A Taste for Success
Grew up in: Westport, CT. Her father opened the first Stew Leonard’s retail store in the neighboring town of Norwalk, CT.
Education and early experience: After earning degrees in French and business at Skidmore College and Middlebury, Hollis started the bakery business at the family’s retail store. “I went to France after graduation and came back excited about French croissants. I said, ‘Dad, we’ve got to make and sell these at the store.’ He always wanted me to work in the business, and so he gave me the go-ahead to try it.” Croissants became one of the best-selling items in the bakery.
How the catalog was started: The Gift Center Catalog business started 20 years ago with a small brochure. But the idea began accidentally. “A store customer wanted to send some of our products to his clients and asked if we could make baskets for the holidays. We hand-delivered the baskets all over New York and Fairfield County, CT.”
When gift recipients began calling to place orders, a business naturally evolved. Recalls Hollis, “We were all ‘on deck’ when orders came in, making the baskets by hand from products in the store. We each had a list of items at our desks and took calls. The next year we mailed our first brochure, and a year later, our first full catalog.”
Her role at the catalog: Hollis says her job changes daily — from the creative stage and merchandising to marketing and analysis.
Role models: Her father taught her the importance of taking care of the customer. Also, she finds inspiration working with the catalog team, including Rob Durlis, catalog director.
Where she finds new ideas: By talking to customers. Another great source for ideas: the retail store, and something Hollis suggests other catalogers-retailers consider. “By walking through the store, I can see what customers are buying and what occasions they’re buying for. For example, are they shopping for a party or picking up dinner for that night?”
Her greatest challenges: Keeping shipping costs down. “Baskets are expensive to ship,” she notes. “We have to balance the cost side with service. It’s really a service, putting out our baskets. We fill and pack them ourselves. And we don’t charge an arm and a leg, so we must do the job as smartly as we can.”
Another challenge: maintaining the brand’s image. “I pay a lot of attention to our private-label brand. Any products that have our name on them have to be ‘just to die for,’” she says.
Keys to catalog success: Listening to people. “That’s how you fine-tune your business to make it even better.” For example, Hollis says, “It was by listening to callers that we discovered the huge spike during the holidays was a customer service issue, and so we contracted a local telecenter to help during the busy times.”
