Fall 2016

From the Editor: Getting it Done By Julie McCallum

Welcome to our Fall issue. We’re excited to introduce you to some pretty extraordinary retailers and makers. They all happen to be women ­— a coincidence, but something to celebrate, none-the-less. Making, selling, promoting ­— these women are working hard to provide for their families and employees while making their mark on the gift industry.

We talked with some of the women who are forging ahead in the handmade gift scene, and they are banding together for a common goal: to get their products in the hands of appreciative consumers. These women joined forces this summer to create the Wild Rumpus Room showroom at AmericasMart Atlanta. They all share a resounding similarity: a love of creating. Their passion is inspiring, much like the products they are making.

Almost everyone that reads this magazine has been to Atlanta to visit AmericasMart. But how many of you get the chance to explore the local shopping scene? In this issue, we visit four retailers who have unique offerings to please a diverse variety of shoppers.

Whether your customers have fur babies or human babies, we’ve got you covered. In our Creature Comforts feature, we showcase what’s hot in the pet market and introduce you to a retailer who has created a canine boutique and salon to pamper and primp the well-loved pet. The bright and welcoming Fido and Stitch, pictured on our cover, is the brainchild of Alli McDonough. If you are looking for products to spoil the human babies and their parents, look no further than our feature on Gifts for New Parents. We also talk to retailer Lynette Bowser, owner of Sassy Pants Baby & Children’s Boutique who specializes in being a one-stop shop for the perfect baby gift.

Not surprisingly, we’ve heard from our readers that they want to hear more about other retailers. This gift shop community is friendly like that. They love to hear about what others are doing to make the most out of their stores. My hope is that our Gift Shop platforms — the print magazine, website and social media sites — can be a central home for sharing that support, encouragement and advice so we can all be the best we can be. Together we CAN do it.

Julie McCallum

Julie McCallum is publisher of Gift Shop Magazine. She is formerly the editor-in-chief of the publication, as well as editor of Museums & More, and she has more than 25 years experience in publishing.