THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9503310218
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANELLE LA BOUVE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
When The Goodie Basket on N. Battlefield Boulevard decided to hold its grand opening in early February, it was perfect timing.
Valentine's Day customers got Karen Pearce's new business off to a running start.
``It was like a hurricane hit,'' said Pearce. ``Chesapeake has needed something like this for a long time.''
It was 18 months ago that her husband persuaded Pearce to start a business of her own.
``I knew Karen had a unique talent for designing things,'' said Richard T. Pearce, who refers to himself as just ``a cog in the Goodie Basket wheel.''
``After I saw a couple of gift baskets which had been delivered to local businesses, I thought she would do very well in this kind of business.''
So with an original investment of about $3,000, she began preparing baskets in her home. After filling requests for 700 baskets during the past Christmas season, Pearce knew that more space was needed.
``We grew so fast in just one year that home wasn't home anymore,'' said Karen Pearce. ``I wanted to stay in business. But I wanted to move in a place that was small enough not to overwhelm me.
``When this retail space became available, we decided to take the chance,'' she said.
The 700-square-foot facility has been just what they were looking for.
``I can keep prices low, and I am still able to give each customer that personal touch,'' she said.
Pearce said presentation is important for a successful basket.
``You want customers to look at a basket and see everything without digging to the bottom to see what's there,'' she said.
``Take this Hershey bar, for example. I want it look like more than a Hershey bar in this basket,'' she said, as she made up a basket with goodies handpicked by the customer and not one of her own gourmet creations.
She fanned out three of the wrapped candy bars, then attached them with tape to keep them in place. She added two Pepsi-Colas, a small cheesecake, a package of chocolate chip cookies, more candy bars, a small banana-nut bread, a golf pencil, and a small, framed fishing picture.
``In a huge basket, you don't want all of the items to be short. This basket has been totally rounded off,'' she said checking over her handiwork. ``You can see everything. Now we take our little sparkling shiny paper and finish it up.''
Customers can order by phone or go to the shop. The Pearces deliver locally and will ship UPS anywhere in the country.
Basket prices range from $15 to whatever the customer wants to spend, usually not more than $100.
``When we get a large corporate order, we give an overall 10 percent discount and free delivery,'' she said.
When new merchandise comes in, Pearce said, she is like a kid in a candy shop.
``I have fun up here,'' she said. ``I especially like all my baby stuff because I like kids so much.''
Pearce, who can create a gift basket in 20 minutes, said customers often rely on her judgment in choosing the contents of a basket.
But those who drop in to pick out their own goodies have a wide variety from which to choose. Merchandise ranges from candles to magnets, sachets to chocolates, silk flowers to ceramic watering pots, Beauty and the Beast night lights to prayer plaques.
Gourmet Wessie cakes, made in Virginia, and pound cakes made by a resident of Great Bridge also are available.
Many products are grouped according to a specific theme, such as Western, sweetheart, anniversary, baby or sports. For the fisherman, for example, there are trout-shaped lollipops with the slogan ``this sucker you can eat.''
Her merchandise includes mugs for every occasion and flower seeds in pretty packages. Fragrant speciality items for the bath include Grand Gardenia glycerin soaps and Strawberry Love Liquor.
``We carry California wine soap from Napa Valley,'' she said. People love that.
The Pearces' three children, Jessica, Zachary and Meredith, and the foreign exchange student living in their home this year, all help out in the shop. ``Hiro Michi has been a tremendous help,'' Richard Pearce said. ``He was my delivery buddy during the Christmas holidays.''
``When you open a business, you don't own it,'' said Karen Pearce. ``It owns you.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Karen Pearce's business outgrew her home so she opened The Goodie
Basket on N. Battlefield Boulevard.
by CNB