Writer: Sarah Schwartz
Shell Yes!
These Fresh Picks are full of stationery and gift products that fit in “natural” categories such as shells, trees and CBD.
Express Yourself
Pandemic-friendly DIY selections offer the precious gifts of distraction and connection. These DIY products are emerging strong.
Silver Linings
Well, a lot’s certainly happened since my last Editor’s Letter. If you have a brick-and-mortar, your state guidelines determine a lot about your business — but that’s not the only factor.
All the Feels
Quilling Card’s new braille range delivers greetings to a new, underserved audience.
State of Mind
Read all the features in the Spring issue that inspire. No matter where your dot falls on the map, insightful releases from thoughtful makers inspire us to regard the familiar with fresh eyes.
UnBound at BookExpo
Originally slated to run May 27 through May 29, BookExpo is the publishing industry’s leading trade event, where booksellers, specialty retailers, librarians, national chains, publishers and tastemakers converge on Jacob Javits Center in New York City to discover the latest titles, authors, distribution channels, technology and trends.
Noted Lookbook: Faded Denim
Noted Lookbook: Faded Denim features washed out blue hues that are as comfortable — and comforting — as a favorite pair of jeans.
February Finds
The temperature outside may have been freezing, but the offerings inside Jacob Javits Center were sizzling hot! National Stationery Show (NSS) and NY NOW enjoyed their second co-location with plenty of great finds.
NSS
February finds bloomed with stationery and gifts galore
NY NOW
NY NOW February finds bloomed with stationery and gifts galore.
This Little Bubble
Belle & Union Founder and Creative Director Meg Sutton first became captivated by letterpressed cards while working in a gift store during college — but assembling trade show selling spaces for her wholesale range was when she first became enchanted with retail.
Dazzling Destinations
Despite the ongoing media narrative regarding the Retail Apocalypse, people still inherently like to shop — and according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), that will spur retail sales to increase in 2020 between 3.5 and 4.1%, to over $3.9 trillion.
Bridal 2020
This tricky market is as diverse as today’s brides, and while invitations and custom pieces are driven by design trends, individual taste is paramount.
The Color Wheel: The Classics, Revisited
With its latest Color of the Year, Pantone sets the tone for a new age.
Time to Fly Fresh Picks
Any retailer knows that the best product is that which doesn’t stay on shelves for long. With low prices and high visibility, stickers, like this one from exit343design, are poised to be top sellers as they add personality to water bottles, planners and every conceivable surface.
Reach Out & Indirectly Touch Someone
So, a lot has happened since I turned in my original spring editor’s letter in early March. It focused on how Papyrus shutting its doors played into the ongoing media narrative about the retail apocalypse, and how garnering clicks can stand in the way of reporting more nuanced truths. I think my conclusions still stand: Namely, that the card buyer demographic is shifting from baby boomer to millennial, and the younger generation responds less to a traditional card shop environment and more to that of a curated card and gift shop. Interestingly, Paper Source did acquire 30 Papyrus stores a few weeks after the big announcement, news that was barely reported.