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Just in Time Gifts • Leander

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Written by Mark Collins Wednesday, 07 November 2007

Storage company gets into gifts accidentally

Just in Time gifts opened three years ago in what used to be the front office of R & K Self Storage.

Owner Karen Heisterman and manager Kelly Barks worked together at the storage shop for seven years before Heisterman purchased several torchiere lamps to sell in the office. The lights sold quickly, and the torchiere salesman suggested Heisterman try selling candles.

When the candles sold more quickly than the lamps, Heisterman realized she may have a business on her hands.

“We reorganized the office to make it into a gift shop,” Barks said. “We had the space and the advantage of not having to pay rent.”

To fill the store, Heisterman and Barks traveled to Dallas Market Center, the largest wholesale merchandise resource in the world. The business partners browsed booths for three days before returning to Cedar Park with Willow Tree angels, handmade crosses and more candles. Just in Time Gifts was born.

“We thought about different names, but Just in Time fit because it’s much easier to stop off here rather than go to the mall or another big store,” Barks said.

The duo attends the Dallas Market Center each year to expand the store’s inventory.

“Every year, it has gradually gotten busier and busier,” Barks said.

What sets Just in Time Gifts apart from other gift stores is the high level of customer service, she said.

“If we don’t have something here, I’ll call and ask if other stores have it and send customers to them,” said Barks. “Hopefully they will do the same for us.”

Just in Time Gifts has participated in several local venues outside the shop, hosting a booth at the Leander Fall Festival, Vista Ridge High School Christmas Bazaar and the Leander High School Craft Market.

Outside of these events, they rely mostly on word of mouth and storage customers for business.

“Guys come in here to pay their storage bill and say, ‘I can’t let my wife come pay storage, or she’ll spend all our money,’” said Barks. “It’s nice to know we have things people want to buy.”