Independent Retailer recently spoke with President & CEO, Andrej Suskavcevic, of the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA), the international, not-for-profit trade association. CHA consists of thousands of member companies engaged in the design, manufacture, distribution and retail sales of products in the nearly $30 billion U.S. craft and hobby industry. Suskavcevic discussed a broad range of topics, including the state of the industry, social media, and how to help customers fulfill their needs for creative expression.
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New Products That Sell Summer shoppers will soon be out in force and looking for lots of fun and fresh new merchandise to use at home…
HangerWare Inc. is making hanging up clothes easier. The GlideHanger eliminates the need to unbutton, unzip or even thread the hanger up through the bottom of garments that have narrow necks. Instead, the GlideHanger can be quickly inserted through the neck of the garment.
Both the February and August OFFPRICE Show’s placed in the top 200 in the Trade Show News Network’s (TSNN) prestigious Top 250 Trade Shows in the US rankings. The rankings list the top 250 trade shows in the country based on net-square-footage. The February 2013 show ranked 159 (131,000 NSF), while the August ‘13 show checked-in at 165 (125,000 NSF). In 2012, the show’s ranked 163 in February and 164 in August.
The May 2014 issue of Independent Retailer Magazine is a New Products issue. Check out more timely Product Trends, News, and Marketing tips here:
Ancient Essense carries a line of therapeutic essential oils. The company’s chief product is its proprietary blend of frankincense and myrrh, on which five additional scents are based. With gentle and uplifting aromas, Ancient Essense oils can be worn directly on the skin as a perfume, and for meditation and relaxation.
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.
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.
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.
Buying and selling American handmade items can make your retail business stronger, and expand your customer base. Drawing new people into your store becomes easier when carrying exclusive and unusual products that customers can’t find elsewhere.