Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the start-up Costs for a Deb & Co., Personalized Christmas Ornament Kiosk?
Total start-up costs are between $11,000 and 17,000, plus the cost of your mall lease. The start-up costs include the cost of the product from Deb & Co. which is between $10,000 and $15,000, however you may purchase as little as $100.00.

2. What kind of Mark-up can I expect from Deb & Co. Personalized Christmas Ornaments?
Most of the Deb & Co. ornaments have a suggested mark-up of approximately 3 times the wholesale cost. Of course, you can set retail prices to suit your particular market.

3. Other than product, what are my initial start-up costs?
Besides the Personalized Christmas Ornaments from Deb & Co., you will need some display fixtures, a cash register, bags, tissue, pens, and miscellaneous supplies. While the total cost depends on your mall requirements, you can expect fixture and supplies to cost between $1,000 and $2,000.

4. How much rent can I expect to pay to the Mall?
Mall rents can vary substantially depending on the size of the mall, the traffic that it generates, and the location in the mall. Generally, you can expect rent to range from $3,000 to $18,000 for the November/December time frame.

5. Who negotiates the Mall lease?
Negotiating the lease space is the responsibility of each owner/operator, however, Deb & Co. can give you valuable tips on how to negotiate the best deal and the best location.

6. How many employees do I need?
Only 1 person is needed to run the cart on most weekdays early in the season. Depending on Mall traffic, it may be necessary to have a second employee on weekends, the day after Thanksgiving, and on weekdays as Christmas approaches.

7. How much do I pay employees?
This completely depends on the job market in your area and the prevailing wages. The mall office personnel should be able to give you average wage information for your mall. If the owner personally operates the cart, the cost for employees will be greatly reduced.

8. How is the product shipped and who pays the freight?
All orders are shipped UPS unless otherwise specified. Orders are usually shipped within 48 hours. All orders are shipped FOB Buena Vista, Virginia (meaning the owner/operator pays the freight from Buena Vista).

9. When should I receive my initial order of product?
We recommend that you have your product delivered to you approximately 2 weeks prior to opening your cart operation. This allows time to price and sort all of the merchandise.

10. What other support will I get from Deb & Co.?
Besides the Personalization Instruction Manual and pens that we include with each initial, qualifying order, we will offer you guidance through all phases of your Personalized Christmas Ornament, Seasonal Cart operation. We are always just a phone call away.