Eric Griego and his sister Clarissa Lovato, of FS2 Supply Co., will sell their New Mexico-themed merchandise at their studio in the Marquez Lofts on Saturday, Nov. 30, which is Small Business Saturday. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal)
SANTA FE – When shoppers hear Small Business Saturday, they’re supposed to think about giving their business to local mom-and-pop stores instead of big-box retailers. This year, those at FS2 Supply Co. of Santa Fe hope their brother-and-sister outfit will be top of mind for holiday shopping.
Eric Griego, owner of graphics firm Firestik Studio, and his sister, Clarissa Lovato, proprietor of Elevate Media, are teaming up on a pop-up store featuring New Mexico-themed merchandise on Saturday, Nov. 30.
Griego’s wife, Kelly, who is a third-grade teacher at Chaparral Elementary School, is also involved in FS2 Supply Co. The company has been making a name for itself with high-quality merchandise emblazoned with the state’s Zia symbol. Also popular are its T-shirts with Spanish taglines in Gothic-style typeface, such as “Oralé” (a local catch phrase that takes on different meanings depending on the occasion) and “Mi barrio” (my neighborhood).
One of FS2 Supply Co.’s most popular T-shirts. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal)
FS2 Supply’s T-shirts generally sell for $25 for short-sleeve models, while long-sleeve shirts cost $30. Baseball caps go for $28. There are also low-cost items, such as stickers, which sell for $3.
Last year, FS2 Supply Co., which sells its merchandise primarily online at fs2supplyco.com, hosted a pop-up store on Small Business Saturday, but that rendition remained open for only the day. This year, the Griegos and Lovato plan to keep their pop-up going through the holidays.
The family uses a banner to draw customers to Suite 105B in the Marquez Lofts complex at 1012 Marquez Place, not far from the intersection of St. Francis Drive and Cordova Road.
In 2018, FS2 Supply was visited by approximately 400 shoppers on Small Business Saturday.
The “shop local” marketing device was created by credit-card company American Express 11 years ago to counter the Black Friday advertising blitz by big stores.
Griego said he and his family opened FS2 Supply in July 2017 in response to the poor quality of New Mexico-themed merchandise sold by corporate-owned retailers. “New Mexicans have a lot of pride in their state. We felt like there was a need for more good-looking New Mexico-themed gifts,” Griego said. The merchandise is printed in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, he said.
Baseball caps for sale at FS2 Supply Co.’s loft in Santa Fe. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal)
For the Griegos and Lovato, FS2 Supply is a labor of love. The company’s slogan, “Be the culture,” is meant to inspire young people to carry on the traditions of New Mexico.
“We want the next generation to get its hands dirty. Be a participant. Make tamales with the family,” Eric Griego said.
To that end, the younger members of the Griego family have been pitching in at FS2 Supply. Eric Griego’s nephew, Jeremiah Griego Block, has been an important part of the business, his uncle said, by helping to promote the brand on social media.
Lovato has been helping to develop the wholesale side of the business by building relationships with retailers. Right now, FS2 Supply merchandise can be found at Goler, the Santa Fe shoe store off the Plaza; Brotique 505 in Albuquerque; and Main Street Mercantile in Red River, New Mexico.
“Breaking into museum gift shops would be great,” said Lovato. “It’s tricky getting into the (Santa Fe) farmers market, because we’re not growers and they have their own line of merchandise.”
In addition to selling online, FS2 Supply has been a vendor at events such as Pancakes on the Santa Fe Plaza, presented on July 4 by the Rotary Club, and Oktoberfest in Red River. This year, the weather at Oktoberfest was in the retailer’s favor thanks to an unexpected cold snap that drove sales of sweatshirts and camouflage jackets emblazoned with the Zia symbol.
In a world in which many brick-and-mortar retailers have been forced to close their doors because of the success of online retailers, why bother with a pop-up store?
Griego says his family enjoys the face-to-face contact with customers at Marquez Lofts and other venues. “My favorite part is learning how much people love New Mexico,” he said.
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November 24, 2019 at 02:02PM
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Brother/sister pop-up on Small Business Saturday - Albuquerque Journal
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