"Our latest designs incorporate various colors of silvers, golds and blacks. Traditional designs and colors are reflected in our latest introductions that will be coming out in January."

What merchandising ideas can you offer retailers?
"A good display is a 'key' to success in selling plaques. For example, Dexsa came out with a versatile, six-sided revolving floor display many years ago, and it has been a huge success with retailers. The display holds up to $1,400 worth of merchandise at retail value and only takes up 19 inches of retail floor space. With shelf space at a premium, having the right display to hold several best-selling verses in a small area makes all the difference. More times than not, a customer will purchase multiple pieces from the retailer's display, rather than purchasing only one piece they found merchandised on a shelf within the store."

What recommendations do you have for hand-selling plaques?
"Another key to success is having backup stock of best-selling verses like Broken Chain, Marriage Prayer and Sisters-in-Heart, just to name a few. Many times, a store will only order one at a time on a title and then will re-order months later when at a tradeshow or when their sales rep visits. Too often the best-selling titles were sold out in the first or second month, and a number of sales are lost by not having product to restock those best-sellers on the floor.

With staffing tight, stores do not have the luxury of having extra staff out on the floor selling like they once used to be able to do, so having a good display to house a lot of different titles will make selling a whole lot easier for staff and a more pleasant experience for the customer."

What types of messages/verses are popular among Christian retail shoppers?
"Bereavement, encouragement and marriage verses continue to be among our best-selling verses. Shorter, to-the-point verses are what people are looking for now more than ever."

Has the category gone through pricing changes this year?
"Our prices have stayed the same as they were a year ago. One thing we are trying to do when new products are created is to price products so that retailers can 'keystone plus' price our products. This will allow stores to make a greater margin on each piece they sell to help cover freight or other expenses. As we have always said, 'Our retail customers' success is our success.' "

What are one or two of Dexsa's new or best-selling plaques?
"Dexsa will be introducing in January a line of bookmarks and key chains called 'Book Blossoms' and 'Key Blossoms.' These are a fun twist to the category. Each piece is accented with a unique charm and a variety of colored beads and embellishments. Each will retail for $5.99."

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