20 Years at The Little Traveler 

Nancy Jones (with flowers) and the crew from Nora Fleming - Helen, Maureen and Joe.

Until June 2019, Nancy was the buyer and manager of one of our biggest and most popular departments - Housewares. During Nancy's early career, she worked her way through the executive training program at F&R Lazarus & Company, a regional department store based in Columbus Ohio (now merged with Macy's), becoming the chain's fine jewelry buyer.

After that, she and her husband moved around for his career, eventually landing in Chicago's far western suburbs. Twenty years ago, she started working at The Little Traveler as a sales associate in our year-round Christmas Rooms. The Legendary Mr. R, then co-owner of the store, made a point of getting to know each and every one of his employees. When he learned of Nancy's accomplished background in retail, it was a no-brainer for him to soon after promote her to Housewares Buyer/Manager when the position came open.

The position was an excellent fit for Nancy's skills, so for the last two decades she's worked to bring in the best and most exciting offerings in the Housewares market to The Little Traveler.

She says the biggest changes she's seen in the department during her tenure stem from technological innovations in materials used, silicone in particular. This versatile and durable material can go from freezer to to oven to dishwasher, making it adaptable to a wide range of Housewares products. Its durability makes it reusable, reducing waste.

Nancy's Favorites

Nancy's favorite part of her job at The Little Traveler is the people—the customers and her staff. She's also formed strong working relationships with the vendors she sees every year at market.

"This business is all about the relationships," Nancy says.

We couldn't agree more. She treasures the friendships she's formed here over the years.

When asked her favorite product in the Housewares Dept., she didn't hesitate to answer, "Nora Fleming. It's a great product, and it's fun to display."

She personally collects Nora Fleming serveware and minis,  and the line is very popular with customers, too. Every season, Nancy looks forward to the release of Nora's newest creations. 

A New Adventure

This month, Nancy began her well-deserved retirement. She's worked hard these last several weeks to ensure a smooth transition to the new buyer/manager (stay tuned for news on that) and has left us prepared to carry on without her...but we sure are going to miss her. 😢

Please congratulate Nancy on both of these milestones if you see her out and about.