Browsing: May 2014 issue

Liquidation products can be more challenging to merchandise than brand-new, factory packaged goods, but they can also be highly profitable. Great merchandising of liquidation products can make the difference between a successful discount store and one that struggles to turn a profit.

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For independent retailers, standing out from the competition is the key to survival. But when you do not have the budget to compete with big brand counterparts, leaving your mark is not always easy, especially when it comes to following the latest trends in store and retail design. As customers become harder to please, and increasingly desensitized to what they see at retail, indie retailers need to think of new and exciting ways to capture passing footfall.

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Up until January, Scentco, Inc. was known for its school fundraising product, scented pencils known as “Smencils.” Now a vibrant, newly redesigned line of pencils, markers, gel pens, and soon, stuffed animals, is available for retailers. “We brought everything on trend and put a lot of design effort into the products. They have a fresh, fun, new look,” explains Sales Director, Brandie Bowers, who is energized about the changes.

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Worldclass Jewels owner, Terrance Jones, invites you to take the “Genova challenge.” It is simple enough: put one of her Genova bracelets with a suggested retail price of less than $40 next to a high-end Pandora charm bracelet with a suggested retail price of $720, and see if you can tell the difference. Many people can’t.

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For 27 years, Norton’s Apparel, Jewelry, and Gift Market has been all about the personal touch. That is sure to be the case once again June 7-9, when the all-season wholesale market returns to its home base, the Gatlinburg Convention Center.

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If you see flat masks in the U.K.—from a member of the Royal Family to a character from “Doctor Who”—it is very likely a Star Cutouts product. The company is now coming to the U.S. with a variety of masks that feature a collection of all the main characters from the popular “Walking Dead” series on AMC, including Daryl, Rick, and Michonne. “That show has gone completely out of this orbit,” says Steve Hoagland, international licensing and sales director for Star Cutouts, and a key person responsible for the U.S. expansion.

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Anyone who has been to the American International Toy Fair in New York City will agree that opening day is a lot like Christmas morning, with many exciting things to see. This year’s show certainly did not disappoint. Hundreds of thousands of amazing new toys, games and youth entertainment products from more than 1,150 companies filled a record breaking 414,060 net square feet of exhibit space.

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When you are backpacking, every ounce counts. That is why Lightload Towels, which come in a package the size of a hockey puck and weigh in at .5 to .6 ounces, have become so popular with the hiking crowd.

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