Gift Shop Plus Summer 2024

‘Not Your Grandma’s Gift Shop’: Luster makes bold statements through its stylish goods By Carly McFadden

If there’s an overarching theme to Luster, it’s delight and levity. From its colorful, witty products to the cheerful faces that greet shoppers, Luster provides a reprieve from everyday anxieties and tasks.

The specialty gift shop is situated in Shaker Heights on Cleveland’s east side. Tamar Brecher and Robin McCann, co-owners, met each other through their children. After years of volunteering and executing school projects and events, the two women recognized that they work well together.

When they got wind of a space being developed in the heart of the Van Aken District — a trend-forward destination full of local, independently-owned shops and restaurants — Brecher and McCann seized the opportunity and opened Luster in 2018.

CURATED COLLECTIONS

Luster covers the gamut of retail categories, including tabletop, home décor, games and puzzles, jewelry and accessories, and bath and body. Notable brands include Marlyn Schiff jewelry, Jonathan Adler, and handbags from both Royln and Shiraleah.

The Luster customer is typically a woman ranging anywhere from 30 to 75 years old. “She likes to go out. She’s giving gifts to teachers and coaches and a friend on her 40th birthday. She likes entertaining,” Brecher said.

Added McCann: “She’s fun. She’s whimsical. She likes color — and she has a sense of humor.”

To cater to this “it” customer, Luster stocks snarky cards, coasters and napkins that draw a laugh. “In addition, we’re colorful. We’re not your grandma’s gift shop,” McCann said.

Brecher and McCann discovered apparel as a top-selling category thanks to the pandemic, which made its fateful arrival to the U.S. just 18 months after Luster opened.

“We, like most businesses, had to pivot,” McCann said. “We brought in clothes, we brought in sweats and cozy sweatshirts and blankets, more blankets — things that people were using because they were staying home. And the clothing really took off.”

Like a majority of specialty gift shops, Luster doesn’t have a fitting room in-store, so they sell lots of tops and easy-sizing items.

“We stay away from basics and we try to find fun, livable tops,” McCann said. “We have sweatshirts and a great line of fun unisex T-shirts. In the winter, we do lots of outerwear vests and jackets in addition to hats, gloves and scarves. I think the apparel represents a modern woman with an edge.”

SOURCING

Brecher and McCann source their products in a variety of ways, including in-person markets, social media and Faire.

“We go to markets, which is our favorite way to buy because we’re actually able to touch and see the products and actually meet a lot of the owners,” Brecher said. “It’s so great to meet someone that developed something that you’re putting into your store.”

Brecher’s favorite part of owning Luster is buying merchandise and curating their own array of products. Second to that is seeing how those products are received by customers and identifying the bestsellers or any surprises.

Through their recent buying ventures, Luster’s co-owners identified a favorite trend: Across categories, color is making its comeback and resonating with customers.

“Color is really big right now. We’re seeing brighter, more varied stones in jewelry. We’re seeing brighter, more colorful kitchen towels and kitchen utensils, and even candle packaging is fun,” McCann said. “There was that period in COVID where things were so neutral and there was no color, and jewelry was pretty simple. So it’s really fun to see florals and patterns again.”

MERCHANDISING

At only 896 square feet, Luster’s floor space requires every single foot be used to its maximum potential. But McCann, who also acts as the store’s merchandiser, gladly takes on the challenge.

“One of the things that we’ve learned from having a brick-and- mortar store is that there are certainly spots in our store that sell better than others,” she said. “All spaces have dead spots, so there are just places where our eyes naturally go quicker. So one of our biggest strategies — even though I know I drive everybody here crazy — is just moving things around a lot.”

Luster’s front windows are remerchandised every month, but the interior of the store is shifted weekly, from the displays to the front tables to the shelves and the way clothes are hung. “Sometimes when things are really popular, they’re in multiple places around our store,” McCann said.

While the merchandising efforts require a great deal of work and creativity, the strategy has proven successful for Luster.

“Sometimes people will come in and say, ‘Oh, is that new?’ and we could have had it for a month, but it’s just got a new spot. There’s a reason why we do it, even if it drives us crazy,” Brecher said with a laugh.

SPARKING COMMUNITY

Shaker Heights is a tight-knit community, and the Van Aken District acts as a natural gathering place. Luster holds monthly events to bring people together and get shoppers in-store. Events include karaoke nights, happy hours, hair tinsel and jewelry piercing parties.

“Those are almost expected of us now. Everyone’s like, ‘When’s your next piercing event? When are you doing the tinsel party?’” Brecher said. “It just adds a really extra fun element to our store, and I think they’re important.”

Luster also engages with the community with its active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok, thanks to its “brilliant” director of marketing, events and social media, McCann said. Through the company’s two TikToks a week — which get cross-posted across Facebook and Instagram — customers gain an insight into the personalities behind Luster.

“We dance and sing and do a lot of really ridiculous things to horrify our children,” McCann joked. “But I think it shares the vibe of our store which is that we don’t really take ourselves too seriously. We’re pretty silly and like to have fun, and I think you can see that in our socials.”

This unabashed cheerfulness, whimsy and positivity also radiate through every inch of the store and its product selection, creating an energy hard to find elsewhere.

“I feel so lucky because I love going to work. I love that we built this great store together,” McCann said. “Tamar and I have an amazing team. I love working with Tamar; she’s the perfect business partner for me. We really, truly work so hard — and have a great time doing it.”