Summer 2006
Get Framed By Emily Lambert

Eye-Catching Designs

“Frames used to be generic in appearance,” but no more! That’s according to Michael Russo, president of The Gift Association of America (GAA), the oldest and largest trade association of gift retailers and wholesalers, based in Johnstown, PA. Those plain-Jane rectangles of old are nowhere to be seen in today’s lineup of chic, sophisticated and even whimsical designs that offer gift shop retailers just the right accent to capture the shoppers’ attention and turn browsing into buying.

Today’s frame-makers are busy creating eye-catching designs in every imaginable color and shape—and for every budget. From low-cost versions designed to capture impulse sales, to high-end, high-art designs meant to be handed down generation after generation, the frame category now adds up to roughly $3 billion in annual sales, Russo estimates. And the future for frames is bright, he says. “I don’t see [the market] rolling back.”

No longer content to “sit on a shelf,” today’s frames are well positioned as full-fledged home-decor accents, says Allison Zisko, group editor of tabletop for Home Furnishings News. Many are beautifully packaged, to motivate sales all across the board—and target the gift-buying consumer in particular.

Digital drive

A major force driving frame sales is the increased adoption of digital cameras. According to the Photo Marketing Association International, 2005 was a banner year for digital cameras, with more than 20 million sold. In the same year, consumers generated an estimated 4 billion photo prints from their home printers, up 24 percent from 2004. And the Association expects that figure to rise another 20 percent in 2006. All of those prints have to go somewhere!

Frame sales “were on the wane, then digital cameras became popular,” says Russo of the GAA. “Now with the ease of developing photos at home, people are making multiple pictures at a time and giving them as gifts.” Happily, these homemade photos are often presented in handcrafted frames that have been purchased for that specific gift-giving purpose.

Russo also credits the growth of home offices for bolstering frame sales, and the US Census figures back him up. From 1990 to 2000, the Census shows, the number of Americans working from home grew by 23 percent, to nearly 4.2 million people—double the growth rate of the overall workforce during the same period. He adds that those who work at home are more likely to buy a decorative frame, because the office is viewed as an extension of the home.

As Russo notes, with so many frame designs on the market, and varying price points to match, gift buyers can readily find a frame that “automatically falls into a desired gift level.” A frame also is a “safe” gift, making it the go-to standard for a wide range of occasions, some important—most notably weddings and baby showers—and some less heady, like a neighbor’s birthday.

Frames enjoy an intrinsic advantage. A frame is the perfect gift, says Stephanie Blank, owner of Blankety Blank Designs, a leading manufacturer of handcrafted frames and other gift items in Santa Monica, CA. “Everybody always needs another picture frame . . . it’s a gift anyone will appreciate.” And it’s a gift more and more people enjoy giving.

Keep it unique

Because so many retailers sell frames these days—from mass merchandisers and drug stores to craft stores and even grocery stores, Russo says independent gift shop owners must stock unusual frames that consumers won’t find anywhere else. “Customers will spend money on unique items,” Russo says, but the emphasis has to be on unique. Fortunately, there is good news for gift shop owners on the competition front, says Zisko of Home Furnishings News. She reports that department stores are less invested in this category than they once were.

Retailers in search of unique designs will be delighted to discover Diane Markin’s self-described “quirky works of funky style.” Markin, who designs and wholesales one-of-a-kind frames from her El Sagundo, CA headquarters, solders stained glass, beads, wire, and even antique cutlery to create artistic whimsical frames that make shoppers stop in their tracks.

“We have an antique silver-plated line where we smash [silverware] and curl the ends,” says Markin, who has been wholesaling her offbeat frames, candleholders and jewelry boxes since 1993. As for what sells best, designs that play up bold colors are the biggest hits, she says. “I have never sold so many multi-colored things—it must be forced gaiety,” she says. “They say when people are secure, they wear black, but when they need a pick-up, they buy color.”

Linda Bateman, owner of Beautiful Things in Woodbury, NJ, is another frame supplier with unique offerings. She specializes in antique reproductions that also are handmade works of art. “We find an antique picture frame, make a model and a mold [of it], and cast it in fine pewter. It’s an heirloom, like buying a piece of fine jewelry,” she says. “They’re popular because they’re unique.” Demand is high for her Victorian, Art Deco and Equestrian lines, she says. In fact, animal-themed frames are popular buys in many gift stores, with dog lovers the unofficial biggest buyers of the group.

Furry friends

At Blankety Blank Designs, the company’s pet-themed, handcrafted frames are collected by Joni Mitchell, Britney Spears and Dustin Hoffman, according to owner Stephanie Blank. “Our main push is pet themes, specifically purebred dogs,” she says. The frames have been so well received that the line has grown far beyond its original launch. “At first we had 3 breeds, then 10, then 30, and now we have almost every breed recognized by the American Kennel Club,” Blank says. Some retailers choose to sell only certain breeds, while others stock the entire line.

