Comic Shop Spotlight: Safari Pearl
Jul 27, 2015
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Safari Pearl in Moscow, Idaho.
OWNERS: Tabitha Simmons and Kathy Sprague
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 5
YEAR OPENED: 1988
NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 1
STORE SIZE (SQ. FT): 7,000
Favorite Recent Comic Book: Batman and Fables (Tabitha); Golden Age Wonder Woman (Kathy)
How was your Halloween ComicFest event? Because we carry a big selection of costumes and accessories, our store is always busy leading up to and over Halloween anyway, so it just adds another opportunity for us to promote the shop.
What has been your best promotion or event? Free Comic Book Day is always big and Halloween in July is another big event for us as the downtown area gets involved in a big trick-or-treat.
What recent changes have you made in the store? We have been changing out some fixtures, we added Games Workshop not too long ago, brought in yo-yo’s, and perhaps the biggest change was adding the Comic Suite Point of Sale system.
What steps have you taken to expand your customer base or to reach out to individuals unfamiliar with your store or comics in general? We have diversified into more product lines, which helps bring in more people. We are also working with local libraries to help with their mini cons.
What are your plans for the near future? The summer is a little slower for us because we are in a college town, so we take that opportunity to refresh displays, clean up our database and also set up at several conventions.
How did you choose your store name? It is actually a parody of a character Kathy created for a radio drama while attending college.
What superpower would you most like to have? Flight would be good.
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| The shop has a nice array of trade paperbacks. | A featured board game makes up this island display. |
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| The store recently added the Games Workshop line to its product offerings. | Novelties and specialty goods aplenty can be found. |
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| Costumes of all kinds are a big draw for the shop! | Customers can get their look down-pat with an extensive selection of costume and theater makeup, wigs, and accessories. |
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| Superman was a little too eager to grab his pull-list. | Customers can always count on a friendly face to greet them with co-owners Tabitha (on register) and Kathy (on right). |
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