holidays

Thanksgiving weekend sees 197M shoppers, marks second-highest in history

The five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday saw an estimated 197 million shoppers, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. [caption id="attachment_90479" align="alignright"... more »

The 2024-25 Gift Guide

The fourth quarter has dawned upon retailers once again. With it comes increased foot traffic, year-end promotions, extended hours and the general stress of the holiday season as a business owner in retail. So as... more »

NRF: Steady sales growth expected for 2024 holiday season

The National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasted that 2024 holiday spending is expected to grow between 2.5% and 3.5% over 2023. That equates to between $979.5 billion and $989 billion in total holiday spending in November... more »

From the Editor: Ending on a high note

Welcome to the final stretch of 2024. For most Americans, this means pumpkin, cider and fir aromas fill the air. Food is sweeter and richer. Crisp, cool air blows... more »

Merrymaking: The essentials for holiday entertaining, dining and decorating

From intimate gatherings to all-out reindeer games, holiday parties center around togetherness, gratitude and levity. Over-the-top parties are now the norm, and the approaches to these celebrations are as diverse as ever. [caption id="attachment_90476" align="alignright"... more »

Finishing Strong: 15 tips for holiday sales

The winter holiday 2023 numbers are in, and the news is actually pretty good. The Paper + Craft Pantry’s Pei Sim curated ready-to-go options for her website’s annual holiday gift guide... more »

Meet the Maker: Jomana Siddiqui

As seen in Holiday Shop 2024. Jomana Siddiqui founded Pences Design Studio in 2003 as a custom stationery company. Sensing a growing need for products for underrepresented holidays, Siddiqui set out to create pieces for... more »

A ‘Winter Wonderland’: Fiddlestix transforms for the holiday season

As seen in Holiday Shop 2024. Fiddlestix Mercantile doesn’t just offer great giftables to its clientele — it redefines the entire shopping experience. Offering fresh flowers, freshly baked bread and giftables,... more »