The Changing Face of Gift
No single word in our industry has changed its definition so much as ‘Gift’ as consumers and retailers alike blur the line between home décor and gifts.
Still a healthy part of the business, The Hallmark store once almost defined the gift shop concept. Now, nearly every kind of store you can name has some sort of gift mix and much of it is home-oriented. Whether a photo frame or a vase, a candlestick or a tray, these items are purchased as gifts as often as they are for the shopper’s own home.
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IMAX Offers New Looks for the New Year
Don’t you love the beginning of something? Most of us have had less than a stellar 2009, but now we’re poised for what we all hope and expect will be a better 2010.
It’s a wonderful feeling. And no better place to enjoy that feeling than at the Winter markets, especially in the IMAX showrooms where so much is new and exciting.
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Does Your Customer Service Need an Energy Boost?
We all think we are doing well with our own customer service. With so much information available on customer service, why is service still one of the biggest complaints by customers? What is the reality? Do customers expect more than is realistic? Is it simply that good service is taken for granted, but one incident of poor service is blown out of proportion?
Perhaps we are blind to our own mistakes. Are we failing to look at our stores from the customers’ perspective? Are we satisfied with service that is just ‘good enough’ because we have so many other concerns to attend to?
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High Point Best Sellers
Though still cautious, buyers were optimistic at High Point market in October, taking their cue from signs that the national retail market is starting to pick up.
IMAX enjoyed good crowds and strong sales, even as retailers bought carefully and thoughtfully to enhance their stores and broaden their merchandise mix.
The following items topped the High Point best seller list:
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