"Survey results indicate that, in the 1990s, customer service is the primary means by which gift retailers can gain a competitive edge. Some 80% of respondents said that the key to successfully reaching the modern customer is offering unique services. Some 50% named personal attention as the key. Layaway, UPS shipping, and taking phone orders are among the special services that gift retailers offer.

Customer service is THE '90s competitive edge for the specialty store, agree respondents to Gifts & Decorative Accessories' recent mini-survey, in which 80 percent of gift shops responding cited unique services, and over 50 percent cited personal attention as the keys to successfully selling today's customer. Targeting niche merchandise needs, bonding with multigeneration families, showing appreciation and treating customers fairly are necessary for survival in the '90s, say respondents, who comment typically:

""The customer is always #1. He/she is writing our paycheck and we bend over backwards to accommodate him. Even if we eat a little profit, it eventually comes back to us ten-fold.""

""We send our customers hand-written thank you notes. The best thing we can do is to extend a friendly, welcoming hand.""

""We service tourists and the elderly. We are open with them and show that we always care.""

WHO RESPONDED?

Here's the breakdown of general and niche gift shop respondents:

40 percent -- of respondents are gift and collectibles shops, reinforcing the strong service needs of the collector.

14 percent (the next largest group) -- report special focuses in cards, furniture and jewelry.

Others -- feature specialties such as food, arts and crafts, bed and bath, antiques, bridal, books, garden accessories, gift baskets, apparel, cosmetics, museum reproductions, toiletries and body care.

Respondent gift shop volumes: 84 percent made under $1/2 million volume, split between 31 percent with under $100,000 volume and 53 percent with $100,000-$499,999 volume.

Square footage: About 66 percent report average square footage between 800-4,000, evenly divided between those with 800-1,500 sq. R., and those with 1,500-4,000 sq. R.

Store hours: Offering longer or special hours is a marked way to stand out from the competition, say close to one-third of respondents. Among those that offer special or longer hours, about half are open slightly longer hours Monday through Friday, typically 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and even as long as 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; the other half are open Saturday, usually for a full eight-hour day or slightly longer, about 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. A small minority of respondents are open a half or full day on Sunday.

Those shops that stay open an extra hour on weekdays report a real business surge the last hour of the day from local professionals making a quick purchase. Saturday hours are viewed as an increasing necessity to serve special groups, such as working mothers, and the needs of special communities, such as those in rural and agricultural areas. Shops open on Sunday report that while it's not a necessity, Sunday hours do bring them good incremental business.

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