Author: Publisher

Since Worx Toys’ Edutech vehicles have been recognized as one of the most innovative educational toy lines, the firm has diversified its offerings with the revival of a line of brush-on, peel-off nail colors for girls. Bo-Po nail polish, originally marketed by Tinkerbell Play Cosmetics in the 1980s, lets girls easily paint their nails in a wide range of colors. The product is easily peeled off, and allows a quick switch of nail colors.

Within five years 75 percent of retailers plan to identify customers when they walk in the store according to Boston Retail Partners 1st Annual CRM/Unified Commerce Benchmark Survey. Previously you could rest easy knowing your brand had a presence in multiple channels, both online and offline. Those days are long gone. As the customer’s decision-making process has become the epicenter of retail strategy, unified commerce has emerged as the medium for a holistic customer shopping experience.

The National Federation of Independent Business announced its Small Business Optimism Index increased 1.4 points to 96.6 last month, the highest reading since September 2007, when the economy was about to slide into recession. The index has increased for three consecutive months.

Winter is a thing of the past, as temperatures rise and customers look for new warm-weather styles. The upcoming summer season’s accessory trends are cheery, fun and easy for your customers to incorporate into almost any look.

One question consistently asked by smaller retailers is “How can we increase our margins?” While this topic is universal across all retailers regardless of size, it is especially relevant for smaller sellers that may not have the resources to purchase products in large enough volumes in order to gain economies of scale.

No matter where you shop, one product seems to be available almost everywhere: Scarves. We’re not talking about the winter accessory scarf either. Thankfully, those can be put away for a while. Summer scarves are appearing on shelves now, which can be worn in a variety of different ways. If you have a store and don’t carry scarves, now is an ideal time to start.

The June 2014 issue of Independent Retailer Magazine features a Market Update on Watches and Jewelry and the 2014-2015 Trade Show Calendar. Check out more timely…

Zap Cloth from Kaywos Inc. is a revolutionary product that leaves any non-porous surface free of dust and grime, including glass, mirrors, floors, counters, stainless steel, TV, computer screens and more. The cloth is an easy sell, because it works with water alone, so users never have to buy polish, glass cleaner or paper towels.

Don’t spend hours searching for ideas to promote your store. Get them delivered to your inbox weekly. Sign up for SnapRetail’s Click & Mortar to receive fun, time-saving ideas to drive traffic to your indie store.

As the ecommerce industry continues to grow and innovate, consumers’ expectations become harder for online retailers to meet. Programs such as Amazon Prime have increased the demand for fast and inexpensive shipping. In fact, during the 2013 holiday season, Amazon.com reported it shipped enough items with Prime to deliver at least one gift to every household in America.