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News
06/2008 We are very proud and happy to be able to share the great news that one of our products was announced
Finalist for the COVR award in the category: Home and Decorative Accessories.
The serenity stones:
9/2008 Article in the METAPHYSICAL GUIDE
Himalayan Salt Lamps and
Feng Shui by Universe of Energies Distribution
One of thefirst
known information about salt mines is from the time of Alexander the Great. While
resting, some of the horses of his army started licking the stones and it was found
salty.
The Khewra mine is one of the most famous mines in the
world, it is still active and visitors are welcomed.
The salt is containing over 70 different minerals, which
gives the different coloration, as well as the different consistency. The darker
color has more iron is included.
The benefits of the salt lamps: Our air surrounding us is
charged with positive and negative ions. Depending on the environment one or
the other isbecoming stronger and will
dominate the air content. Computers, TV, Monitors, cell phones, microwaves etc
will put positive ions out.We feel the same
as a thunderstorm is brewing. Salt lamps are putting negative ions out. It
could be compared with a vacation at the ocean.
Positive ions bring uplifting feelings to us. It is being
said to reduce sinus infections, allergies, animal dander, smoke, mold spore
etc.Placed by a TV set, computer monitor,
etc. will reduce tiredness. Salt will attract water, a coaster is recommended
to be used under the base of the lamp.
The Himalayan salt lamps are giving a beautiful warm glow and
work well as night lights in bath rooms, hallways or children’s bed rooms.
Universe of Energies Distribution carries a large selection
of Himalayan salt lamps.
Feng Shui is a very ancient Asian art of placement. Feng
Shui means wind and water. The art of Feng Shui will help to balance the energy
flow or Chi in our environment. Feng Shui uses the 5 elements and their
interaction to balance the Chi.
Himalayan Salt Lamps are wonderful Chi enhancers due to
their healthy negative ions and warm colors.
They can be used to enhance several areas of your home.
For example: place two heart shaped Himalayan Salt candle
holders in your romance/relationship area/Gua to enhance or strengthen your
relationship with your partner.
The Earth element of the Himalayan Salt Lamps will also
enhance the knowledge area or Gua if you like to gain more business, enhance
your decision making and improve learning capabilities.
The Himalayan Salt Lamps come in many different shapes. Certain
shapes could be used to enhance certain elements. A
Pyramid
shaped Himalayan salt Lamp could enhance the fire element, which is your fame
area in your home or business.
Universe of Energies Distribution carries not only Himalayan
Salt Lamps, but also Feng Shui items, Water Fountains, Crystal Diamonds,
Aromatherapy Products, Healing Wands, Pendulums, etc.Our warehouse is well stocked with over 2500
different items. Please call Universe of
Energies Distribution for a free catalog at 480-250-1585.
4/2009 Article in New Age Retailer Good Fortune Mimosa Books and Gifts is thriving in the Midwest by Trinka Baronhen.