The Amen Wardy Home store in Aspen, CO, stocks every breed that Blankety Blank offers, with great results. Store owner Amen Wardy describes the line’s sales as “unbelievable.”

For gift shop owners who want to order their first assortment, Blank suggests a more focused approach at the outset—an assortment of the company’s 15 most-popular breeds. Retailers can then expand the line after customers’ buying patterns become evident and requests for additional breeds suggest new opportunities.

Key to the company’s success is the line’s one-of-a-kind look and feel.

The frames are constructed from wood and decoupaged with vintage designs from “long ago, out-of-print, very collectible paper,” says Blank. No two designs are alike, and each piece is signed.

Magnetic Force

At Three by Three Seattle, a designer of wonderfully trend-forward giftables in Seattle, WA, retailers can choose from several attractive magnetic frame options. The company’s Surround Your Friends line is a set of four small (4” x 43/4”) thick vinyl magnetic frames, two circles and two squares in attractive colors with open centers for photos, ready for placement in the center of the fridge or any other metal surface.

For a more upscale look, Three by Three has designed Colornetics, a line of S-shaped, colorful, powder-coated tabletop frames onto which photos are held by four small button-sized powerful magnets. The frames are powder-coated on both sides, so photos can be displayed on both sides of the frame. Plus, by simply popping off the small round magnets, “It’s easy to change the photos, and you can use [the frame to display] all different sizes of photos,” since the magnets can be placed in any position on the frame, says Kelsey Heebink, a company spokesperson. “With so many people doing digital [photos] in different sizes,” the frames appeal to customers who don’t want to be restricted to displaying just one size photo, and those who want to change their photos often.

Sophisticated simplicity

On the less-whimsical end of the spectrum, natural sophisticated materials are creating a stir. “There’s an emphasis on color, texture, brushed finishes, and combining wood and metal,” says Zisko of Home Furnishings News. Vanessa Hunnibell, communications director for Swing Ltd., known for combining materials such as wood, metal, leather and glass, agrees: “Natural materials are a huge trend.” A perfect example is the company’s top-selling Resort line, which features espresso-colored wood frames with tatami-wrap details. (Tatami is a dried grass frequently used to make Japanese mats.)

Natural materials for frames also include inlays, such as those in Brooklyn, NY wholesaler Eccolo’s top-selling line, a marquetry frame collection that features a wood frame “dyed a little bit of white” with inlaid mother-of-pearl, according to Ralph Shamah, vice president of sales and marketing. “Most of our best-selling photo frames are brown or beige,” he says, because “most people buy frames to match their home [decor], and a neutral [color] is going to match every person’s couch.”

Mother-of-pearl is also a big seller for frame wholesaler Leeber Limited in Newark, DE. “We showed mother-of-pearl for the second time in our January show and got substantial orders,” says Jerry Kiernan, national sales manager. He credits the high perceived value of mother-of-pearl.

Delivering the goods

On the lighter side—literally—are Swing Ltd.’s line of Mailable frames. Mailable frames are a cross between greeting cards and photo frames. They feature a high-quality, sturdy greeting card mat base and a photo insert on the front, which is made of faux-leather with a grosgrain ribbon that can be used to hold the frame open for tabletop use. The fronts of the frames have imprinted sayings such as “Love You,” “Thank You,” or “Remember This.” Or for baby: “Adorable,” “Look at Me,” or “Our New Arrival.” The frames are lightweight enough for mailing, yet sturdy enough to hold up on a desk or living room table for years.

Whether your customers want to add a final touch to their living room or home office, show off their digital photography, or are simply in search of the perfect personal gift to match an occasion or a personality—they are in luck. With so many frames available in a such a wide variety of styles, gift shop retailers can meet every customer’s needs. The question for gift store retailers isn’t whether to carry frames, but which frames to carry.

Emily Lambert

Lambert, a regular writer for GIFT SHOP, resides in Philadelphia. She can be reached at emilylambert@comcast.net.




Social Connections


📣 Meet our speakers! 📣The Garden Center Show, presented by Lawn & Garden Retailer, is excited to announce our Keynote Speakers! 📣 Michelle Sherrier: Owner of MC Design Academy and host of The Retail Whore Podcast📣 Tim Quebedeaux: Owner of RetailKPI and Service Provider for The Garden Center GroupBe sure to check them out, along with our full, FREE conference schedule for The Garden Center Show, Aug. 6-7 in Rosemont, IL.🔗 Register for FREE: LGRMag.com/GCSRegister🌐 Learn more: www.gardencentershow.com🚌 Bus tour info: lgrmag.com/LGRBusTour#GCS24 #GardenCenterShow #GardenEvents #InPersonEvent #Networking #RetailStrategies #SpecialtyRetailers #GardenCenter #Conference #speaker #keynotespeaker ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
Gift Shop Plus Winter 2024
Get one year of Gift Shop Plus in both print and digital editions for just $16.

Interested in reading the print edition of Gift Shop Plus?

Subscribe Today »

website development by deyo designs