Weston's Gift Gallery: Weathering Prolonged Economic Woes

Hamdy Maksoud moved to the U.S. from his native Egypt some 30 years ago.

After a career that included earning a Ph.D. in chemistry and buying several retail outfits, he bought the Gift Gallery on Boston Post Road in Weston with his wife, Mona, in 2000. At that time, in that economy, the Maksouds had every expectation that the business would be profitable.

And for the first seven years, it was. Earnings peaked in 2007. But then things changed.

“That year [2007] was the best we’ve had in 10 years,” said Mona Maksoud. “We still have some good days, but some are terrible.”

“I just wish I knew how long (the down economy) was going to last,” she said.

Research indicates that in a bad economy, small gift stores like the Gift Gallery face the dual challenges of consumers’ spending less, plus intense competition from mass merchandisers, department stores, and Internet retailers — factors compounded by what Mona Maksoud says is not enough of a critical mass of stores in Weston to draw shoppers.

“There’s not a satellite. If there was something like a Starbucks, maybe more customers would come,” she said. “But there aren’t many stores, so people don’t come. They think, ‘I can go to the mall and get more done.’”

One area of their business hit particularly hard has been its printing services, especially this time of year. Mona Maksoud said in years past customers would spend “hundreds” of dollars on custom holiday cards; these days, they’re more likely to order their cards online, or make the cards themselves.

“It’s not the same quality at all, but people don’t seem to mind that,” she said, adding that with the popularity of Internet cards and invitations, that part of the business “is probably not coming back.”

Still, Hamdy Maksoud said the store has done what it can to respond to the changed economy and customer demands, including increasing stock of items that sell well, such as greeting cards and custom jewelry, and adding some clothing, which it didn’t used to sell.

“You try your best to adapt,” he said.

And they have their loyal customers who stay optimistic on their behalf, even on a slow day in early December, which Mona Maksoud said would typically have been busy in the past.

“It’ll get a lot busier, you’ll see,” said Weston resident Kathy Hamilton, who browsed clothing and Vera Bradley bags before making her purchase. “Everything will be fine.”

Editor's note: The Gift Gallery is the first of several small businesses that Weston Patch will profile this month. Look for the profiles on Monday afternoons.