News
It’s official: US is in recession
Washington—The U.S. economy has been in a recession since December 2007, the National Bureau of Economic Research said Monday.The NBER -- a private, nonprofit research organization -- said its group of academic economists who determine... more »
Black Friday sales gain seen as a one-time gift
Bargain-hungry consumers gave the nation's retailers a much-needed early holiday boost with surprisingly healthy sales on Black Friday that tapered off Saturday and Sunday."It was a retail manager's dream," said Marissa Marks, store manager at... more »
The brightest stars are here: January at Americasmart
(ATLANTA) — Kool & The Gang, America's favorite Funk-Pop-Blues band, headlines AmericasMart's all-star lineup of top designers, tastemakers and celebrity chefs showcased on the January 2009 Markets stage. The event will launch the Grand New... more »
Douglas Company Debuts True Imagination at Toy Fair
(KEENE, NH) -- It is Toy Fair time already, and the designers at New Hampshire-based Douglas Company have been getting ready for the ultimate debut in New York this February. Known for their soft toys... more »
ComScore: Black Friday e-commerce hits $534 million
It wasn't a blockbuster, but Black Friday wasn't a bust, either. ComScore on Sunday reported that online, nontravel retail sales on the Friday after Thanksgiving, traditionally a big day for consumer spending, reached $534 million.... more »
Retail: In the shadow of a grim forecast, merchants test their creativity
Ocala -- Considering all the city-sponsored events and planned promotions by local retailers, this could be one of the most festive holiday seasons in Marion County history.Now, merchants are just hoping folks turn out for... more »
NRF Survey Finds Black Friday Gets Holiday Season Off to Energetic Start
(Washington) – Though the holiday season is far from over, retailers across the country are breathing a collective sigh of relief after shoppers headed to stores and websites in droves over the weekend. According to... more »
Shop.org Survey Finds 85 Million Americans to Shop Cyber Monday
(Washington) —Though traffic in stores was brisk over Black Friday weekend, millions of Americans saved some of their shopping for Cyber Monday, the ceremonial kickoff to the online holiday shopping season.According to a Shop.org survey,... more »
Toy and Game Inventors Awards Honors Creative Minds
(LINCOLNWOOD, Ill.) -- The Chicago Toy and Game Group recognized outstanding toy and game inventors at the first Toy and Game Inventors Event (TAGIE) award ceremony Friday November 21st. In a nation where we grant... more »
Ninutik Maple: Soaring above the airport gift shop
Maple products have been Canadian staples for generations; airport gift shops are well stocked with boxes of leaf-shaped sugar and beige plastic mini-jugs of syrup. But for Toronto industrial designers Dianne Croteau and Richard Brault,... more »
Retailers use (cheaper) e-mail to send shoppers coupons
E-marketing sounds so passé, but this year, retailers are checking their e-mail lists twice to try to juice up holiday sales. Sure, Web videos are cool, but direct marketing can be loaded with incentives that... more »
Brandwise, GHTA introduce show index for the gift and home industry
(Lakewood, CO) -- Brandwise, an application service provider well known in the industry for its software solutions, and the Gift & Home Trade Association (GHTA), the industry's leading trade association, announced a revolutionary new market... more »
