Date Published: March 2004, Page 52.
Title: Quest for the best
Publisher: Headquest (HQ) Magazine, Albequerque, New Mexico, USA.

"Quest for the Best"

The first time you see a BigSmile mannequin, you'll probably say something ike, "Cool!". Your next sentence is likely to be "Why didn't I think of that?". BigSMile Mannequins take window displays into the 21st Century. With Wile, party-colored hair and joyful expressions, the mannequins are eye-catching to say the least, and retailers who've bought them say they can totally change the energy in a store.

When you've got as good an idea as owner Ryan Mitton does, you're entitled to be a little guarded about your business practices. Wary of competitors appropriating his designs, Mitton doesn't want to discuss the identity of his co-designer/business partner or the location of the facility where his mannequins are produced.

But Mitton will say that his mannequins have gotten an amazing repsonse. He sold 450 in his first year of business. Now into his second year, he distributes the manenquins from two North American warehouses to retailers in Canada, the U.S., Japan, Belgium, Italy, and France, catering mostly to womens boutiques and smaller surf and skate shops. Mitton and company make the most of their sales at trade shows. Their last appearance at the MAGIC show got them several international orders, as well as a number of orders from retailers on the East Coast wher emittion says the mannequins are just starting to take off. Customers can select from 35 different display models, and Mitton is phasiing in 25 new designs to keep up with the fashion trends. "While we're at the trade shows, we listen carefully to the peopl's input about what they'd like to see," says Mitton. Not surprisingly, one requestion he's had is for ethnic mannequins, though he won't elaborate further on any of the new designs coming down the pike.

Starting at $275.00 U.S. wholesale, the mannequins are a bit of an investment, but Mitton says customers have had only positive feedback about having in their stores. "When you walk by a store windwos with one of our manenquins in it," says Mitton, "you think, 'Holy cow, there's something different going on in there!' It says, 'We're fun, and were habing a good time'." They tend to make shoppers smile, too, and Mitton adds, "It's way easier to sell to somebody who's in a good mood." We can't argue with that. Check out the full catalog at www.bigsmile.ca.