11/17/2010
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s (WVDA) “Glad Tidings, Joyful Sounds, Savor the Flavors of a West Virginia Christmas” shop has won the blue ribbon for best shop at the Southern Christmas Show’s “Old Towne Shops,” a 10-day Christmas extravaganza at The Park Expo and Conference Center in Charlotte, N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass was elated to learn about the award.
“This is our seventh year attending the Christmas Show and we’ve frequently been among the top three stores at this event, but to win this award again is another great credit to the hard work of the Marketing and Development Division,” said Commissioner Douglass.
Marketing and Development Division Director Jean Smith said the West Virginia store was up against 30 or 40 of the larger stores set up at the show. Hundreds of smaller stores and vendor booths fill the three exhibition halls at the conference center.
“The judging covers the entire operation of the store, from decoration to product displays to customer service,” said Smith. “The fact that we have two or three companies a day doing samples really helps our shop and our producers. People are much more likely to buy items they taste first. We also put a lot of work into keeping the store neat, clean and well stocked. People aren’t as likely to buy if they can’t get around the store and find what they’re looking for.”
The WVDA store features approximately 50 producers and 250 products from West Virginia, and shoppers have been pouring in.
“Opening day was like five black Fridays rolled into one, but shoppers are lined up every morning to get into the Conference Center,” Smith said. “They come in with a list and they compare products and prices. When they come back to our store, they want to buy cases of product from us. They want a year’s supply.”
This year’s Southern Christmas Show runs November 11-21.
For more information on the Charlotte Christmas Show visit http://www.southernshows.com/scs/
For more information on the WVDA at the Charlotte Christmas Show, see “West Virginia Country Store Returns to the Charlotte Christmas Show”.
Contact Information
Gus R. Douglass
(304) 558-3200
douglass@ag.state.wv.us