Watercolor & Whimsy: Cami Monet brings delight to retail
Artistry and retail are in Cami Monet Miller’s blood.
Before opening Cami Monet — a gift retailer located in Winter Park, Florida — Miller created watercolor wedding invitations, custom work, wholesale and other products.
“My dad is a watercolor artist, so I basically learned everything I know from him,” she said. “About 10 years ago, I was like, ‘I really need to focus on one piece of the puzzle, because it’s getting a little too overwhelming.’”
As such, Miller chose to prioritize wholesale and even had her products featured in Target and Anthropologie. Her namesake brand outgrew her home studio, and she found a building available on Craigslist.
“It was the ugliest, stinkiest building in person when we first went and looked at it, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love it. It’s perfect. I see the vision.’”
As Miller moved her studio supplies in, she noticed potential in the front room to transform it into a retail space. “There’s this beautiful light, and the outside of the building has so much curb appeal,” she said. “It’s always been a far-off dream of mine to have a storefront, but not something I was really intending to pursue. So at seven months pregnant, I said, ‘You know what? We’re
gonna try this as a store.’”
Miller’s husband renovated the front room into “the tiniest, little, cutest, 200-square-foot store,” and the brick-and-mortar retail location under the name “Cami Monet” opened in November 2021.
‘UNNECESSARY NECESSITIES’
Cami Monet stocks Miller’s own watercolor line, but the store offers a variety of complementary product items from other industry artists and wholesalers — from gifts to home décor to its bestselling category, partyware.
“Party pennants, placemats, things like that, are a natural complement to things like paper plates, napkins and party cups,” Miller said. “We have a huge selection of all kinds of partyware.”
The store’s overall bestseller is its party pennant flags.
“They have beautiful ribbons and sparkles, and they have just become such a hit because they just add so much to every occasion,” she said. “They just hit this sweet spot for our customer where they want to have the aesthetic of looking like a ‘DIY Pinterest’ mom without actually needing to do that DIY.”
Gifts such as puzzles and books also perform well in-store, she added.
Miller’s overall vision for Cami Monet is to provide the “unnecessary necessities” in life. When sourcing items, the Cami Monet team seeks high-quality, unique offerings that are not over-produced in the market.
“I want people to come in and say, ‘Oh my God, this is the cutest thing ever.’ If I don’t get the reaction, I know I’m doing something wrong,” she said. “… I just want to invite everyone to delight in little details and champion the phrase, ‘Why not?’ Why not add some paper plates to breakfast? Why not get a card today? Just make everything fun.”
EXPERIENTIAL SHOPPING
Customers who shop in-store versus online are typically seeking out a personalized experience, Miller observed through Cami Monet.
“The experience you give your customers is almost just as important as the product itself,” she said. “When a customer walks into our store we like them to feel like they’re coming into a party, and we’re the hostess who’s welcoming them into a place they’ve never been before.”
The Cami Monet team lives by the “Second Mile Rule,” meaning they are committed to always going the extra mile with radical customer services.
“We want to be unforgettably kind, helpful and just make everything feel like a gift,” Miller said.
