Malls, the Hot Spots

Gift shops come in all sizes – and locations! The decision to locate your business depends on a lot of factors including rent and traffic. Find out why these gift shops decided to give their... more »

Licensed to Merchandise

Use your creative license when it comes to displaying specific artists' lines. These ideas should help. Using an accent color for props and display backdrops adds dimension and makes a collection pop. This technique is... more »

Museum Gift Shops: A Snapshot in Time

A captive audience notwithstanding, museum gift shops have had to revise marketing and sales strategies to keep revenue numbers strong. We take a look at how these novel gift stores are faring. Unlike a stand-alone... more »

Lessons Learned

In-store classes bring more visits, increased sales and best of all – loads of fun! Here's a primer on how to pick and host the right class for your gift shop.Andrea Krakovsky, of Re-Inspiration, could... more »

Trick or Tweet

Step aside Casper. Halloween's grown up and going to the birds. Why Birds?Birds have always been part of dark folklore. Ancient cultures viewed crows, ravens, owls and vultures as evil and demonic. There's something inherently... more »

Service with a Smile

Create meaningful and memorable checkout experiencesFor every day your store is open, the chance to make a lasting impression on a customer is there. Unfortunately, this doesn't always mean the impression is a good one.... more »

Light On!

Not only is your store's lighting important to showcase your merchandise with flair; it's also an important part of your operating budget. Find out how you can get maximum impact for minimum investment. Lighting can... more »

Girl Power

Savvy tween and teen consumers hold a lot of purchasing power and they're fueling sales in the lucrative gift category. On Saturday afternoons, many moms across America set out for leisurely days of shopping with... more »

Conquer the Credit Crunch

Having a store of sound credit is basic common sense for all gift retailers. Here's what you need to know to build a strong credit line for your gift shop.Things go a lot easier when... more »

Road to Recovery

As hard as it is to imagine, what if the unthinkable happens and disaster strikes? Two retailers share their inspirational stories—the decisions they had to make and the lessons they learned in the wake of... more »