opening a retail storefront is no joke. It's a whole lot of work and a completely different business model than selling products online or to the wholesale market. Brick-and-mortar retail requires different strategies, operational systems, and of course staffing needs. I know there are many of you who dream of someday opening a shop, in fact, we have many product brands that also have brick-and-mortar shops in our Proof to Product community.

So today we're going to hear from Ginger Diaz, the owner of Feliz Modern and Rancho Diaz in San Antonio, Texas. Ginger Diaz came to retail to bring her favorite artists’ and makers’ works to a wider audience. What started as one brick-and-mortar shop in San Antonio has expanded to a second shop, as well as their online store at felizmodern.com, for those national customers that they service. All three shops are centered around products that bring joy and some cheeky fun to their customers. It's a small business full of hundreds of other small businesses and makers from around the globe.

On today's episode, we're talking to Ginger about motivations for opening her stores, how relationships played a key role in their survival during the pandemic, and how Ginger's incredible staff has helped improve efficiencies in her business. We also talk a little bit about her buying preferences and red flags that she sees in manufacturers' pitches or outreach, and what she looks for when she's purchasing from smaller independent brands.

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!

You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/303

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