Jun 30, 2008

GIFT SHOP Magazine announces winner of 2008 ‘Ultimate Makeover Contest’

HANOVER, Mass. – GIFT SHOP magazine is proud to announce that Mary Haynes, owner of Kountry Nook in Pekin, IL, is the winner of its 2008 ‘Ultimate Makeover Contest.’ The winner was chosen after careful consideration of entries from a wide variety of gift shops.

Scarlet Coers, a staff member of Kountry Nook, submitted the entry as a surprise for Haynes after what Coers described as a particularly trying year for Haynes and the store. Both Coers and Haynes were delighted to be chosen the winner and are looking forward to the results of the makeover. “I never dreamed I would win the contest. My store manager and I are so excited. We need major help and are extremely happy you have chosen our store,” Haynes said.

Kountry Nook wins up to $1,000 in merchandising supplies and the visual merchandising services of Paul Thompson, the vice president of creative at OneCoast. Thompson was looking forward to what he called a “great and rewarding” challenge. He will be executing the makeover in August.

OneCoast is the primary sponsor of the makeover contest. Jeremy Hirsch, VP of Marketing, OneCoast, said: “It is key for retailers to grow their sales through great merchandising. OneCoast strives to assist its retail customers in improving their store presentation.”

“We love how GIFT SHOP magazine’s makeover contest pairs Paul Thompson, a design expert from OneCoast, with a retailer who can most benefit from the improvements.”

“GIFT SHOP Magazine will cover the ‘before’ and ‘after’ so that all readers can benefit from Paul’s expertise,” Hirsch added.

Patricia Norins, publisher of GIFT SHOP, said the contest was a perfect fit with the magazine’s vision of being a complete resource for the gift store retailer. “We have always been dedicated to the business success of the gift retailer and this contest goes a long way in strengthening that mission. We are really looking forward to the results,” Norins said.

GIFT SHOP magazine is a publication of Pinnacle Publishing Group, which has more than 11 years of experience in the publishing industry. Pinnacle also publishes GREENRetailer, the magazine for eco-friendly resources for the gifts and home furnishings industry; Specialty Retail Report, the magazine for the specialty cart and kiosk industry, and the Retail Resource Guide, the only directory that’s compiled specifically for specialty retailers who operate from carts, kiosks, gift shops and temporary in-line stores.

The results of the makeover contest will be published in the Fall ’08 issue of GIFT SHOP magazine.

OneCoast is a national provider of wholesale marketing and sales services for home, gift and collegiate products. For more information about OneCoast, please visit www.onecoast.com.

For more information about GIFT SHOP magazine, please visit www.giftshopmag.com. For more information about GIFT SHOP’s Ultimate Makeover Contest, please visit www.giftshopmakeover.com.