CREATIONS FOR EVERY OCCASION.Byline: Pam Park Staff Writer ENCINO - The company that is big on sentiment is now enlarging ENLARGING. Extending or making more comprehensive; as an enlarging statute, which is one extending the common law. its stores. Hallmark Creations stores are larger than the traditional Hallmark card shops and offer an expanded selection of merchandise. A new 4,500- square-foot Creations store opening today in the Encino Marketplace offers a variety of gift options and home decor items for adults, teens and children, and special services to go along with them. ``The idea was to make a 'big box' store,'' said Judy Klote, marketing coordinator for the Hallmark Specialty Retail Group. ``As time has gone on, it has changed a little bit. It's probably more streamlined. Services are more streamlined and the product mix has changed a little bit.'' ``It started out as just a store concept and really took off as a viable way to do business,'' Klote said. In addition to stocking more than 6,000 cards, the Encino store wants to become a convenient one-stop shop One-Stop Shop A company or a location that offers a multitude of services to a client or a customer. The idea is to provide convenient and efficient service and also to create the opportunity for the company to sell more products to clients and customers. for gift buyers. ``Not only can you purchase your gift and card in our store, we'll wrap it in beautiful Hallmark wrap and then ship it to its final destination without you making another stop,'' said store manager Carrie Rudell. Other in-store conveniences include a writing table at which you can compose com·pose v. com·posed, com·pos·ing, com·pos·es v.tr. 1. To make up the constituent parts of; constitute or form: a message while sipping a cup of coffee. There is also a special table for children to watch videos and color pictures while parents shop, plan a party with the help of experienced store staff, have invitations custom-printed, make a gift basket A gift basket, or fruit basket is typically a gift that is delivered to the recipient at their home or workplace. There are different varieties of gift baskets, some which have fruit only, some with dry/canned goods only (such as tea, crackers and jam) although the standard , have family pictures scanned to put on their holiday cards and more. Kansas City Kansas City, two adjacent cities of the same name, one (1990 pop. 149,767), seat of Wyandotte co., NE Kansas (inc. 1859), the other (1990 pop. 435,146), Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties, NW Mo. (inc. 1850). , Mo.-based Hallmark Inc. introduced the first Creations store in 1992 in Vacaville, Klote said. Creations stores tend to be sited in upscale suburban neighborhoods and to be free-standing or located in strip malls strip mall n. A shopping complex containing a row of various stores, businesses, and restaurants that usually open onto a common parking lot. Noun 1. rather than enclosed en·close also in·close tr.v. en·closed, en·clos·ing, en·clos·es 1. To surround on all sides; close in. 2. To fence in so as to prevent common use: enclosed the pasture. malls. Six years ago Hallmark had five Creations stores. Now there are 145 and Hallmark is opening about 40 per year, Klote said. There are about 5,500 Hallmark Gold Crown stores, most of them privately owned. The Hallmark corporation owns about 400, which it mainly uses to keep in touch with the market and experiment with new offerings and concepts. The Encino store is owned by Hallmark. Other area Creations stores are located in Northridge, Westlake Village and Calabasas. Another is planned for Porter Ranch within the next year, Klote said. Hallmark is privately held and does not release earnings figures, but the company reported $4.2 billion in sales in 1999 - an increase of 9 percent over the previous year. Nationwide, greeting card sales continue to rise. The Greeting Card Association The Greeting Card Association is a U.S. trade organization representing the interests of greeting cards, gift wrapping paper and stationery manufacturers. Its membership consists primarily of U.S. Publishers but foreign publishers may also become members if they so choose. , based in Washington, D.C., reports that sales increased almost 20 percent between 1993 and 1998, driven largely by greater sales of cards for everyday situations. ``Greeting cards See e-card. mean a lot to people. There's a lot of sentiment attached,'' said Mila Albertson, publications information director for the Greeting Card Association. Holiday cards and special occasion cards are as popular as ever, but people buy more ``Thinking of You'' funny cards and friendship cards than they have in the past, Albertson said. Greeting Card Association research shows of the approximately 6 billion greeting cards purchased annually, roughly half are seasonal or holiday cards. Christmas, Valentine's Day Valentine's Day: see Saint Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day Lovers' holiday celebrated on February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine, one of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs of the same name. St. , Mother's Day, Easter and Father's Day are the most popular holiday card-giving occasions. Birthday cards top the list of everyday cards, followed by anniversary, get well, friendship and sympathy cards Noun 1. sympathy card - a card expressing sympathy card - a rectangular piece of stiff paper used to send messages (may have printed greetings or pictures); "they sent us a card from Miami" , the association reports. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, map Photo: (1 -- color) Carrie Rudell, manager of the new Hallmark Creations store, prepares for today's grand opening in Encino. (2 -- color) Creations employee Ellie Rafat works on the Hallmark store's baby aisle as she readies the store for today's opening. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer Map: Creations Hallmark store |
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