Manufacturing Contentment

The day of celebration for St. Valentine goes back hundreds of years, but it wasn’t until the 1840s that what we would recognize as “Valentine’s Day” was reinvented and repackaged in what I hope wasn’t a flash of crass marketing genius.

Because, make no mistake, it’s become big business. The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.

And let’s talk about stress! Getting that right Valentine is crucial – and woe to those who wait to the last moment.

I should know.

Friday afternoon arrived and I was still driving aimlessly around, ducking into jewelry shops and card shops, bike shops and surf shops, looking for that special something for my wife. I was striking out hard and the clock was ticking as my blood pressure climbed.

But then I chanced upon a fruit stand on the south side of Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad. The parking lot was packed, they even had an employee outside in the lot directing traffic. That’s what first caught my eye. Then it was the huge red heart on the outside wall, partially covering a sign for cantaloupes.

I pulled over to see what the commotion was.

I was soon floored by it all. The small florist in the corner of the fruit stand had no fewer than eight female employees scrambling like mad. There was an actual employee traffic jam – a waiting line – at the credit card machine. The store had a ton of flowers, chocolates, some miscellaneous cards and heart-themed trinkets and a whole host of shoppers.

Many of the other spots I had visited that afternoon were quiet or downright deserted. But this place was rocking. Why? Part of it was location. It’s set apart on a busy road, and don’t forget that eye-catching signage outside. It also had a sense of being a destination—a place with a distinct vibe, someplace with soul. Then there were all the employees, full of smiles and compliments and bustling energy; flirty and fun.

This place was a joy to shop, a place where I felt great about laying down my $30.

And, of course, this all got me thinking about boardsports retailing again and whether it would be possible to recreate what I had just experienced.

I don’t know if we could manufacture a holiday just right for the surf, skate, snow, beach lifestyle retailer, but getting that flower-stand enthusiasm right would go a long way toward ringing the register. That was something sorely missing for the surf shops I had visited that day, where nearly empty racks competed with clearance signs for my attention. And don’t get me started on the employees I found behind the registers. Let’s just say there were many “opportunities for improvement.”

A lowly fruit stand thought outside the box and was killing it with great employees, quality full-priced product, and a great joie de vivre attitude. Doesn’t your shop deserve the same recipe for success?


P.S. My lovely wife loved the flowers and my daughters loved the chocolate. Another Valentine's Day massacre thankfully averted.