FAQ

Who are SRV and Calendar Club?

SRV (Specialty Retail Ventures), a wholly owned subsidiary of Calendar Club L.L.C., offers the opportunity to operate some of the most exciting seasonal retail concept stores in the United States. All of our store concepts feature a merchandise mix that offers shoppers maximum quality, selection and value. They include Calendar Club, Go! Games, Go! Toys and The San Francisco Music Box Company. Calendar Club was formed in 1993. Calendar Club stores offer “The Best Selection of Calendars in the Known Universe.” Go! Games carries board games, brain teasers, puzzlers and puzzles. We pride ourselves on carrying hundreds of award-winning games, recognized by the Parent's Choice Foundation, Games magazine, Dr. Toy and Mensa Select. Go! Toys carries toys of the highest quality that are durable, educational and fun! Everything from activity kits, dolls, electronics and action figures to all of the classics. Also, we have many stores that combine our concepts. For example, we may find a great location in a mall that is a combo Game and Toy store. Or, we may open a kiosk that has both Calendars and Games. We try to build stores that will maximize their revenue and take full advantage of our various areas of expertise. San Francisco Music Box Company is one of the largest retailers of musical gifts in the world. We feature products that are exclusive to SFMB including water globes, carousels and Italian inlaid wood music boxes. And remember when we say "our store", we're really talking about your store. That's what makes SRV concepts so exciting. SRV kiosks and inline stores are operated by entrepreneurs, people like you who profit by running their own businesses. The neat thing is, we think we've removed almost all of the risk of "doing it on your own."

Will I be the store owner or manager?

You will be the store owner. SRV Operators sign an agreement to use our name, operating systems and procedures, displays and products. In return, we provide you all of the above and solid internal support - real estate, merchandising, accounting, training, and the hottest selling and widest selection of products anywhere. Essentially, we provide you with a turnkey business. All you need to do is turn the key.

Do I need to have retail experience?

As the store owner, you need management/business experience. You do need good common sense, an outgoing personality, customer service skills, and the willingness to work hard from day one. Only, for you, day one will usually begin in early fall, with your last sales day sometime in January or February. In other words, you'll be what is referred to in the industry as a "Seasonal Retailer." And SRV is a successful, fast growing, high sales volume seasonal retailer. As the store owner, you'll work the store, hire and train employees, manage inventory, make bank deposits, and provide good customer service - everything required to be a successful retailer.

But how do I actually learn the business?

Everything you've ever wanted to know about an SRV concept (but were afraid to ask) is spelled out in a detailed, easy-to-follow manner in our Operator's Manual. And we mean everything – tips on accounting, interviewing, managing your staff, customer service and how to increase sales. We also provide you with a Setup Guide and a Plan-O-Gram. These will show you how to transform your store into a fast-paced retail environment as well as where to place each and every product in your store. You will have access to a staff of people to support and answer questions. In addition, throughout the season we have personnel who may visit your store. SRV has created a website, www.srvexchange.com, to serve you as a link that allows operators to monitor their daily store activities. This website is a valuable tool to help Operators check daily sales, inventory, shipments and more. We want you to do well, when you make money, we make money.

How do I get a store? Where do the products come from?

First, SRV's Real Estate Department works year-round to secure great locations in some of the most successful malls in the country. If you're selected as a Store Operator, we'll do our best to place you in a great location. And we'll take care of the mall contracts/lease agreement and rent. At the appropriate time, we'll ship your fixtures and supplies to your store location, as well as your opening product inventory. We also provide you with a cash register. Each cash register has a bar code reader so you can easily ring up sales. It also processes transactions (cash, check and credit card), automatically calculates sales tax and runs cash register reports at the end of the day.

Am I responsible for inventory?

Yes, you are responsible for shrinkage and inventory, but you have a lot of help, namely your cash register. Here's how it works…. At the beginning of the season, we'll ship you a select mix of product. Each evening when you close out, the cash register tells us which and how many products you sold that day. From that data, we'll replenish your sold-out inventory. If you have other products that customers have requested, we'll try to ship those, too. The website, www.srvexchange.com, is a great tool in helping you manage your inventory.

Am I stuck with the product I don't sell?

No. At the end of the season, we'll credit you for every product that you don't sell, provided you return the products to us as instructed and in compliance with your SRV agreement.

So, how do I earn my money?

Basically, you operate as a retailer who receives a wholesale discount off the retail price (the sales price) of merchandise that you "buy" from us. Each time you make a sale, you essentially buy that product and earn the difference between the retail amount you collect and the wholesale price you pay. Each night, you prepare a bank deposit from the day's sales and then deposit the total amount in your bank account. The following day, based on sales information transmitted by your cash register, we automatically remove our share of the sales (your wholesale cost). Leaving both your earnings and the sales tax you owe in the account. You are responsible for reporting your daily sales activity and paying your sales tax.

Are there any upfront costs?

There is a $1500 deposit due, but it is refundable at the end of the season after all merchandise, fixtures and other items are received and reconciled. Additionally, there is a fixture rental fee of $1000. There will be instances where you will have to pay for certain setup costs upfront. Some of these expenses are reimbursable. However, independent SRV owner/operators are responsible for all labor costs associated with their stores. This includes labor to receive the shipment, set up and break down of the store, as well as payroll for the employees who work the store. SRV owner/operators will also be required to carry Workman's Compensation Insurance.

Okay then, any idea how much I can make?

Last holiday season, the average Calendar Club store sold nearly $110,000. That's a lot of calendars sold in each store and millions sold in over 900 U.S. stores over just 12-16 weeks! Our highest selling stores averaged sales in excess of $300,000. How well you do depends, to a large extent, on how hard you work, how well you interact with customers, and how much time you commit to the store. Of course, prior success is not a guarantee of future performance, although we have proven the rewards in the past. Operators usually begin with one store concept in a single mall and, if successful, can add more concepts in the same mall in succeeding years. Additionally, each year SRV provides an incentive plan that challenges you to excel.

Where do I sign up?

You will need to complete the on-line operator application. We will review your application and if you meet the standard criteria and we have a store available in your area, you will be contacted by a SRV representative. Many are already asking about the next holiday season and approximately 70% of our operators return year after year.

Still have more questions?
1. General Application Line, 1-888-422-5637 ext 119
or
2. Donna Jeffres, Recruiting Manager, 512-369-6107