Eight teams named semi-finalists for NRF Foundation’s 2018 Student Challenge

The NRF Foundation today announced eight teams as semi-finalists for the 2018 Student Challenge, a business case competition for NRF Student Association members to demonstrate their creativity and business acumen to retail executives, sponsored by KPMG. The finalists will attend... more »

When Disaster Strikes

By Keith Loria, Special to Gift Shop It seems every time one... more »

New layout for The Gardens debuts at AmericasMart January 2018 Market

It’s a new season for The Gardens at AmericasMart Atlanta and change is in the air. The nation’s largest collection of casual furniture, accessories, holiday and innovative garden gift merchandise takes on a new look for January... more »

Creating Customer Relationships

A woman came up to me after my keynote at a conference the other day asking how she could compete against online retailers. She relayed a story about how she spent time getting a shopper... more »

Display Inspirations: Sign of the Times

The core tenet of a successful specialty retail business is providing customers with high-quality products in a convenient and accessible location. Retailers have a desire to maximize their store layouts and display space to optimize... more »

Ready… Set… Open (Part 2)

What’s in a name? If you are in retail, everything! The name of your store is the cornerstone of your brand. It will immediately suggest what folks will find inside or online. Not only that,... more »

Fresh & Fragrant

Who said first impressions don’t matter? They mean a lot — especially in this category. Stock products that work as well as they look and smell. ... more »

Nation’s largest Creative Co-Op showroom to open at AmericasMart

Creative Co-Op is reimagining the showroom buying experience in a spectacular 28,000-square-foot AmericasMart space that will set the bar for new product resources with inspirational presentations, new categories and a dedicated events space for networking,... more »

Brand Keys 2017 holiday shopping survey finds increase in consumer spend doubles YOY

A robust stock market and high levels of consumer confidence have coalesced to double the increase in anticipated 2017 holiday spending over 2016. “Generally good economic news has consumers signaling a 4% increase in their... more »

Demdaco introduces artist Sharon Nowlan’s pebble art collection

DEMDACO, the Leawood, Kansas-based wholesale distribution firm specializing in gift and home décor products, is delighted to partner with fine artist Sharon Nowlan in debuting The Sharon Nowlan Collection to the gift industry. This collection... more »