2023-2024 — Susan Benner, Chair
The mission of the Garden Club Boutique is to support your gardening and design needs while contributing revenue to the Club. Once again, flexibility is the key for the Garden Club Boutique. We continued selling items at our Programs and Workshops and had another successful “Basket” program. We generated $1,895 in profit this past year (Revenue: $3,188, Expenses: $1,293). Awards luncheon vendor donations from 2023 appear as income for 2023-2024. We have not received all the donations from the recent awards program, so they will appear as income for 2024-2025.
Vendors donated over $450 from sales at our Holiday Tea. We anticipate similar donations from vendors at the Awards Luncheon. Special thanks to all those members and local businesses which donated items and bought tickets for our Baskets at the Luncheon, which contributed $760 to the Club. For those who got a basket, please thank the businesses who donated when you visit their shops.
Special thanks to the members of the Boutique Committee for all their efforts. We welcome any new members to the team.
All items are stored at the home of Susan Benner. If an item is needed, just ask Susan.
2022-2023 — Susan Benner, Chair
The mission of the Garden Boutique is to support your gardening and design needs with flexibility, while contributing revenue. We continued our "Basket" sales and started selling items at our Program and Workshop meetings. We generated over $4000 in profit this past year.
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With revenue from a large donation of items from Brenda Bingham, we started off the year with $1,351 at our July "Garage Sale."
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Arts & Flowers: A Design Specialty Flower Show generated over $2,200 in sales ($1,700 in profit). We sold flower show notecards and bags. Special thanks to all our Members who contributed art for sale, which generated $702 in pure profit, along with our gorgeous photo flower dress, which generated over $142 in donations.
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Vendors generated over $800 from sales at our Holiday Tea and Awards Luncheon. Special thanks to all those Members and local businesses that donated items and bought tickets for our raffle at the luncheon, which contributed over $500 to the Club.
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Special thanks to the Boutique team and we welcome new Members to join us. Contact Susan Benner for needed items.
2021-2022 — Susan Benner, Chair
Once again, our need for a flexible meeting place has challenged the revenue generation of the Garden Boutique. The cancellation of our in-person meetings, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, limited opportunities to sell boutique items and vendor contributions. We did not meet our budget of $1,000 but contributed a profit of $492.
The Garden Boutique page on the Club's website was set up last year, but few new items were purchased. The boutique focused on selling our current inventory with a focus on demand items: Oasis, AgraWool, gloves, and garden utensils. "Basket" sales were the primary means of selling.
For 2022-2023 our strategy will focus on sales during the 2022 ARTS & FLOWERS, A Design Specialty Flower Show, and providing items for sale as a service to our Members. We continue to use the "at cost" pricing strategy as a service to our Club Members by keeping the costs of tools for design and garden below general retail price. Look for exciting unique Garden Boutique items for sale at September's flower show! Vendor participation was inhibited during the past year, and we hope for more involvement in the upcoming year.
Special thanks to the Garden Boutique team who helped with set up and sales. All items are stored at the home of Susan Benner. Just contact Susan Benner if you need anything. The boutique will need help at the 2022 flower show and to "reset" the boutique in the Club room after the remodeling. Please join the team. The mission of the Garden Boutique is to support your gardening and design needs. If an item is needed, JUST ASK.
2020-2021 — Susan Benner, Chair
The Garden Club Boutique contributed $570 to the Club this year, less than the budgeted amount of $1,000. The cancellation of our in-person meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic limited opportunities for Boutique item sales and vendor contributions.
The Boutique set up a page on the Club’s website. Few new items were purchased as the Boutique focused on selling current inventory. “Basket” sales were the primary selling mechanism.
The 2021-2022 marketing strategy will focus on vendor contributions and sales at the 2022 Flower Show while providing items for sale as a service to our members. We continue to use the “at cost” model as a service to our Club members by keeping the prices of tools for design and gardening below general retail levels.
Special thanks to the Boutique team who helped pack up Boutique items in anticipation of the United Way Building remodeling project. All items are now stored at the home of Susan Benner. Contact Susan if you need anything.
The Boutique will need help next year for the 2022 Flower Show and then to "reset" the Boutique in the Club Room after remodeling is complete. Please join the team. The mission of the Garden Club Boutique is to support your gardening and design needs. If an item is needed that we don't stock, JUST ASK.
2019-2020 — Susan Benner, Chair
The Garden Club Boutique exceeded its projected income of $500 and contributed $1,257 to the Club this year, despite the cancellation of our in-person meetings starting in March due to the Covid-19 emergency. We continue to use the "at cost" pricing strategy as a service to our Club members by keeping the cost of tools for Flower Design and gardening below general retail price. Our profit was achieved by selling unique items such as insulated gardening gloves, Therapy Dough, and Jellyfish air plants, as well as our holiday plants. The biggest revenue comes from the donations from vendors who sell products during our Holiday Tea and Annual Awards Luncheon.
The new Make Earth Green Again caps were a success. We donated the profits from the sale of these MEGA caps to A Lot to Grow and NorthEast Earth Coalition — both nonprofit organizations support sustainability and the protection of the environment in Montclair ($108 each). We will order more caps next year for sale during the 2021 Specialty Flower Show.
Many of our talented members are once again painting pictures inspired by the flowers in the wonderful Avis Campbell Gardens. The Boutique will sell them next year during the 2021 Flower Show.
Special thanks to the Boutique team who helped pack up the Boutique items in anticipation of the remodeling of the United Way Building. All items are now stored at the home of Susan Benner. Contact Susan if you need anything.
The Boutique will need help next year for the 2021 Flower Show and then to "reset" the Boutique in the Club room after the remodeling. Please join the team. The mission of the Garden Club Boutique is to support your gardening and design needs. If an item is needed, don't hesitate to ask.