Operations

Look Before You Buy

If you're like most gift shop retailers, you don't consider yourself a software expert. You may know a lot about your merchandise and your customer, but when it comes to upgrading or selecting your point-of-sale... more »

What are your predictions for retail trends in 2008?

What are your predictions for retail trends in 2008? How can retailers profit from these trends? We are on the cusp of a new year. With retail trends changing at breakneck speed, members from the... more »

Gift Registry 101

A gift-registry program can bring you a whole new set of customers. While weddings and baby registries have been going strong for a while, consumers are setting up registries for a wider variety of occasions:... more »

Inspired Sales

Moving Product Judy Orcutt is used to seeing people deeply moved by her products. The owner of QuilliGraphy in York, PA, which wholesales inspirational note cards and framed art, Orcutt says there's something about inspirational... more »

Why are minimum wholesale orders necessary?

Minimum wholesale orders. Vendors need them; retailers complain they are too restrictive. In a new forum, in association with the Gift and Home Trade Association, we talk to industry professionals to find out how retailers... more »

Working the Web

Remember when consumers used to look up information about stores in the Yellow Pages? These days, they turn to the Internet for essential information about your store. A recent study by the Center for Media... more »

Virtual Business, Real Profits?

It's 3AM on a Tuesday. Tom Graefen, owner of Monarch's Heaven in Chicago, closed his gift shop hours ago, but he continues to ring up sales from customers all across the country even as he... more »

You’re Hired!

As a gift shop owner, you know one aspect of the business cannot be overemphasized: stellar customer service. Success and longevity depend on making your customers feel that your shop is the best place in... more »

What are your strategies for loss prevention in your store?

Angela Day of Ivy Ridge Traditions Angela Day of Ivy Ridge Traditions North Wilkesboro, NC 877.667.4556 IvyRidge.com "We had several issues with merchandise disappearing, and recently installed a nine-camera security system with the ability to... more »

Working the Retailer-Rep Relationship

It might sound simple, but it is true: Retailers, vendor representatives and manufacturers benefit from working together as a team. In the last 10 years, as business has become more competitive, a relationship that has... more »