glee gifts

and the gleeful story continues.....

Great news!  I now have my own key for the Canton Store! The gleeful work has begun!

Here are some updates:

Canton

Up until last Wednesday I wasn't sure if the store move was really going to occur. Dealing with the leasing agents was brutal. I signed a temporary lease for one year--to see how sales fair in Cobbs Corner. If sales are great, the leasing company will want a percentage of sales. If it goes okay, the leasing company will bump up my base rent. If sales are poor, they will kick me to the curb after a year. I am excited about the move, yet fearful.  Rents are the bain of a retailers existence.  But now that the lease is behind me, at least for the time being, it's time to make the space mine and move forward.

Mansfield

Funny, Mansfield had more store credits cashed in this past weekend than ever before. We are transitioning store credits in the form of paper reciept to gift cards  If you have a store credit it can be used in Canton and Mansfield, and they are good for 7 years.  Wednesday the Tri-Town Chamber will have it's meet and greet from 5-7.  Please join us and enjoy 10% off your purchase.

Foxboro

People ask me if I am sad to leave Foxboro. No. I'm sorry you are sad though. I love the space there but Chestnut Green Shops is not RETAIL friendly. What I mean by that is that I need more foot traffic in a shopping area to help my business grow. Chestnut Green offers services, where people run mostly errands.  Next weekend will be the last weekend the doors will be open for business.  And since I don't want to move what's there now the

HUGE STORE MOVING SALE CONTINUES

LAST WEEKEND

70% off everything in the store

Seasonal, Lindsay Phillips, Mariposa, beads, serving platters, and fun little things at great prices to get a head start on your holiday shopping!

CASH AND CARRY ONLY, NO GIFTWRAP

BRING YOUR OWN BAGS!

Forward to your friends!  We may turn this into a big party!

 

Foxy Store Moving Sale

This merchandise will not be moved to Canton!

FURTHER REDUCTIONS 

30 - 60% 

off entire store 

 

Friday 10-6

Saturday 10-5ish

Sunday 12-5

  

All merchandise "behind the curtain" can be purchased at full price. Come take a sneak peak at new gifts going to Canton!

The craziness of running a business, continued

Greetings!

I'm sitting here thinking about where to begin. What to write. How can I make my story clever? What can I write that is interesting? The 5 am news is distracting me and I can't concentrate.

So I think I will start by letting you know how I started my day at 4:30 am.  I started it with my coffee of course, but I was thinking about  how thankful I am. Thankful for:

• my family, knowing my boys are in good hands in Worcester.
• my BF (that's boyfriend and it feels odd being on the other side of 50 writing that) who has put up with all my crankiness especially during the full moon last week.
• my employees. Sarah, Cathy g, Leah, Gina, Val, Joanie, Jenna, Helen, sister Catherine. We are a woman owned, woman run company. The support we and they have for one another to ensure their families are taken care of and glee is taken care of is outstanding. We are like a family. I wished for work/family balance and it is finally happening.
• my customers. You. I have been blessed with well wishes about the store move from so many of you and want to thank-you from the bottom of my heart. E-mails, conversations, phone calls. I am surprised and humbled by the response.

So, enough of the gleeful news.  Here's what's making me glumful right now.

The lease in Canton is not finalized.

This is what has happened the past 3 Friday's: myself and the guys from the leasing company come to an agreement via phone, I get the lease LATE Friday night thinking I have a done deal. For some reason, what we discussed does not make it into the lease or it's worded ass-backwards that if not corrected, will cost ME thousands.  I stew all weekend because it is the weekend and cannot reach them to make the changes.  As a matter of fact, this past Friday, parts of what they sent me electronically does not even PRINT out correctly.  HUH? It's maddening.

It's October 17th. I'm running out of time for a Canton holiday opening but more than that I am running out of patience.

The silver lining is that I am learning so much. I'm inching my way to what really matters in running a successful, profitable company with substance. There are so many challenges, but the first challenge is to at least get the lease right.

Time for another cup of coffee.

The craziness of running a business

My! The e-mail I sent yesterday generated alot of buzz!  Thanks everyone for your well wishes and chats!

Let me tell you,it's been a crazy few weeks lately. glee Mansfield is busy, my boys are now attending school in Worcester, living with my parents, so I've been commuting from Worcester twice a week. And, I made a decision to move the Foxboro store; a decision that was really tough.  But once I made the decision I haven't felt so "crazed". 

So you ask, where is the store moving to?

The store is moving to The Village Shops in Canton at Cobbs Corner. It will be on the Bertuccis side, a few doors up from Romanza, a funky clothing boutique. Many of you already shop at Romanza and if you haven't you have to stop by to poke around. I think we will be a great complement to one another.

Call me crazy, but the most appealing part of the move is that I will be able to ride my bike to work again since now I live only a mile away from the Village Shops.  I used to ride my bike to work when the store was downtown Mansfield. Many of you laughed as I rode by, all glossied and glittered up with sweat on my brow. I am looking forward to riding to work again, and who knows--I might even make a few new acquaintances along the way!

So, here's the plan:

glee/Mansfield is going strong. Many of you have told me that you have more "luck" finding gifts at the Foxboro store.  glee/Mansfield is now receiving new merchandise daily similar to what was carried at Foxboro store. We also have some great events to tell you about for the month of October:

• FREE Chamilia snap bracelet ($65) value with the purchase of $100 in beads the 15th and 16th. Supplies are limited so come early! Restrictions apply.
• Also on the 16th Best Buy is having their gals night out event from 7-9. There will be raffles, free goodie bags for the first 100 people and all proceeds will go to the Foxboro food pantry. This is becoming a great MUST ATTEND event for the fall season so grab your gal pals and come on down!
• The 26th from 5-7 glee Mansfield is holding a business after hours with the Chamber of Commerce from 5-7. Receive 10% of your purchase--restrictions apply. Come mingle with fellow Chamber members!

glee/Foxy has new store hours which are FRI-SAT 10-6 and SUNDAY 12-5.  The front of the store is all sale merchandise marked down 20-50% .  Come start your holiday shopping! The back of the store is full priced merchandise ready for the new store which you are welcome to peruse.  Gift wrap is limited to full price merchandise only. 

glee/Canton is slated to open by November 15th.  There's one little glitch though, I haven't signed the lease yet.  I received the lease late Friday night that still needs the ol' John Hancock.  Yes, it's crazy that I let the cat out of the bag before the signed deal is done. But I'm fairly certain that all will be well.

I joked yesterday with a couple of people that glee gifts is zigzagging it's way to the Mall of America. It's a crazy idea, and if it ever happens, it certainly will be a long commute on bike! 

gleefully yours!

Ann

Sarah's last night at work before the baby

We have a wee--wee glee on the way!

glee's beloved "Sarah's last night of work before the birth of her precious baby" was this past Saturday night.  Cathy g, Leah, Sarah and I (other glee gals were there in spirit) "sat" with Sarah on her last shift. (recognize her? she's pictured here with Sasha, her older daughter)

 

Notice the bump?  That's our new wee wee glee.

This night felt good to me.  Managing a business is crazy--there's not alot of time to just "sit".  During this time we shared birthing stories with one another, hair color stories, kids, getting in shape etc.  No talk of work.  Even though we were at work.

I loved it.  The store was slow and those that did come in shared their stories too and a touch of wine.  All because it was "Sarah's last night at work before the baby".

Sarah--here's to you dear--I can't wait for the "Sarah's first night after having the baby"! story!  I think I speak for all of us,,,,,we can't wait to introduce bump to the world of glee!