The Crystal Garden
2610 N Federal Highway
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
877-444-5099
Owner: Margaret Ann Lembo
Year Opened: 1988
Store Size: Approx. 2500’
Hours: 11am – 6pm Monday to Saturday, 12pm – 4 pm Sunday
Products in Stock
Gemstones, jewelry, aromatherapy, incense, sage, candles, books, greeting cards, wind chimes, angel statues and merchandise, Buddhist and Hindu statuary, wall hangings, CDs, Feng Shui supplies, CBD products.
Inventory Method/ Software Use: Booklog
Inventory Turn: 1.86 days
Sales by Category
Top sales are crystals and gemstones, jewelry, aromatherapy, incenses and accessories, books, oracle and Tarot decks, classes and workshops, wind chimes, candles, angels, Feng Shui, Buddhist, greeting cards, ceramics, Native and Indigenous.
Events/ Services
Free private book club events, Monday Meditations, and The Gemstone Oracle provided by Margaret Ann Lembo. There are also workshops, some of which are approved for Continuing Education Units for Florida Massage Therapists. Classes are offered for many different types for spiritual and personal development, drumming circles, crystal singing bowl experiences, aura imaging photography (by appointment only), and sessions including amethyst BioMat, private regression, private cord cutting ceremony, and entrepreneurial consultation.
The Crystal Garden, established in 1988, is the conscious living store of the Palm Beaches in southeast Florida. The store is a woman-run business intended to inspire, uplift, educate, and empower through spiritual awakening, evolutionary aromatherapy, crystals and gemstones, and working with angels. The Crystal Garden brand also inspires others to find empowerment within to be all that they can be while also creating community through Margaret Ann Lembo’s books, oracle decks, and spoken audios.
Why did you decide the open a store?
I opened my store in August of 1988 as a temporary career after the stock market crash of 1987. I was a mortgage banker in senior management when the market crashed. I opened my dream store, The Crystal Garden, which was originally a temporary measure. Obviously, it evolved into a permanent passion. It was born out of wanting to create a sacred space where people could come to feel peace, that smells good, and to leave feeling better than when they arrived. The store was named based on the inspiration of the story (book and movie) called The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
How would you describe your customer type?
Being open since 1988, customers span approximately three generations. Our customer base used to be predominantly women between 30 and 60 years old. Now, the demographics have changed to all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, educations, professions, occupations, income levels, and marital statuses. It is very exciting to watch how the customer base has expanded so much.
As a store owner can you share a little bit of your weekly routine with us?
Mondays are for planning. We decide the focus for the upcoming week for social media, email campaigns, possible sales and promotions, and well as recording YouTube videos and Facebook Live events. Tuesday mornings are dedicated to building the master blends for the aromatherapy line. Wednesdays and Thursdays are my days away from the store, and you can find me most often writing my next book or deck in my home office! Fridays are dedicated to paying invoices and updating the general ledger accounts for bookkeeping. Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays you can find me helping customers in our showrooms or teaching a workshop at the store. Any and all days I buy and receive merchandise.
How do you promote your brand and products to grow profit margin?
My main products are gemstones and aromatherapy. I have been buying crystals, minerals, and stones for resale for close to 33 years. My sources for purchasing gems are very longstanding and I prefer to buy in person. The aromatherapy line is The Crystal Garden brand, medical grade single note essential oils and blends as well as aroma-energetic sprays, has been part of my business for approximately 20 years. The Crystal Garden Brand Aromatherapy is now sold by retail partners throughout the world.
Do you work with consignment products?
No. In the very early days of The Crystal Garden, I was grateful to have consignment items as they helped to grow my store. Over time, the work involved in carrying consignment products has been time and cost prohibitive for success.
Do you sell products online on social media?
We use Facebook Marketplace to drive traffic to our webstore. This also allows us to tag products in our Instagram posts. However, we don’t sell directly through any social media sites. It is all set up to drive people to our online store and to our brick and mortar store.
Do you work exclusively with local artists and Made in USA products or do you carry in store imported products and Fair Trade as well?
We carry all these categories.
When choosing new products what is your criteria in terms of selection?
For the most part, that the product is going to help a person live their life more consciously and/or bring more joy, love, and ease to life.
Do you frequently buy products advertised in our magazine?
Over the many years, yes.
Any plans to expand your business to attract a broader audience?
Yes, though I have found that there are more and more people from all walks of life that want to improve their lives through conscious living. The more I maintain my focus on being a guide and inspiration for the evolution of mass consciousness, the more it seems that new customers find The Crystal Garden. In addition, the number one best-selling product, Smudge in Spray, which I created in around 1998, can be found in bigger stores that reach a mainstream audience. My product, Smudge in Spray, has drawn many people to find The Crystal Garden.
What advice would you share with retailers in the conscious living community?
Learn how to balance spirituality with practical business sense. It is important to remember to be an entrepreneur and maintain focus on good business practices and, as such, business policies should be intact and adhered to by staff and customers alike. Surround yourself with people who can fill in the areas where you need support. Know your strengths and weaknesses. In addition, it is always good to diversify the avenues of income for your store in products and events. I added a wholesale division to help balance out the revenue for the days when our front showrooms weren’t as busy. It has proven to be financially beneficial.
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