The International Gift Exposition of the Smokies (IGES®) is the largest gathering of wholesale resort, souvenir, and gift vendors in America, offering buyers access to over 1,200 booths with name-drop items at blowout prices. As the parks close for the year, buyers prepare for the following year’s sales with their perfectly timed shows. Shopping IGES® […]
August 2019 Issue
Performance-Driving Metrics for Retailers
When running a retail business, it can be hard to find the time to step back and assess the performance of your store outside of just looking at sales numbers and revenue. However, tracking and measuring other performance metrics is crucial for any small business as the data these metrics provide can highlight growth opportunities […]
Don’t Fall Behind on the New Transaction Trend
Recently, Bank of America announced that it will be reissuing four million Visa debit and credit cards for account holders in the NYC, San Francisco and Boston areas, changing them over to contactless cards. Following the growing trend of tap-to-pay transactions, customers will soon have the option to try out the new payment method at […]
Hands-On Experiences at the Impressions Expo Show
The Imprinted Sportswear Shows (ISS), recently renamed as the Impressions Expo, is an Emerald Expositions trade show. Held each year in Long Beach, Atlantic City, Houston, Orlando and Fort Worth, the shows are leading wholesale events for the decorated apparel and imprinted products industry. The exposition floor showcases the newest products, apparel and equipment featuring […]
A Little Wine, a Little Love, and a Lot of Creativity
Coming from the corporate world into the small, rural town of Washington, North Carolina, Leilani Nichols decided to dive into the artisan world of wine cork art. Using discarded wine corks, wine bottles and discarded wood that would otherwise end up in landfills, Leilani repurposes these items into works of art that she sells at […]
Diversifying the All-Natural Hair, Skin and Bath Market
The inclusivity movement is growing intensely, and consumers are calling out brands that aren’t diverse enough for their tastes. Just see the backlash that the infamous Tarte Cosmetics brand received when they didn’t offer a wide variety of shades in one of their foundations in 2018. It’s putting pressure on retailers to diversify their health […]
Profit from Health and Wellness
No matter what kind of products are primarily sold in shops, more and more retailers are finding ways to integrate health and beauty merchandise onto their shelves. The growth of the industry is remarkable, reaching $18.8 billion in 2018, a 6 percent sales increase over 2017, according to The NPD Group. “More and more people […]
Toy and Game Trends for the Holidays
While consumers are on vacation and enjoying their summer breaks at the beach with friends and family, retailers everywhere are already starting to think about holiday readiness. Toys R’ Us has announced they will re-open a few stores this coming fall, and with mass retailers such as Amazon and Walmart working around the clock to […]
Denver Mart Announces August Market Growth and New 2020 Dates
August 2019 Gift & Apparel Market Growth The Rocky Mountain Gift Show and Denver Apparel & Accessory Market are ramping up for the combined show on August 21-26, 2019. The August trade show is growing and will now offer a larger selection of lines, expanded categories, added buyer amenities and an updated floor plan with […]
2019 Holiday Readiness Guide
Last year, the average shopper spent over $1,000 on gifts for friends, family, and themselves during the holiday season. Mobile and online shopping continue to gain traction and to steal headlines. However, last year 83% of holiday shopping was done in-store. Consumers continue to utilize online resources to browse products and scope out sales, but […]