When it comes to the success of Mimosa Books and Gifts in Madison, Wis., luck has nothing to do with it. Well, except for the fortunate purchase of the lucky cats.As owner Diane Doughman tells the story, she and her staff decided to purchase two 8-inch-tall Japanese good luck cats—“maneki nekos”—on a whim. Brightly glittered yellow and green, with one paw raised in the traditional welcoming gesture, the cats from Universe of Energies (www.universeofenergies.com) were a big hit because of their unique feature: motors. Pop a battery in, the staff found out, and their little raised paws waved. Team Mimosa thought this was hilarious—and so cheesy they had to have a couple on hand (so to speak). Aware that placing moving objects in a front display
window usually attracts customers, they set one of the maneki nekos a-waving at the passersby outside their store in downtown Madison.They sold both lucky cats. They ordered more. They sold those. They increased their order. They sold out again. One customer even put a video of the waving cat on YouTube.And yes, they placed an even bigger order after that. If there’s anything the Mimosa staff knows, it’s to pay attention to what their customers want.Surprising successMimosa is one of the unique stores on the fun and funky State Street pedestrian mall that links Capitol Square with the University of Wisconsin campus. A popular destination for residents, tourists, and students alike, State Street is always alive with activity, featuring block after block of specialty shops (including another large metaphysical store), galleries, and restaurants—and yet Mimosa has found a way to stand out in the crowd. First opened in 1984 on a less-visible side street by original owner Patty Roth, the shop, then known as Mimosa Community Bookstore, thrived for many years but eventually was undercut by the rise of the big-box bookstores. Roth sold Mimosa to Beth Wortzel and Jim Powell in 2001. They refashioned the store, adding more metaphysical products and gift items to the stock of books and CDs, renamed it Mimosa Books and Gifts, moved it to its high-visibility location, and added an activity room with the same square footage as the retail portion, doubling the space.However, Wortzel and Powell found running the store too time-consuming, and they welcomed help from new partner Doughman. She and her husband, Gary, purchased the shop from Wortzel and Powell in 2005 and have seen their good Days of Holiday Specials sale, with a different item on sale for each of the 12 days leading up to the winter holidays, and their Freebie Sale, which the store holds several times a year. During a Freebie Sale, customers can take advantage of deals such as “buy five, get one free” on small items, “buy two books, get a used book free,” and “buy two, get one free” on jewelry items. They also held a sale on stones before Doughman and longtime employee and newly minted store partner Ashley Dalke made their annual February trip to the Arizona Mineral and Fossil show in Tucson (www.mzexpos.com), because they can’t resist stocking up on stones and jewelry for the store and buying extra items for their favorite customers,
Doughman says.“We always see things at trade shows that we know our regulars would like. ‘Oh, so-and-so would love that. We’d better get two.’ We know our customers!” Doughman says. It’s all part of their focus on customer care, Doughman says, as is their commitment to the type of items they stock.“We market a wide range of products, from Pagan to Christian and everything in between. We will not carry anything with dark energy. Our goal is to offer a safe and positive environment and a wide range of items we perceive will benefit humanity,” she says. On the practical side, Doughman says, “We keep an eye on what’s selling and what isn’t. Whatever doesn’t sell, we get rid of. Other store owners might have problems hanging on to products no matter what, but we let them go. Then we look for new products to keep the inventory fresh.”Bestsellers include books, music, and incense, as well as jewelry, which fortune steadily increase ever since.“We just had our best year ever, in 2008,” Doughman says. “And the first part of 2009 was also very good—by mid-February, we were $6,000 ahead of the previous year.”How can Mimosa be bucking the trend of economic hardship sweeping the country? Doughman has a few ideas. She calls Madison recession resistant, with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the state capitol, as well as several hotel convention centers a few blocks away. Both UW Madison and the convention centers host events and seminars year-round, and the attendees, as well as UW students and their visiting parents, usually find their way up the pedestrian mall and through Mimosa’s door. Locals are familyHowever, Mimosa has always relied on the repeat business of devoted locals who are considered the store’s family.“We have ‘resident customers,’” Doughman says. “A lot of our locals are middle class, many with limited incomes, who are looking for metaphysical support during these tough times. So we make sure we have items that they can afford, like small crystals and votive candles.” What’s even more important, Doughman says, is that they treat everyone with the utmost dignity and respect, “even if they’re buying only a dollar’s worth of incense.”“We want everyone who comes here to feel respected, honored, and nurtured,” Doughman says. Doughman also makes a point of ensuring her inventory is always affordable. “We keep our basic markup lower, instead of jacking up prices and then having sales.”
