Recognizing the designer of a product by name is a well-established tradition in Denmark, which is where we got the original inspiration for our shop many years ago. But most of the gift lines we now don’t credit the talent behind the product, with the exception of greeting cards and other paper goods. That is… Read More

Summer is coming, and vacation time means that almost every area of the country will be receiving visitors.  Whether they are nearby residents who have time to explore because of time off from work, or international travelers who have come from afar, they bring with them tourist dollars that will be especially welcome after this… Read More

As retailers we are bombarded with as many “buy me” messages every day as our customers. The one we received recently from Byers’ Choice Ltd. was so well done that I think we can all learn some important lessons from them. First of all, it was carefully targeted.  In nm addition to having our shop… Read More

It can be a challenge to find American craftspeople able to sell their goods wholesale. Locally-produced merchandise is a great addition to almost every merchandise mix, but visiting art fairs can result in dead-end conversations when wholesale pricing of the merchandise isn’t high enough to make it worth the artists while — or is too… Read More

“Get money to grow your business in minutes! Now funding ALL small businesses!” Chances are good that you’ve seen these sponsored spots of Facebook, encouraging you to apply for a loan.  I must admit that I’m impressed by what appears to be 4,000 likes and 1,400 shares for this ad.  But it got me wondering… Read More

Cooperation and collaboration are essential to the success of most small retailers — whether it is through your local buy local movement, Chamber of Commerce or merchant association.  Now there is a new tool available to help business owners connect, thanks to Eric Groves,  a former senior executive of the online marketing company Constant Contact.… Read More

“Fifty percent of retailers and brands will disappear,” according to the future predictions made by Robin Lewis and Michael Dart in their recent book The New Rules of Retail: Competing in the World’s Toughest Marketplace (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010). And as dire as this may sound to independent retailers,  it turns out that the authors don’t… Read More

Changes to the minimum wage laws will have a major impact on retailers across the country.  And yet I think we would all agree with President Obama’s statement that “no one who works full-time should have to raise their family in poverty. Right now, a full-time minimum wage worker makes $14,500 a year – which… Read More

There is no better way to welcome a new business to your community than by encouraging potential customers to patronize it. And one way to do that is by staging a “cash mob.”  You can’t do it for yourself, I’m afraid — but it’s a great gift to help organize one for another business, or… Read More

Are you thinking of adding jewelry, accessories or clothing to your merchandise mix?  As Gifts and Decorative Accessories editor Caroline Kennedy said in a recent seminar, giftable apparel and accessories are a major trend in our industry.  Women enjoy buying non-size specific clothing and accessories for each other as well as to spruce up their… Read More