Gift Shop Plus Fall 2022

Season of Gratitude By Julie McCallum

The 2022 holiday shopping season is well underway as this issue goes to press. For many retailers the buildup to this year’s fourth quarter has included many unknowns.

Inflation, gas prices and shipping disruptions have kept everyone on their toes.

“Consumers have become cautious — but they have not stopped spending,” National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said recently. “Growth is not as high as last year, but households continue to spend each month as more jobs, wage growth and savings backstop their finances and help them confront higher prices.”

Managing disruptions is a key to survival in today’s economic climate. For publishers like us, paper shortages and printing resources have us scrambling to come up with alternative solutions. That’s why this printed magazine looks slightly different. Our new trim size and paper stock don’t change that Gift Shop® Plus is the go-to resource for specialty retailers. It’s packed full of exciting new trends, products and retailer profiles to keep our readers inspired and in the know.

When it comes to inspired retail, garden centers like Merrifield Garden Center in northern Virginia have merchandising dialed in for their three locations. They infuse nature into all of their displays, cross merchandising home décor with garden products and plants to inspire customers on their green living journey. Learn more about their process. Check out the Outdoor Living Lookbook for all kinds of natural inspiration and outdoor-centric products across categories.

Alongside our sister publication, Stationery Trends, we are proud to introduce the 40 new honorees to the Gift + Stationery 40 Under 40 program. The class of 2022 features a new group of creatives making their marks in the industry. We were so thankful to celebrate this year’s class IN PERSON during a special reception at the Las Vegas Market on July 24. Meet the entire class.

Getting together and celebrating is something we will never take for granted again. In this season of gratitude, I am so thankful to our readers, our advertising partners, our industry friends and our team here at Great American Media Services, all who inspire me with their versatility and creativity.