Operations

Cause Marketing

Working hard to raise sales and charity dollarsAs retailers, you are bombarded with a million tasks on your to-do lists. Thinking about others is not always top of mind when your immediate list of goals... more »

Community Matters!

Your point of differentiation from big boxes stores applies to more than just your product mix. It extends to the larger community as well. Here are five actionable marketing ideas for outreach that are well... more »

Show Time!

A tradeshow takes up a lot of your time and money. Here are some tips to make the most of your investment. Travel expenses and time away from the store are major concerns if you... more »

The Price is Right

Sure, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But what to do with unsold product after all the merriment dies down? Here are some ideas to make merchandise move. While the idea of cutting... more »

Crowd-funding 101

Traditional sources of credit are still hard to come by but gift shop retailers like you can explore new sources of revenue, like crowd-funding, to expand your business. It’s been a year since Congress launched... more »

Branding Basics

A consistent branding strategy represents a business’ personality and creates a strong store image. (more…) more »

Think Pink

Women’s enormous buying power translates to a lucrative demographic segment as long as you know what makes them tick. Women make up half the population – 50.8%, to be precise, according to the U.S. Census... more »

Moving On Up

Having more than one store brings new customers and new challenges. See what prompted the business move for two gift store retailers. “The euphoria, overconfidence and heightened appetite for risk that grip traders during a... more »