Category: Features
Growing Inspiration
Life these days can be quite a lot. To renew, reset and refresh, look no further than the natural world outside our windows. Butterflies and winged creatures of every conceivable variety are informing makers’ imaginations and messaging en masse.
Mass No More
I am so thrilled to share with you all that last month, for two glorious and too-short days, I returned to an actual trade show. As the first event held at Javits Center since it became an impromptu hospital and vaccination site, NY NOW was a historic occasion.
Flower Power
Take a look at what works in the retail environment this upcoming holiday shopping season, how much nature has inspired giftwrap and how the DIY scene is impacting consumers. Keep reading for insights and inspiration!
A Fabulous Fall-Winter Finish
So what’s in the cards this season? Tremendous finds shoppers will enjoy! From Thinking of You Week cards to Halloween and Thanksgiving greeting cards offer a variety of messages that relay just the right sentiment.
Full Belly, Full Heart
When the Halloween season winds down, celebrate family, food and gratitude with these homey Thanksgiving selections.
Summer Market Preview
Cooking up sales is hardly a challenge, thanks to a bevy of freshly minted stationery designs available at markets across the nation. Snag a set of these Kitchen Little Notes (feature image) from E. Frances Paper in Dallas, Atlanta and Shoppe Object, and keep reading for more fabulous finds in this summer market preview!
A Homespun Holiday
For many retailers in our space, strong fourth-quarter sales result from stellar in-store shopping experiences and exceptional DIY workshops. Luna is still hoping to kick off her season with her holiday open house the first weekend in November. The festivities include watercolor, cookie decorating, and calligraphy workshops, all of which “customers have been begging us to start again,” she explained.
A Return to Love
While all weddings share the same end goal, today’s nuptials drastically differ from their pre-pandemic counterparts. Like many others, to help her clients evolve their expectations, Emilie Dulles, a custom graphics, lettering, and watercolor artist who also owns Dulles Designs in Charleston, South Carolina, has dubbed these celebrations Micro-Weddings.
24 Tips for Selling Christmas
2020 was full of surprises, most of them horrible, but there was the occasional burst of optimism — even if we didn’t learn about that until afterwards. Originally, the National Retail Federation (NRF) forecast 2020 holiday sales to increase from 3.6% to 5.2% over 2019, settling somewhere between $755.3 billion and $766.7 billion.
Change on the Horizon, If You Want It
At long last, the U.S. House of Representatives has an opportunity to advance vitally needed postal reform legislation. In May, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform approved H.R. 3076, The Postal Service Reform Act. This is the first time legislation to stabilize USPS finances has been approved by the committee and eligible for passage by Congress in the last three years.
Off Kilter Rainbows
The summer market preview of items featuring the beloved rainbow! ROYGIBV gets a modern makeover in these muted presentations.
Minority Owned
A look at the summer market products available in this category!
Representation is essential, but perhaps even more important is stocking brands owned by people of Asian, BIPOC and Latinx descent.
Natural Wonders
A summer market preview of natural elements in design! Exalting and appreciating the world’s exquisite flora and fauna is right in step with more eco-friendly lifestyles.
Industry vs. Community
As I write this, the third iteration of *Noted is winding down. For the second year running, it was a virtual show. This edition also marked the second Noted @ *Noted Awards, which I had the pleasure of helping coordinate. Having not been able to physically hobnob with makers or experience new releases in about 18 months, this was finally an opportunity to do so, albeit in a radically different form.
P.S. The Future’s So Bright
As herd immunity becomes attainable, plans that have been delayed are more important than ever to put to paper and journals offer a way for shoppers to do just that!