What's the one caveat you must-absolutely must-heed in the
New Age industry? Simple: Don't try to pull the wool-or, in
this case, the beaded curtain-over the eyes of your customers. This
is too smart a market, say entrepreneurs, to be swayed by crass
commercialism or false prophets.
"If you [try to fool people], they will know because this
customer is definitely intelligent," warns Sherman, who speaks
from 20 years of industry experience. "So having proper
product knowledge is key. Second, integrity [is essential]. The
consumer who buys this mer-chandise understands products with
integrity and looks down on those products that are [overly]
commercialized."
"Treat the consumer with respect," echoes Rowland,
whose company began emphasizing New Age merchandise in its product
line nearly seven years ago. "New Age consumers aren't
stupid. They're very conscious; they're very aware. And I
think they're only going to become more aware as time goes
on."
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Fortunately, you won't need to consult a crystal ball to
fathom the minds of this sophisticated audience. "Do some
research," urges Rowland. "Do what we do: Go to stores.
Talk to people. Observe the consumer. Go to trade shows. Look at
the publications; read the articles. There's a myriad of
information out there."
There's a myriad of opportunities, too. To wit,
Rowland's company-which touts itself as selling "products
for the free spirited"-is expected to continue enjoying
double-digit percentage growth. Bonk raves about 300 percent growth
in the last several years and predicts sales of $750,000 this year.
Biales says his company experienced growth of nearly 80 percent
last year. And, for fiscal year 1995, Eric Sherman's Central
Casting reports sales in excess of $5 million.
"The New Age market," muses Rowland, "has really
been a wonderful thing for us."
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