A Store Full of Quality, American-Made Products
When Sharon James and Gary Chapman opened Pine Cone Gift Shoppe more than 20 years ago, the mother-and-son team never dreamed their business would be where it is today.
“We’ve had such blessings along the way — meeting such amazing customers who have turned into friends,” Gary said. “Our business has grown.”
It was just the two of them when they opened their gift shop on Aug. 4, 2004. He said they now have six wonderful employees and a wholesale business — in addition to running their full-time gift and home décor store.
“We ship out anywhere between 600 and 1,000 orders per month — depending on the season,” Gary said. “We’re definitely living a blessed life.”
His family has always owned their own businesses, and Gary has never worked for anyone else. “I’ve always loved decorating and moving things around, and I’m blessed to have parents who let me live my dream,” he said.
Photos Courtesy of Gary Chapman
Pine Cone Gift Shoppe began in the space of an ice cream shop they used to own in Akron, Ohio. “My parents gave me the dining room area to start my first store approximately 25+ years ago,” Gary said.
He said his family played off the word “cone” in choosing Pine Cone Gift Shoppe for the store’s name. The two businesses — the ice cream shop and gift store — overlapped for about a year or two.
After being in business for 10 years, Sharon and Gary decided to move Pine Cone Gift Shoppe to North Canton, Ohio. They own the building their gift shop is in.
He explained their decision to change locations. “Most of our mailing list was going to North Canton, so we decided to look for a permanent spot to better serve those customers,” Gary said. North Canton — a city of about 18,000 people — is a suburb in northeast Ohio’s Canton-Massillon metropolitan area.
Gary said the move to their current location was the turning point for their business. “We doubled our space to over 4,000 square feet,” he said.
They offer a range of products in their store, including gourmet food, home décor, florals, furniture, and seasonal décor. And they are proud to be approximately 90% American made.
“We have been blessed to have many positive years and the 20+ years in business,” Gary said. “Really, the only challenges we have found are sourcing quality items. It’s getting harder and harder to find.”
He said their products were chosen over the past 20-plus years by listening to their customers’ wants and needs. “Some of our bestselling lines in our shop are by our exclusive artisans, such as pottery, hooked rugs, and dolls,” Gary said.
They discover artists to feature in their shop at trade shows and local artisan shows. “But after our great reputation, many artists reach out to us and dream of selling their items in our shop,” Gary said.
They also have an active online store. “We have a warehouse that’s only about 15 minutes from our shop, but all of our shipping is done in our North Canton store,” he said.
A Customer-Driven Business
The typical customers at Pine Cone Gift Shoppe are women aged 45 to 65. Gary said they also have married couples who fall into that category.
What their customers love most about the store is its family vibe — something Sharon and Gary have never changed since opening the shop. The top positive feedback they receive is about their customer service.
When asked what sets their customer service apart from other shops, Gary said it is 100% about how honest they are with customers. “We don’t just sell things to make money. We want the customer to love what they purchase — even if selecting something less expensive will look better. That’s exactly what we do,” he said.
A special customer service they offer is in-home decorating. Gary said they “go to the client’s house and make it a home.”
Gary said the unique products they sell are what makes Pine Cone Gift Shoppe different from other stores in their area. “So many stores around us sell trends, and we’ve never sold trends. We sell good-quality, American-made products and stand behind what we sell,” he said. “When the sales rep comes in our store and says this is the hottest item out, that is the biggest turnoff for me. I don’t want whatever everybody else has.”
Their customer service, having American-made products comprise 90% of what they sell, and being locally owned and part of their community are what make their gift shop successful. “You can never forget the community that has started you,” Gary said.
And speaking of their community, he said they connect with North Canton throughout the year “by having beautiful storefront windows that we dress for all of the holiday seasons for our community to enjoy.” They give back to local organizations and their community as well.
Sharon and Gary also hold unique events in their gift shop, including their “A Gathering of Colonial Wares Show” on the second Saturday of September. “We block off rooms at a local hotel and have artisans come in from around the country and do a one-day artisan show where the customers can buy directly from them,” Gary said. “Ninety-five percent of the artisans — we sell their work in our shop all year long, so this is a great way for the customers to meet the artisans directly. It’s a wonderful event that brings hundreds of folks in every year.”
When it comes to marketing strategies, what is most effective for this mother-son duo are their Facebook Live videos. Constantly moving things around in their store is another one. “You’ve got to keep your store fresh, clean,” he said. “Customers come in and only tend to look at eye level. So, every few weeks, we are moving displays, and we work in the store.”
Gary said it takes a lot to run a business today. His advice to those who recently opened a gift shop is to make it a job — not a hobby. “Over the years, many shops have opened with hours of ‘open by chance’ or just a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, etc. Those places do not make it,” he said. “You have to put 100% in your business to get 100% out of your business. This is not a hobby for us. This is a job.”
FACTS AT A GLANCE
Business Name: Pine Cone Gift Shoppe
Location: 101 S. Main St., North Canton, OH 44720
Website: pineconegiftshoppe.net
Phone: 330-497-9840
Employees: Six
Size: 4,000 sq. ft., plus a warehouse
Trade Shows Attended: Atlanta and Vendortrade in Pennsylvania
Product Categories: Home décor, furniture, floral, gourmet food, seasonal décor
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram
POS: Shopify
