Ideas To Help Power Your Gift Shop - March 19, 2015

On Our Radar

* Online-To-Store Transitions. Those newly-vacant mall spaces could soon be filled with online merchants, as companies like Toms and Rent The Runway look to brick-and-mortar as the "new" frontier.

* Drone Delivery, Please. Will drones fly in retail? Industry experts say it's going to be a while before autonomous drones are making deliveries in and around U.S. cities, but DHL is already doing it in Germany.

Hot Topics:

Summer Sandals

With warmer weather on its way (we hope!), our online community is discussing which summer sandals sell best. Is it Corkys? Yellow Box? Grandco? An Indiana retailer says, "Yellow Box is our bestseller. We carry 12 different styles of their flip-flops." Check out the discussion in our Buying/Product forum. Reminder: Access to Giftbeat's Community Board is a FREE service for subscribers.

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Tip: Give Employees A Big Discount

If you aren't offering employees a generous discount on the fashion items you sell, you're making a mistake, says fashion expert T.J. Reid: "Store owners often don't understand how important it is. The most successful fashion retailers offer employees up to 40% off. Those who are really selling fashion know this practice is cheaper than a billboard or advertising of any kind."

Pick: Frank Lloyd Wright Candles

These beautiful candles from rareEarth Naturals are inspired by the stained glass window designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. The all-natural candle series remains true to the principles that governed the famous architect's original work: simplicity, unity and nature. Candles are handmade by artisans in the U.S., and feature 100% pure soy wax and pure essential oils. Sugg. retail: $54. And once the candle has completely burned, the decorative glass vessel makes a perfect glass for cocktails.

Trend: "Clean" Is The New Green

Move over, natural and green. The

new buzzword is clean, as consumers look for products with ingredients they recognize, along with environmentally-friendly packaging. An article in Specialty Food points out that clean is shaping up to be a movement, not just a trend: "Across the country, people are reading ingredient lists and looking for cleaner products in every category -- not just food, but also cleaning products, shampoo, makeup."

Feeling Inspired

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."

-- Eleanor Roosevelt

Thanks for joining me! See you next time.

Joyce Washnik, Editor

Giftbeat

[email protected]

P.S. Want to know how to fold a T-shirt in under 2 seconds? Visual merchandising expert Debi Ward Kennedy shared this video on her blog. How cool is that!