Victoria Magazine

August 09, 2000

Victoria Magazine's Cheryl Karpen discusses women in internet retail business, and being an entrepreneur and publisher.

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Women.com: Hello and welcome to our chat with Cheryl Karpen, entrepreneur, retailer, etailer, and publisher.

Cheryl Karpen: Hello and welcome.

Lisa182: Have you encountered more problems with building a web business, or is it less complicated than bricks and mortar retail?

Cheryl Karpen: I have encountered more problems with ecommerce only because I'm not as familiar with it. The bricks and mortar was something that I could touch and feel. I could have a more of a hands-on approach to it than I can perhaps with the Internet. And yet I could, but I am not as familiar with it. With the storefront I can actually see my customers and hear their needs first hand. I can put products together for them in a very visual way first hand. And that is probably the difference for me with ecommerce and the actual storefront

Analee: Cheryl, the article in Victoria Online says your stores aim to minister to women's souls. Why is this, and is it accurate?

Cheryl Karpen: Absolutely accurate. In the beginning I had a general gift shop, but on the first day that I opened my business a man came in and he purchased a piece of furniture, but he also walked off with my heart. A year later, I got my heart back but it was shattered in a million pieces and that is when I rededicated the focus of my shops to strengthening and celebrating women. I actually have a book coming out and it is called "Hope for a Hurting Heart." And it is the story of how this one particular circumstance of my life changed my entire direction and refocused everything that I did and am doing.

Ami: How do you find all of the special items you sell in your shop?

Cheryl Karpen: I attend gift shows in New York City and Atlanta, LA, San Francisco and Minneapolis. I also feel that because that the type of shop that we are a lot of artists come to us, or designers come to us, with hopes of selling their products to us and that way we are able to get really special things that are not marketed nationally yet.

Silysally: I make homemade soap and sell about 250 bars a month. I am going to begin a larger production. How do I get department stores like Bloomingdale's to carry my product?

Cheryl Karpen: Personally I would, besides finding out the specific buyer and what department you should speak to, I would put together the most beautiful, the most tender and appealing presentation that you could think of to package your product in and to send to the buyer. And also, I would maybe even hand calligraphy the address label. I would make it so appealing, where someone would pick up the box and say "isn't this beautiful." In short, make the presentation irresistible. And then with a letter inside asking the buyer for her consideration of your products.

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