The Secret? She Never Let It Run Out: How One Retailer Turned $382 Into $30K With Consistent Reordering — Weekly Retail Tidbits #243
Originally published as Tidbit #243. Lightly edited for the blog.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your task into small, manageable tasks, and then starting on the first small task.”
— commonly attributed to Mark Twain
The secret? She never let it run out.
A couple of years ago I wrote about one of you wonderful Tennessee retailers, LaRae. She owns LaRae Gifts & Home located within an amazing family-owned business called Miss Lucille’s Marketplace in Clarksville, TN. Miss Lucille’s is a true community gem: shopping, dining, fitness, and more, all under one roof.
But back to LaRae. In January of 2022 I talked her into buying Compendium — books, cards and journals. She was not sold on the idea at first. But she trusted me, and we jumped in together.
The first order? $382.
Then we stayed on top of it. Every single month, we reordered. We looked at what was selling, added titles we thought might do well based on the data — and by the end of that year she had sold over $15K retail.
By the end of 2023 she had doubled that. Her story continues today.
Books are part of nearly every display. They elevate the shopping experience and serve as shelf talkers. (Because I Had a Teacher… might better get a teacher gift!)
LaRae didn’t build that success with one big swing. She built it one reorder at a time — small, consistent actions that compounded into something remarkable.
That’s the lesson.
I share her story because the first quarter of 2026 just ended, and I looked at my territory data. One thing jumped out: dollars are up, but not because y’all are writing bigger orders. The number of orders is up. Average order size is slightly down — but overall revenue is higher because you are ordering more frequently.
What does that tell us?
You are staying on top of it. You’re keeping best sellers in stock. You’re turning inventory as many times as possible. You’re making sure that when a customer walks through the door, what sold last week is back on the shelf.
That is not a small thing.
When everything feels unpredictable, inventory discipline is something you can absolutely control. You don’t have to guess what will sell — look at what already did, and make sure you don’t run out of it.
This is what separates a good retail year from a great one: not one extraordinary order, but a series of smart, consistent ones.
If the data piece of this feels overwhelming, that’s where I come in. We reps live in this data. I want to help you find the patterns. You don’t have to do it alone.
Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful weekend — hoping you get to spend it with loved ones.🐣
xoxo,
❤️AmyFay
Technology Tips — 2 Quick Wins
Apple Maps is launching paid search ads this summer. That means businesses will soon be able to pay to show up above you when someone searches nearby. The good news? You can get ahead of it right now for free. Claim your Apple Business Connect listing at business.apple.com — most retailers haven’t done this yet, and it takes just a few minutes.
While you’re thinking about visibility: Google quietly changed how it ranks websites. It now looks for named authors and weighs who the real human is behind the content. If your website shows “Admin” or “Staff” anywhere as an author, swap it out for an actual name. It’s a small fix that can protect your search ranking.
Two small actions. Real results. Don’t let either one slip past you.
3 Tango Tidbits
LINNEA: Cashmere is Calling
Since we’re talking about LaRae today, let me tell you what happened with her LINNEA.
LaRae was already doing well. She kept fragrance families together and placed them in different vignettes throughout her store. Sales were strong.
But I kept looking at my data. The LINNEA retailers with the biggest, most consistent reorders were doing something different. They weren’t spreading it out. They were putting ALL of their LINNEA together in one spot, well-stocked, multiple fragrances, several formats. Candles, diffusers, room sprays and now hand wash again – yay! And their numbers were consistently bigger.
So LaRae and I discussed locations in her store and rebuilt the whole display in the place we thought best. Everything together. One LINNEA destination.
Her sales have increased significantly.
That’s the lesson: strong can get stronger. If your LINNEA is scattered across vignettes and selling well, imagine what happens when you give it one big, fully stocked home. The retailers in my territory who have done this are placing large, consistent reorders, and they’re not slowing down.
Cashmere is LINNEA’s number one fragrance and the one customers ask for by name. If you carry LINNEA, take a look at how you’re displaying it. If you don’t carry it yet, ask us if it’s available in your area. You’ll be glad you did!
Drinks on Me: Springing Smiles
Quick poll: how many of you have sold “A True Friend…” this month? Because that napkin is topping the best sellers list right now, and if it’s not on your shelf, you’re missing sales. Check your stock.
Browse Drinks on Me · Shop Drinks on Me
Lenny + Eva: Faith over Fear Pearl Bracelet
This bracelet is one of those quiet best sellers that just keeps moving. A customer picks it up, buys one for herself, and comes back two weeks later for three more — her sister, her best friend, her daughter’s teacher. That’s the pattern I see over and over.
The Faith Over Fear pearl bracelet from Lenny + Eva is made right here in the United States. Pearls, a small gold cross, stretch, one size. It’s $28 retail (above keystone margins) and it’s the kind of piece that doesn’t need a pitch — the display card does the talking.
It’s not seasonal. It sells in January and it sells in June. Mother’s Day, graduation, “just because” — it doesn’t stop.
And if you don’t carry Lenny + Eva yet, this is a great entry point. Low risk, high repeat. Exactly the kind of small, consistent reorder that adds up fast — just like LaRae’s story above.
Browse Lenny + Eva · Shop Lenny + Eva
A Tidbit More
True South Puzzle retail partners – Are you interested in hosting a puzzle party? Yes, they’re a thing. Please reach out to your rep for resources available to assist you. We love a good party – and we love to help you!
Meghan Browne Style April Releases are here!
“Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”
— Jim Rohn
Hope you have had a busy week and are able to enjoy this Easter weekend. I am ready to help you when you’re ready. 🩷AmyFay
Meet LaRae
She had “her heart eyes on finding things she loves” in Tango! January Market, 2026. LaRae Gifts & Home – Clarksville, TN. Expressing my personal thanks to LaRae for letting me highlight her this week for all Tango readers.
❤️ LaRae Gifts & Home – Clarksville, Tennessee
❤️ Off the Square – Glasgow, Kentucky
AmyFay Chandler
Consultative sales rep helping independent retailers build smarter, more intentional businesses. Representing Tango brands to Tennessee and Kentucky retailers through AmericasMart Atlanta — and my own lines to retailers across the United States. Before repping, I spent 15 years running my own retail business and nearly four years as the home & gift buyer for Elder’s Ace Hardware — up to 100 lines at a time, each in as many as 23 stores.
Also from AmyFay
📚 Caroline B Cook — The Virtue Series (children’s books)
🌿 Sweet Tree Jewelry (handcrafted clay earrings)
🛒
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