Bringing toys to life

Cherie Bouchard is seeing firsthand how a toy craze takes off with the increasingly popular Webkinz pet.The plush toy comes with a secret code that allows the owner to enter Webkinz.com, an online world where... more »

Preventing Retail Theft

In retail, you want your products to fly off the shelves and out the door--but only after they've been paid for. Theft--both by customers and employees--costs American retailers more than $33 billion per year. Entire... more »

Webkinz a big hit at small retailers

Webkinz could be on the way to becoming one of this year's biggest toys, and one of the reasons may be because it is not being marketed to the biggest stores.At first glance, a Webkinz... more »

Retailers looking forward to back-to-school season

After modest sales gains in June, retailers are gearing up for the back-to-school season, according to the National Retail Federation.Retail sales — excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants — rose 3.4 percent unadjusted over last... more »

A hodgepodge of pleasures

Jerri Turner, who owns Sweets, Treats & Design, has quite the varied inventory. Along with chocolates, the North End Tacoma boutique offers tea sets, candles, frames and custom work. "We do wedding favors, we do... more »

Why are minimum wholesale orders necessary?

Minimum wholesale orders. Vendors need them; retailers complain they are too restrictive. In a new forum, in association with the Gift and Home Trade Association, we talk to industry professionals to find out how retailers... more »

Best Sellers in Nantucket, MA

The Lion's Paw The newly-renovated interior makes good use of the building's large windows and natural light, to give it a fresh, new feel. New product lines in bedding, tabletop and custom-painted furniture supplement customer... more »

Lapping Up Luxury

Article Resources Wholesalers 1600 For Men 800.691.2862 1600ForMen.com Ahava AhavaUS.com Aromafloria 800.424.0034 Aromafloria.com Barefoot Dreams 818.707.8848 BarefootDreams.com Candlevida Candlevida.com Camille Beckman 800.433.0060 CamilleBeckman.com Esscentual Brands/Claire Burke/Vitabath 877.856.1753 MyClaireBurke.com MyVitabath.com Essence of Vali 212.242.0576 EssenceofVali.com Jane... more »

Web Redo

After Courtney Zielinski was charged with redesigning Wicati's website, she took a look at its old homepage. One problem with the site jumped out at her: The homepage was not marketing the store efficiently. Wicati... more »

Holiday Holly Jolly

A little whimsy, like good ol' Santa coming down the chimney, is a fun way of getting your customers in the holiday mood. The choice of turquoise blue on the Christmas tree nearby spices up... more »