Several Seasonal Merchants Set Up Shops In Mall Kiosks

Most of the year, Dorothy Black sells her ceramics at craft shows and fairs.

But from Nov. 1 until Christmas she’s firmly planted in a small kiosk in the corridor at Franklin Park Mall. She’s there from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., surrounded by her clay bowls, cups, pots and pitchers.

“I prefer this to a storefront,” said Black, 70, a Deer Park resident. “I like leisurely strolling people who will appreciate my things - they’re hard to find.”

Setting up temporarily in a busy mall is appealing to many merchants.

Franklin Park Mall filled its temporary kiosk space in the mall corridor by September. Rents run $500 per month except for December when it doubles to $1,000, according to Wendy LePiane, mall marketing manager.

LePiane said merchants interested in kiosks tend to do a lot of craft shows and art fairs in the summer, then move inside for the holidays. They may not be from Spokane and this year she had a waiting list of people interested in the half dozen spaces.

“It’s a huge source of income for them. They really do rely on the holiday sales,” she said.

Shadle Shopping Center has no temporary Christmas kiosks, but there are about 50 at NorthTown.

Black said she’s already getting customers who saw her last year at Franklin Park and say they are glad she’s back.

Theresa Hatch works the Riverfront Park scene in the summer then sets up space in Green Bluff during the harvest festival. Now she’s at Franklin Park. She and her husband sell jewelry, wind chimes and spongy-type lizards that can ingest and spit back out small marshmallows.

Hatch said the kiosk sellers seem to be doing better than even some of the regular retailers.

“They seem to be in a holly-jolly mood when they come by here. The retailers can’t seem to pull them in,” she said.

One retailer at Franklin Park has leased a kiosk space in addition to the regular store. Jack’s World of Cards and Collectibles sells autographed sports memorabilia, such as plaques, baseballs and jerseys.

Manager Gail Connor works with agents to secure the gear and claims to have the only signed plaque of Dennis Rodman running down the basketball court in his new Chicago Bulls uniform.

Since moving into the kiosk, more people notice the merchandise and come into the store, said Dennis Connor, who helped staff the kiosk for his wife. “People who come by here frequently didn’t even know the store was here,” he said.

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