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Retail comes naturally at Mossback Creek |
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“I always pray for rain during Alpenfest—that’s Gaylord’s downtown festival in July,” says Marcie Apfel. “There’s great traffic through the store on rainy Alpenfest days.” Marcie and her husband, James, own Mossback Creek Co., a gift shop in Gaylord. Like retailers in any tourist area, they know that rainy days bring people downtown to shop rather than hike, bike or canoe through the north Michigan woods.
“Bird watching was really hot about nine years ago, when we opened,” recalls Marcie. “We didn’t know much about birds at the time, but we saw it was something no one else was doing, so we learned.” Marcie spent many years in retail, working for 17 years at a Gaylord gift and men’s clothing store and then as a sales representative for several companies, from Dial soap to Enesco, a major supplier of gift merchandise. She became tired of traveling all over northern Michigan as a sales rep and had learned a lot from the stores she visited. When a space on Main Street came up for lease, she and James opened Mossback Creek Co., named for a creek that runs through their property north of town. “Originally our store was three-quarters bird items and gardening,” Marcie says. “The space wasn’t ideal, the rent kept going up and up, and we were having to deal with issues like repairs and carpet cleaning.” After five years there, the Apfels bought the building next door. With a clean, dry basement and a second floor for office space and storerooms, the new building was a big improvement. “By that point, bird watching had fallen off somewhat, and more landscaping businesses and other stores were selling birdfeeders and seed. But no store in town offered unique wedding gifts, like housewares, home décor and natural art pieces, so we branched out. We also added more apparel.” Over time, sales in their bird and gardening departments have become less important, and last year their top-selling department was apparel. “We offer clothing that’s a little different. For example, instead of Woolrich coats, which everyone has, I found a line called North River—beautiful men’s apparel at great prices.” The store also carries jackets trimmed with Tibetan fur and one-of-a-kind, distinctive Amano handknit sweaters. Merchandising is critical at a gift store, and Marcie strives for a neat, organized store with a good traffic flow. That’s a challenge in a relatively small space with thousands of items and many categories of merchandise. “I want a peaceful ambience in the store. It’s not just how the store looks, but how it feels, sounds, smells. “For a long time we had a big, beautiful fountain in the store, and people would come in just to see or listen to the fountain. People still say they love the ambience in our store—peaceful, natural, relaxing.” Window displays are another essential feature of a downtown shop, and the Apfels are grateful for their staff’s flair for window dressing and merchandising. “Lynn [Morgan] came in the store several times expressing interest in working here, and I could kick myself for not hiring her sooner—she has been such a great find!” Marcie calls Lynn their “designer,” although all three assistants—Lynn, Linda Shafto and Jan Benson—enjoy dressing the store windows and displaying merchandise creatively. “It has made a huge difference having talented, enthusiastic and reliable help. For a while we struggled with staffing, but our current team is just wonderful.” The Apfels’ two daughters and sons-in-law have helped the business a great deal as well. Tom and Christine Miller, who live in Brighton, promote Mossback Creek “down state.” Beth and Ron O’Rourke are closer—they own the Double E Buffalo Ranch in Vanderbilt, north of Gaylord. Both daughters sometime accompany the Apfels on buying trips.
Toward that effort, the downtown updated its “Alpine village” image in 2002 by adding a large pavilion just off Main Street. It serves as the center of much summertime activity, from a farmers market to free performances and other events. Last summer all the downtown merchants promoted a series of fun events and performances called “Under the Pavillion.” The Apfels thought it was great. “Each Friday all the downtown merchants wore our ‘Under the Pavillion’ t-shirts,” explained Marcie. “On the back it listed all the free events going on. People would stop us in the grocery store to read our backs!” After overbuying during the slump that followed 9/11, the Apfels have learned the importance of keeping a lean inventory. On their major buying trip to Atlanta in January, Marcie now forces herself to keep her hands in her pockets. “We also take later deliveries. Instead of filling up our storerooms in January and February, long before sales pick up, now we have merchandise coming in around the end of March, which is much better for our books.” Perhaps because of her experience as a sales rep, Marcie also tries hard to buy from the sales reps that faithfully come to the store. She takes notes at the trade shows and then buys from local reps whenever possible. “The reps that do the legwork are mostly local people,” she says. “They work hard to see your store and discuss how their items would fit in—I want to reward that effort.” Some product lines are staples for the store. As a dealer for Wild Wings and Droll Yankee, two popular suppliers, the store draws customers looking for those brands. One concern the Apfels have about the upcoming season is the continued rise in gas prices. “When gas prices are high, people are more conscious of their overall spending—they cut back on that $5 gift they might once have bought,” said Marcie. “On the other hand,” James pointed out, “a lot more people might be traveling in-state for their vacations. There may be a positive side to the high gas prices.” The Apfels have high expectations for the upcoming season. With an excellent staff and a lean but exciting inventory, they look forward to a fun and profitable season. This article was written by Amy Buttery, Michigan Retailer staff writer. |
Yet
enjoying Michigan’s outdoor beauty is at the heart of this nature-themed
gift shop. While the store now carries everything from birdseed to leather
coats and crystal ware, it began with a focus on bird watching.
As
members of Gaylord’s Downtown Merchants Association, the Apfels
believe that one of the biggest challenges facing their community is keeping
the downtown viable.