The fourth quarter is well underway and consumer spending doesn’t seem to be stalling. The National Retail Federation is optimistic in their October Monthly Economic Review. “There’s a saying that you should never underestimate the American consumer – and its corollary is that you should watch what consumers do, not what they say,” Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for National Retail Federation said.

Finish the year strong with new product ideas throughout this issue. Don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit — with patterns! The Trend Report looks at popular patterns found on a wide variety of products beginning on page 39. During the challenges of the last year, many hospital gift shops have established an online presence and discovered how important they are for employee morale. Learn more about this special niche on page 78.

With the ongoing wellness trend, candles and fragrances offer soothing scents to help everyone on their self-care journeys. We take a look at trends and designs beginning on page 72. Thanks to an increasing remote workforce, more people are embracing coastal and lake living. Catch the latest trends in NAME OF ARTICLE. The Garden and Outdoor Living Lookbook is also featured in this issue.

Gift + Stationery Week in August was a huge success as a week’s worth of webinars was a great way to meet the 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 honorees. The Zoom awards ceremony and the trends discussions and roundtable talks provided a great opportunity to network and share ideas with many of the industry’s superstars. Meet them in NAME OF ARTICLE. We are already planning the 2022 edition so stay tuned for the nominating process to be announced in January.

In this season of gratitude, I want to extend my deepest appreciation for our wonderful team at Great American Media Services. They are truly committed to providing the most useful and inspiring resources for our readers. Your success is our mission!

Julie McCallum