Metaphysical bartenders in addition to paying close attention to Mimosa’s inventory, Doughman ensures the store is a resource center for all things metaphysical. The store hosts a variety of classes, workshops, and other events in its upstairs activity room, such as group psychic readings, reiki, meditations, and classes on esoteric basics such as how to read auras and work with oils. In addition, the store has two in-house psychics that Doughman considers community resources as well as extra sources of income for the store.“We have affordable readings. Our psychics charge $1 a minute, with a 15-minute minimum. The psychic reading component of our business is a big reason why the store stays in the black, but it goes beyond ‘woo woo.’ Good readers are a form of counselor.”As are the employees, Doughman says. She employs knowledgeable staff members
who are interested in metaphysics, know the products, and can answer any questions customers may have. Dalke is a certified crystologist who guides customers toward the correct stones that will meet their needs. “Our staff members are like metaphysical bartenders—we listen to our customers and genuinely care about them,” Doughman says. “Our customers trust us, and we trust them. We’ll even take back merchandise without a receipt. If they say searches new products online, and the results have significantly increased their business. In 2008, e-commerce accounted for approximately 10% of Mimosa’s annual sales, and plans for 2009 include increasing those sales even more.Customers can order online, call in their order, or receive large items drop-shipped from Mimosa’s vendors, all through the online store. “With Ashley’s energy and skills we’re finally at a place where the website largely represents what we have available in store. I thank the universe for sending me such a knowledgeable partner who knows so much about computers,” Doughman says.The one technological aspect that has been an issue for the store, Doughman admits, is the increased popularity of music downloads, which has undercut their CD sales. But Mimosa is on the case; they’re researching ways to sell downloads themselves in the future.What Doughman doesn’t bother with very much, she says, is spending a lot on advertising.“In my experience, we’ve gotten very little response for the money we spend. It isn’t worth it for us,” she says. “We benefit more from our many community alliances and cross promotions.”The advertising Mimosa does is minimal—an ad in Healing Arts, a free directory of local spiritual practitioners, and a coupon in the booklet that new UW–Madison students receive at the beginning of the school year.The main key to their success? According to Doughman, it goes back to basics: customer care. Establishing relationships with the clientele and forging a bond of trust is an important factor in the success of the store—perhaps the most important factor.“The best advertising we can do is to be upbeat and positive and provide outstanding customer service, so everyone who shops at our store tells their friends and colleagues about us. Our goal is to provide an uplifting experience. We’re living the ethic that we’re selling, and that makes a difference.”With a 25-year anniversary in May, as well as recent profits providing the proof, it seems Mimosa is on the right track—and luck has nothing to do with it.Trinka Baron, a former sales associate for New Age Retailer, is a freelance writer living in the Pacific Northwest. NARthey bought an item here, we believe them. Trust is so rare these days, but that’s how we operate—and we haven’t been burned yet.”Mimosa also reaches beyond its front door to connect with the community, establishing alliances and doing cross promotions with other spirit workers. A rack of brochures in the store includes fliers for yoga classes, healing practitioners, and any other services that may be of interest to Mimosa’s customers. Doughman also maintains a comprehensive list of spiritual and holistic practitioners in the area so she can make recommendations for any customers looking for other types of spiritual guidance. The weekly e-newsletter that Dalke sends out to a mailing list of 800 includes details about other organizations’ events as well as Mimosa’s. Mimosa is a sponsor of Madison’s annual Pagan Pride Day, and the store has a presence as a vendor at local festivals.“We hosted Krishna Das and Sharon Salzberg in concert here last year,” Doughman says. “Four hundred people came to the show.”Even better, Doughman says, is that customers can purchase tickets to local events—hosted by Mimosa or others—on the store’s website (www.mimosaspirit.com).
She credits the Web-savvy Dalke with the idea. “Selling tickets for community events is a free service we offer; we charge the host the credit card fee, not the customer. And putting tickets online for our own events has helped attendance—three-quarters of the Krishna Das tickets were sold online and by phone.”After customers buy tickets online, they can choose to receive them by mail or stop by the store to pick them up, which has an added benefit. “People come in for tickets and end up shopping,” she says.Marketing online and offDoughman is grateful to have a “wired” partner who can navigate the wilds of the Web—something that Doughman admits is a bit beyond her own age-60 skill set.
WHOLESALE ONLY Disclaimer: Any reference to metaphysical and/or any healing properties described in this website are dependent on the beliefs and values of each individual and their use of the products. These products are not meant to replace the diagnosis or treatment by a qualified therapist or physician as defined in the country in which you live or use these products.
Prices may change subject to availability, market value, and unforeseen circumstances.
