Every day is a cause for celebration at Point of Origin gift shop in Lakeway.

 Back to school kick offs. Tailgate parties to start football season. Girls’ nights out. If they can think of it, it will be celebrated.
“You never know if I will be serving lemonade or hurricanes for Mardi Gras. There is always a day to celebrate – We celebrate Lollipop Day! It can be big or small. It’ll be fun here,” said Jaime Bush, store owner and manager.
Most customers of corporate-run gift shop stores know what to expect before walking through the door. Not at Point of Origin where friendly smiles, Barley the store dog, and snacks and drinks help customers’ worries evaporate almost instantly at the gift store in Lohmans Crossing Shopping Center.
“They are escaping reality sometimes when they come here,” Bush said.
The former Nordstrom employee merged a personal, inviting approach with corporate sensibilities learned at the Seattle-based retailer to appeal to and maintain a diverse customer base.
“We have long-time customers and we have people from this whole new part of Lakeway who are just experiencing the store for the first time. They either heard about us or stumbled across and are shocked that they didn’t find us before.”
That’s almost the way to describe how Bush found out about the store and the opportunity to buy it two and a half years ago from previous owner, Diane Webb.
“When she posted it on her web site, within seven minutes we replied,” said Bush
who had lived in the Lake Travis area for six years but was unaware of the gift store.
Webb had forged relationships with local residents who supported Point of Origin even after the shopping center’s anchor, Randall’s, moved across RR 620.
“This was the hustle and bustle” before Lakeway’s growth kicked into overdrive, Bush said.
She followed the cliché of not fixing what isn’t broken, but invigorated the 15-year-old business with a tireless pursuit of market research, competitive shopping far and wide, and a knack for spotting and supporting local vendors and Texas artists whose works could be the next big thing.
“We listen to what our customers want,” said Bush who has scoured the shelves in Grand Haven, Mich., and navigated the world’s largest flea market at Canton, Texas, looking for items that would be perfect for her customers.
She knows people still want to treat themselves and that inspirational items are always in demand at a gift store, but Bush also identifies trends such as shoppers’ increased desires for multi-use items as they tighten their belts. Bush said more people are seeking efficient purchases that are versatile and affordable. Flip flops with interchangeable flaps offer different styles. Charm bracelets allow shoppers to customize looks by swapping out beads.
A positive attitude and momentum energize Bush in taking her business a few steps further by adjusting her buying plans, increasing marketing, adding more store events and even writing thank you cards.
“I’m not just a gift store [owner], I’m a person with heart,” she said.
Knowing that her customers could spend their dollars at myriad other stores has spurred Bush to go above and beyond. She’s implemented a Loyalty Point Club that rewards customers with a 10 percent store credit after they make a certain number of purchases.
Loyalty is a precious resource for gift stores that rely on discretionary spending. Independent gift stores rely on low-margin, high-volume sales and are finding it increasingly difficult to compete, according to industry research firm IBISWorld.
“While I think I’m unique, even Target can be competition,” Bush explained, adding that she estimates five new customers a day come to Point of Origin.
If she’s at the store and the lights are on, they are welcome to come in despite the “official” store hours of 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays.
“I don’t kick anybody out. I work around them. You have to,” she said.
And if Bush and her staff can’t meet a customer’s need at their store, they look for other stores in the area that might be able to fulfill the request.
“We try to solve their problems. If we can’t meet that need, we bend over backward to help them meet that need,” she said. “If it’s something I can’t give them I make sure they get it.”
Customers recognize that dedication by supporting the store through the lean times.
“I could cry. I think that’s why we’re still here,” Bush said as the emotional connection moved her to tears. “If we weren’t in a small community we wouldn’t have survived [as a business]. They give back. They are all so concerned with their favorite stores.”
For Bush, business is more than dollars and cents. It is about giving back to a community she loves. She is an active member of the Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce and Lakeway Networking Incorporated, which meets every Wednesday.
“It’s a group I stand behind. I adore them,” she said.
Adoration is the theme at Point of Origin, which is probably the way it should be at a gift store that helps people find the perfect way to say they care.
“I love it. It’s an amazing store,” customer Shannon Haas said.
For information, call 263-4301 or visit lakewaygifts.com. Point of Origin is at 2300 Lohmans Spur, Suite 114, in Lakeway.