Today’s blog is on a Williams Sonoma Shopping trip. For all the times I’ve been to the Williams Sonoma Store at the Leesburg Outlet, I’ve never once thought about blogging about it. Of course, it is one of my favorite stores because I love to cook and, also, to eat. This store sells an assortment of pots, pans, kitchen items, glasses, dinnerware, silverware, linens, food products, etc.
If you are looking for a particular kitchen item, this store is a good place to start.
I like these colorful red, white and multicolored nesting mixing bowls. I have a set at home and since they nest, they save a lot of kitchen cabinet space.
When I entered the store, I spoke with Nicole, one of the sales associates. She was so nice and friendly, I thought I would ask her if I could blog about the store. She went to ask her manager and I was then given permission to do this.
Halloween Display at Shopping at Williams Sonoma
This next photograph is sort of a Halloween and Day of the Dead merchandise display. The white skull cookie jar looks like a Day of the Dead item. There is also fall themed dish towels, Halloween shaped cookie cutters, Halloween chocolate Bark, etc. The black pumpkin with the golden stem is actually made of ceramic.
Fall and Thanksgiving Day Dinnerware
There is, also, a nice selection of fall and Thanksgiving Day merchandise for sale. They even sell large platters to serve that holiday turkey. The little glass jars holds turkey herbs. Best of all, a lot of the items were on sale.
I always like the turkey and pumpkins designs on their festive dinnerware.
As it goes, today’s holiday items reminded me of my previous employment at the Reston Williams Sonoma store. So, now for a bit, we are going to take a trip down memory lane.
Memories of Working at the Williams Sonoma Store in Reston
I really miss the Williams Sonoma store that was once located in nearby Reston. I think I shopped there weekly. Years ago, I loved the store so much, I worked a part-time Sales Associate position during one Christmas holiday season.
At that time, store employees all wore green aprons which were handy to keep things in the pockets. I enjoyed talking and selling merchandise to their customers. The store overlooked the ice skating ring and a large decorated holiday tree was set up near the fountain.
After an introductory talk, the store manager gave each new sales associate a general care informational booklet and small copper pot or pan tree ornament to take home. We also gave out free recipe cards to customers. I still use one of their recipe cards to make my favorite pie crust.
Holiday Merchandising
If you were not on the cash register, you helped customers, straighten up dish towels, or restocked some items. I remember all the handles on the shiny pans pointed in a certain direction. If a customer, picked up and moved a pot a bit, you knew a store employee would move it back in to the proper position.
In back, there was an area to gift wrap items although I’m not sure if any stores offer that, once free, service any more. There was also green ribbon and a gold seal that went on wrapped gifts.
The nearer it got to Christmas, the busier the store. There was always a line of customers buying gifts. You were required to sell so much merchandise but it was easy to do. Back then, one good pot set was $500 and I think I sold three that season.
I remember, one time after the store closed for the night, a man walked through the front door. Oh no, that door was supposed to be locked so no one could get in but apparently someone forgot to do that. This man had a sick baby at home and was on a mission to buy a tea strainer. OK, most of the sale associates are mothers and know about sick children. So, they sold him a tea strainer, sent him on his way, and the staff locked that front door.
When the holiday season finished, I was a little sad my job ended. During our employment, we received a sale associate discount. I remember purchasing two large heavy mixing bowls with an oak leave print around the tops. They were made in England and were sort of a yellow color. I still have them and use them occasionally around the holidays. I, also purchased a pasta bowl set as a gift.
All in all, I enjoyed my short employment time at Reston Williams Sonoma selling holiday goodies and gifts.
Ending Notes of William Sonoma Shopping Blog
Well, now back to the Williams Sonoma Store in Leesburg.
On today’s trip, you can always get good ideas for holiday entertaining and, of course, buy things to make your own holiday celebration a magical event.
Faux Food?
I thought I would end this blog on a unusual note. In Williams Sonoma Stores, I notice, they frequently use faux food or ice cubes in their upscale displays to add a touch of realism. I do the same thing at the historic farmhouse I volunteer at.
So, I noted in a fruit display in Williams Sonoma store that a child made a bite mark in a faux banana. Because this is a topic I deal with all the time at the historic farmhouse, I have a solution. When children come in, they sometimes want to eat our faux cookies or other faux items. I’ve also had small bite marks in fake cookies which I had to correct and repaint.
So, I find it is helpful to display the faux food up higher out out of the reach of little hands. Or if the faux food is on a table, pull the food way back to the center of the table.
At the farmhouse a lot of our food is custom-made and it sometimes takes hours to make. So not only we don’t want a child to taste something bad for them, we also do not want the display marred. We hope our Readers enjoyed this tip.
And, Happy Holiday Shopping at Williams Sonoma!
A Big Thank You to the Williams Sonoma Store Manager for allowing me to blog about the store. Also, a Thank You to Nicole, Sales Associate, in the Williams Sonoma, Leesburg Outlet store for all the assistance.
