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Frequently Asked Questions
1.)
What is the store concept?
A.) Countryside
Craft Mall and Antiques is very similar to a craft or antique show except
we are open seven days a week, all year long.
We have a large selection of crafts, antiques, and collectibles
from hundreds of dealers found under one roof.
The dealers are not in the store personally selling their goods.
Countryside maintains a professionally trained staff that handles
sales for the dealers through a centralized checkout system.
Each booth provides distinctive merchandise. Countryside Malls are very pleasant, unique retail stores that
are fun to shop.
2.)
What if I would like to talk to a dealer about a custom order?
A.) Many of our craft dealers take custom
orders, and we contact them on your behalf.
Once the initial contact is made, the dealer may contact you directly
to review any specific items. The
completed special order will be delivered to our store, and you will be
contacted when it is ready for pick up.
For shoppers looking for particular antiques, we maintain a “Wish
List”. You may fill out a request form that is on hand daily for our
Antique dealers review.
3.)
What forms of payment do you accept?
A.) In addition to Cash Purchases, we
also accept Michigan and Ohio Checks, Debit Cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover
and American Express.
4.) Do you offer layaway?
A.) We offer a 60-day layaway program and there
is no minimum purchase amount required.
We simply ask that you make a down payment of at least 1/3 of the
total purchase price.
Dealer FAQ
1.)
Do I need to be in my booth to make sales?”
A.) No as our professionally trained
staff takes care of ringing up all sales.
You will be assigned a specific dealer number which you will need
to record on all your price tags.
Our computerized checkout system will maintain a record of all
your sales.
2.) How do I lease a booth?
A.) One of our leasing agents will
assist you in picking out the appropriate booth size and location.
Then you simply need to sign a six month license agreement, pay
the first months rent and a security deposit equal to one months rent.
Your monthly rental payment is due on the first day of each month
following. If you move into
a booth on a day other than the first, then your rent shall be prorated
based on the actual number days rented for the first month.
3.) Where do I send my rent payments?
A.) Rent payments for all stores are sent to
our Corporate Headquarters. We
also have drop boxes at all of our locations. For
your convenience, you may also designate that your rent payment be charged
on a monthly basis to Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express.
For certain qualifying dealers, rent may be deducted from their
semi-monthly sales checks. Please
check with a store manager or our corporate headquarters if you are interested
in charging rent or deducting rent from sales.
4.) Is Countryside Mall concerned about
what products are sold in their stores?
A.)Yes. We
make every effort to be sure that the items that are available for sale
in our stores are of superior quality and marketability. We
also avoid “over saturation” with too much of a few kinds of items. We believe diversity and variety bring customers to our stores.
5.) Do you allow dealers to sell
manufactured items?
A.) We do allow dealers to sell manufactured
items; however, we employ strong restriction policies toward these types
of items. We recognize that
certain manufactured items enhance or compliment handmade crafts (i.e.
packaged scents, potpourri oils, Boyd’s Bears
, Beanie Babies , etc.); however, other items do not fit within the craft mall
theme. It is our policy to
monitor the quality and quantity of these types of products stocked for
sale. We require any dealer who wishes to sell these types of products
to submit for approval and register all products that fall under the manufactured
category.
6.)
What kind of security system do you use?
A.) We have invested thousands of dollars
in the installation and continual upgrade of state-of the-art anti-theft
equipment including closed circuit TV systems and a point-of-sale/front-door
sensor system. Security tags
protect your products from pilferage by activating the front-door sensor
system if the tag is not desensitized at the checkout counter. We
have also trained our staff to recognize and investigate suspicious behavior. In addition, no Countryside Mall dealer has ever lost a penny
to credit card or check fraud.
7.) Are dealers required to work
at the store?
A.) Absolutely not!
There aren’t any dealer work-day requirements. We
provide the staff, so you can provide a booth full of inventory.
8.)
When can I stock my booth?
A.) You may stock your booth anytime during
store business hours.
9.) I live out of town, and I am
unable to come in regularly to stock my booth. How do I keep my booth
serviced when I am so far away?
A.) Countryside Mall offers a free booth
setup and maintenance program to out-of-town dealers.
Simply ship your merchandise and our trained staff will do the
rest! We will send you a photograph of your booth
upon request.
10.) How does the layaway program work?
A.) When a customer places an
item in layaway, Countryside requires that 1/3 of the total purchase be
paid. The customer signs an agreement that the layaway will be paid in
full within 60 days. The purchased items are placed in a designated storage
area until the layaway balance is paid in full. You are paid for the item(s)
sold as each payment is made.
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