Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Bernstein.
Hi Jeffrey, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Our business started ten years ago when my husband and I moved to Palm Springs from New York City and like so many others fell in love with the magic of the oasis. We wanted to send gifts back to family and friends, but there was nothing cool to buy. The souvenir business had become somewhat generic, so my husband suggested we make our own. We had never done anything like this. My brother-in-law, owner of his own graphic design firm, also a design professor at Pratt University, and a fellow lover of Palm Springs offered to design something.
The concept was simple: create unique designs that represented the mid-century modern heritage of Palm Springs in a contemporary fashion. We started with a small pop-up inside another store and sold out the first weekend. So we expanded into a full line of souvenirs, all with original designs, bright colors, with clean simple lines. Almost immediately, we approached some of the areas’ major events: Modernism Week and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. While both dabbled in mementos, we offered to create a line of products which we would also sell year-round. The goal was not just revenue producing but to market and promote the brand. We then expanded to other non-profits: the Animal Shelter, Library, Desert AIDS Project and more. With each of these, we created product lines and actively incorporated the merchandise into our assortment. To date, we have worked with over 15 area non-profits.
The natural extension from all of this was to create not only Palm Springs and area-branded items but Palm Springs-inspired items. That is now a large part of our business and includes everything from swimwear and resort shirts to glassware, cocktail items, poolside items (acrylic, melamine, towels) and so much more.
We opened our own store in 2014 to create a retail experience, not just a store. We no longer say we sell souvenirs but rather tangible memories. We also wholesale our products to more than a dozen area resorts and similar stores, as well as more than a hundred national and international design and museum stores.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We had no retail experience going into this, so it’s not always been easy. We opened our store inside what was a vacant store, in a historic building, across from a construction zone (which is now the heart of downtown). We’ve had to learn about product sourcing, manufacturing, and more. Then, of course, the pandemic hit. Our business was 80% based on retail and we were forced to close for months. But we’ve come out stronger and smarter than ever.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What sets us apart from most local retailers is that we design and produce almost everything we sell. We are extremely proud that the bulk of our product is produced regionally. While you may find our products at one of our wholesale clients’ outlets, you will not find any other company that does what we do. We create products branded and inspired by the Palm Springs / Coachella Valley lifestyle in what is truly now a lifestyle brand.
Destination PSP is consistently voted Best Retail, Best Gift Shop, and Best Boutique in Coachella Valley television and print surveys and contests.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
We learned the importance of diversifying our outlets so in the past three years we have aggressively expanded our wholesale and online operations. We are no longer singularly reliant on the retail aspect. We also learned that managing inventory is key given uncertainties in the market. Lastly, we learned that people, after spending more time at home, really appreciate that which beautifies their home. They appreciate and are willing to pay for quality.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DestinationPSP.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destinationpsp/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinationPSP
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Destination_PSP?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/destination-psp-palm-springs
Image Credits
JevPic
