Brooks Terry, owner of Babcock Gifts, welcomed us into his newly expanded, beautifully appointed gift shop in Laurelwood Shopping Center. He was able to articulate what makes Babcock Gifts a special part of Memphis’ retail community for 50 years and counting.
Q: You are about to celebrate Babcock Gifts’ 50th anniversary. What does this mean to you?
A: What a great milestone for the company. This speaks volumes about the wonderful love, leadership and abilities of the previous owner. Buzzy Hussey owned the store for over 40 years. It says even more about our loyal customers who trust us to help them with their homes and gifts. To keep the tradition going I purchased the store in the fall of 2016.
Q: What is important about the history/legacy of Babcock Gifts?
A: When I was considering purchasing Babcock Gifts, the tradition and generational feel of the store was important. It was wonderful to meet customers that were in the store with their children doing a wedding registry and they had been registered here 30 years ago. The legacy of purposeful gift brands was wonderful.
Q: How have you put your mark on the business?
A: We moved the business from its previous location on Poplar Avenue to Laurelwood Shopping Center in 2016. We have just completed the second expansion. Many lines have been added and a few have been edited. We continue to serve the best customers that the south has to offer.
Q: What are your goals for the next ten to fifteen years?
A: We are working on refining the lines in our new space for the next several years. We are always looking for ways to enhance our customer experience, drive loyalty and make a good impression on the market.
Q: We are excited about your store expansion. What created the need for more space?
A: A couple of different things drove the expansion. We saw two of our national neighbors that served our wedding customers leave the market. At the same time our next-door neighbor decided to expand due to their growth. I was convinced that we might not ever see contiguous space available again.
Q: What are your best selling items?
A: China will always be a bestseller because of weddings. Everything for entertaining is very popular.
Q: How does the expansion benefit your customers?
A: They will see lines we have not carried in the past, including Smithey Ironware cast iron cookware, Messermeister chef knives, Breville countertop appliances and Mason Cash mixing bowls. Our customers will have more options than they have had in the past. We have expanded the offerings in some of our most popular brands, including Annieglass, Beatriz Ball and Terrafirma Ceramics. We are also now able to carry some larger, one-of-a-kind wooden and ceramic sculptural pieces.
Q: How do you define success?
A: Success means happy customers - customers that we know by name. It also means being able to positively affect the lives of our customers and our internal team, having a staff that is happy and performing at peak levels and knowing that our customers are returning and recommending us to their friends.
Q: Babcock looks like it is extremely successful – to what do you attribute that?
A: Babcock Gifts is successful and that is a gift from the city we serve. It is the ability to treat each other with respect and have fun in the process.
Q: Staffing- you have a loyal staff of familiar faces. How have you retained this great staff? What vital role do they play in your success?
A: The staff is wonderful. They are naturally customer service oriented and this is a part of who they are every day. They know our customers, like to interact with them and try to make each visit successful for the customer. People are always laughing. The staff members are family.
Q: What do you like to do when you are not working?
A: I work a lot. When I have time off I like to hike, play with the dogs and have dinner with family and friends. I am married to the best guy in the world. We like to travel when we can.
We are always looking for ways to enhance our customer experience.
What a great milestone for the company.