OUR MISSION: To Create Happy Customers!
Stew’s Gift Center… How It All Began!
In the early 80s, my family got a call from a friend named Ron Krivoshiew. Ron’s company, Speed Graphics, had done a lot of work for my father, Stew Sr. Long before Photoshop, Ron had created an image of the moon featuring a Stew Leonard’s plastic shopping bag!
A Quick Start
Ron wanted to send gift baskets to 100 of his clients in the NY metro area. We quickly assembled a team to put the baskets together using all the items we had in the store: caramel corn, cheese, crackers, fresh cookies, nuts, and more. We wrapped each basket by hand and had them hand-delivered to each of his clients. Of course, we put a Stew Leonard’s flyer inside. Soon our phones were ringing off the hook with the recipients wanting to order more baskets for their friends and family. The Gift Center was launched…and Ron was our first customer!
The all-new Stew Leonard’s Gift Center acquired space across the street from our main store in Norwalk, at 55 Westport Avenue.
We built a first-class production facility,
along with our own telecenter (since the phones were STILL ringing off the hook). There was a great team, led by my cousin Tom Arthur and a longtime Team Member named Rick Baker, and more who pitched in to help keep up with production, order supplies, and keep the customers happy. It was great to have the production facility and telecenter in one place. We could turn on a dime when customers wanted a small change to their items.
The signature B&W cowprint box was born! Stew’s shipped across the US.
In 1996,
I was asked to "help out" at the Gift Center. Over the next 10 years, it was a labor of love, from designing the baskets (with Rick’s wife, Nancy, and Rich Lung, who still works here at Stew Leonard’s as our Creative Director) and manning the telecenter to making sure our customers were happy and that all the products were produced correctly and always in supply. Rich Lung photographed each basket by hand and carefully laid out the catalog. We popped our own popcorn and my uncle, Frank Guthman, designed a machine that would drop all three flavors into the tin at once. It was a game changer.
My brother, Stew Jr., thanking our Team Members for their hard work at Stew’s Gifts!
Here I am with just one of our best-selling gifts, the Just Right Fruit Basket!
I even remember sitting home and dialing into the telecenter to listen live to our customers ordering baskets. We got such great ideas on how to streamline the ordering process, and what new products they were asking for.
My nieces Ryann, Blake, and Chase were cover models for our 1994-95 Stew’s Gifts Catalog. Today, Ryann is the Executive Director of Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation, Blake is the President of Stew Leonard’s Wines, and Chase is Stew Leonard’s Senior Photo and Video Producer!
But… from time to time there were always glitches that we could head off!
Now we have a huge demand
for our fresh roasted coffee, which we send out daily. When customers move out of state, they call to see if they can get their favorites sent to their new home. We’ve even sent a popcorn tin to Switzerland and gift baskets to every state, including Alaska!
We love being able to help our customers send a little bit of Stew Leonard’s to their friends, family, and colleagues. A great way to say Happy Holidays!
See you in the store!
— Beth Leonard Hollis
A family affair! My brother Stew, my sister Jill, and me during the early days of the Gift Center.