Paintings and posters have long been a retail staple, but now a new twist on the old product is becoming a hot retail seller. Framed art in three dimensions is finding its way into retail stores and shopper’s hearts. “This is not your standard art, which is flat,” explains Gary Chandler of Western Sales. “This actually sticks out from the image and goes towards you, so you can see the sides of the face, the nose, everything. Almost like a statue on the wall.”
The product is extremely popular in religious themes, especially in Hispanic markets. “The religious stuff, the Catholic theme product, is mainly Hispanic. They love that stuff in Florida, New York, California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas is a great market for us,” Chandler says. He also expects sports and college versions to do well. “We’re getting licensing for NFL, Major League Baseball and the universities,” he notes.
The key feature for retailers is clear, according to Chandler. “The attractiveness, especially in this recession, is how well it sells,” he says. “Some of our stores are selling 30 and 40 pieces a day. It’s unbelievable. I used to own six art galleries, and we would never have sold that many pieces in a day, ever.”
And a crucial part of that success is quality and exclusivity at a low price point. “This is molded and hand painted. We have a nationwide exclusive distribution for the country. The reason it is selling so well, not just that it is a good looking product, is price. It is unbelievably low.” A 30 by 42 inch unit has a suggested retail of $60 and sells for $30 wholesale. “This is a medium range product, but we have it at a low-end price, really low end,” says Chandler. “An 18 by 30 inch item (medium-size) retails for $29. At a frame shop, you would pay $150 just for the framing.”
For more information:
Western Sales
2166 West Broadway, #323
Anaheim, CA 92804
Tel.: 562-483-8700