Coordinated products and business opportunity a big draw
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- For the ninth year in a row, Stampin' Up! has won Creative Keepsakes magazine's coveted Readers' Choice Award for its core product - decorative rubber stamps - as well as the categories of Stamping Inks , Software and Idea Books. Creating Keepsakes calls Stampin' Up! results a "sweep" in these respective categories. During the economic downturn, Stampin' Up! has also seen renewed interest in its direct-sales business opportunity.
Stampin' Up! is a Utah-based, creative, direct-sales company that specializes in exclusive stamp art and color-coordinated accessories, and provides home-based business opportunities.
Born from the passion that Shelli Gardner and her sister shared for stamping and a desire to help support their families, Stampin' Up! had a humble beginning with a small number of distributors who were mostly friends and family, and a limited product line. The sisters felt that if the hobby attracted them so strongly, it would also appeal to other women both as customers and distributors. They were right. Stampin' Up! is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and the direct-sales company has grown to over 500 employees and a distributor [demonstrator] base of approximately 40,000 globally that shares the co-founders' passion for crafting.
"We constantly work to offer unique, high-quality products that both our customers and demonstrators love, products that they can use to explore and express their creativity," says Gardner, who is now CEO. "It's wonderful to see that those efforts are so well received by the crafting community. We are also happy to offer so women the opportunity to run their own businesses and achieve their personal desires on so many different levels."
US crafters are not the only ones to give accolades to Stampin' Up! The company has launched into Europe, Australia and New Zealand in the past three years, and has received an enthusiastic welcome. Australia experienced a 56 percent increase in sales in 2008 and a 63 percent increase in demonstrator count, and in New Zealand, demonstrator count increased by 138 percent and sales more than doubled.
"In this challenging global economy, people are looking for ways to supplement their incomes and reduce their stress," says Gardner. "When you love crafting, and then get paid for sharing that love with others, you can accomplish both."
While maintaining the great product lines for which it continually receives "Readers Choice Awards" (http://www.stampinup.com/us/enu/10455.asp), Stampin' Up! is diversifying into new product areas such as vinyl wall clings called Decor Elements and Gardner's personally endorsed line of favorite products, Shelli's Signature Collection, as well as exclusive die-cut products through a recent partnership with Sizzix.
"We're excited about what we've got coming up too," says Gardner. "Readers should stay tuned for next year!"
Stampin' Up!, a 20-year-old, multimillion dollar, direct-sales company, offers an exclusive line of decorative stamp sets and accessories for home decor, greeting cards, craft projects and scrapbooking. Currently, tens of thousands of demonstrators from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom teach the art of stamping. Stampin' Up! operates two state-of-the-art facilities, including an 80,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Kanab and a 300,000-square-foot corporate office, distribution center and demonstrator support call center in Riverton, UT. For more information, call 801.257.5336 or visit www.stampinup.com.
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