We were lucky to catch up with Renee Preuss recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Renee thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made?

This is definitely a topic I can speak about as it is difficult to navigate inventory and what to buy for a shop, especially when there is so much out there. For me, purchasing products to fulfill expanding genres has been the worst because being on a limited budget, sparing inventory can create confusion for the customer and intended audience as to what the shop is about per say and leaves a wide range of choices that none are made.

I was still in the process of honing in on its offerings and execution but had eventually decided to close it to due not being in an ideal locale. The online counter part had been created but failed in the sense that I wanted to include lots of products and did not consider bulking up on current products and offering similar and more variety within those before taking on other product types.

Renee, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

THERE ARE NO RULES WHEN IT COMES TO STYLE (mantra)

Pondered Goods was an infant idea many moons ago, back when walking through feet of snow to school was a thing (just kidding)! On a serious note, it was conceived when I was just coming into adulthood and it festered there for years. At a crossroads years later the vision came to fruition after much thought, consideration and throwing caution to the wind of course! Hailing from small business owners on both sides of the family, perhaps it was meant to be all along. One brick + mortar (now closed) a couple names and re-branding, Pondered Goods has evolved and caters to provide design-minded, long lasting, stylish products that one can feel refreshed after purchasing.

Dedicated and thorough research goes into every new maker + brand carried. Fast and cheap are not what PG aims to provide. Intentionally made items from transparent brands for products that go the distance is what is offered. The goods are thoughtfully and heavily pondered to make it easy for the customer as life is crazy and busy enough! Inclusivity is important to the shop’s ethos and will remain as it is important to carry a diverse range of makers and brands.

Sustainability and eco friendly packaging solutions have been a core value since the beginning. All packaging is recycled, reused and/or curbside recyclable to ensure we are doing our part toward a better tomorrow.
I also save boxes to reuse, which are in great condition and have had only dry contents within them.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

Early on when I was researching websites while having a physical shop as I knew having an online component was important and something I wanted to have to complement the store and reach a wider audience. Perhaps it is having a creative background and being a visual thinker, Squarespace was the winner and offered what I was looking for in terms of ease, style and price.

The pros are the three characteristics I mentioned above as well as their practices of staying on top of current technology and implementing into their sites. They are constantly working to integrate ways to make it more seamless to upload images and information, branded marketing done for you, email integration (extra fee depending on the plan you pick), ai integration and other helpful add ons.

Of course, there are some cons and the biggest being that it does not partner with social media such as Tik Tok, which is ever expanding and expanding their reach with businesses being able to have a shop and reach a large number of potential customers. They are getting better but sometimes are behind with options to integrate the latest technology, which can be a little frustrating when other sites have jumped on it.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Staying consistent with the brands and makers represented in Pondered Goods. Usually I find a product on social media, websites or wholesale sites and then do thorough research to ensure they fit core values. If it’s a cool product or on trend but there is not information on production, manufacturing and/or backstory, I will not pursue it. It is key that there’s intention and fair and ethical practices regarding products and due diligence on my end to make sure I am transparent and true to my words.

When people reach out to me regarding the shop and carrying their products of customers, they affirm that what is said on the website regarding selection, quality, and descriptions is evident in the product offerings. I have also made a commitment early on to make sure I carry a great portion of goods that are sustainable or socially responsible, ethically made and inclusive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ponderedgoods.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ponderedgoods/?hl=en

Image Credits
No need to credit if unnecessary, they are my photographs.