445 | What Indie Retailers Want in Their Stores Right Now with Kimberley Yurkiewicz, Measure Twice

Today I'm joined by my friend Kimberley Yurkiewicz, owner of Measure Twice, an independent gift shop in Brooklyn, New York.

Kimberley has worn a lot of hats in the consumer gift industry. Over the years, she worked retail managing large gift shops. She had a successful career as a sales rep. She worked closely with brands behind the scenes, mentoring them as they made decisions about their product line and pricing and more. And for the last seven years, she's owned and operated her successful brick and mortar shop Measure Twice, alongside her husband.

Last time we had Kimberley on the podcast was 2024, so it has been a minute. In this episode, we are catching up about buying patterns, rising product costs, what brands are getting right and wrong when pitching stores, and why industry standards still matter.

As wholesale sales strategies continue to evolve, we also get into a really important conversation about pricing.

If you have been nervous about raising your wholesale prices, Kimberley shares some incredibly honest perspective from the retailer side that I think will be reassuring for a lot of you to hear.

Towards the end of the episode, we also talk about what independent retailers are craving right now, specifically what she is craving.

Products with personality, points of view and brands that aren't afraid to stand out in the marketplace. It was really great catching up with Kimberley and having this candid but fun conversation about her shop, the state of the industry, and more.

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12-part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!

MEET KIMBERLEY

Kimberley Yurkiewicz is a 25-year veteran of the stationery industry. She has expertise from a variety of perspectives: as a retailer and buyer, as a sales rep, as a manufacturer, and as a Paper Camp speaker and previous guest on this podcast. She currently owns Measure Twice, her paper and gift shop in Brooklyn which was highlighted as one of New York City's best in New York Magazine last year. Kimberley has long been a proponent of an old-school approach to small business: cheerleading for brick & mortar and making the effort to steer clear of Amazon. She also thinks it's ok, even essential, to include politics in your business plan.

CONNECT WITH KIMBERLEY

WEBSITE: www.measuretwiceshop.com | INSTAGRAM: @measuretwiceshop | THREADS: @measuretwiceshop

Connect with Katie Hunt

Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.

Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct