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  Ideas To Help Power Your Gift Shop - April 2, 2015 |
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On Our Radar
* Kicking The Discount Habit. After years of offering discounts to lure shoppers, some retailers (from Neiman Marcus to Vera Bradley) are ready to put the brakes on those deals and focus on retraining shoppers to pay full price. But will they be successful?
* Hello Barbie. A Wi-Fi-connected Barbie Doll that can talk with children for "hours and hours" is expected to be available this fall. But the technology, a result of a partnership between Mattel and ToyTalk, is raising privacy concerns.
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Hot Topics:
Interview Questions
A Maine retailer opening a second store asked her peers for advice when interviewing candidates. An Alabama shop owner says, "Pay attention to when they show up for the interview. I had a girl come late to her interview -- she thought she was early. She ended up being late the first day of work and fired by the end of the week. Red flag!" Check out the discussion in our Ask A Retail Expert forum.
Reminder: Access to Giftbeat's Community Board is a FREE service for subscribers.
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Quick Links
- Have you started following our Facebook page yet? Please take a look - we post more trends, tips and photos that inspire (including cool displays we find on our shopping expeditions).
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Tip: Promote Clothing For Easter
There's still time to drum up some Easter sales in the next few days. According to an NRF survey, 45% of those polled planned to spend money on new clothing for the holiday. Take photos of you and your sales associates modeling your spring apparel, and then use Facebook and Instagram to encourage customers to stop in. Pam Coffield of The Stitchin' Post does a great job showing off her store's pretty new scarf vest for Easter! |
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Pick: Leanin' Tree's Foxworthy Line
 "You Might Be A Redneck If™...You ever cut the grass and found a car." That's one of the humorous messages on Leanin' Tree's line of Jeff Foxworthy cards and gifts, inspired by the comedian's observations on redneck life. In addition to 48 greeting cards (sugg. retail: $2.99), the line includes magnets, magnetic list pads and mugs. Note: For the past seven years, Leanin' Tree has held the #1 spot in Giftbeat's Humorous Cards chart.
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Trend: "Turning The Corner"
 Our April expert, Seanette Corkill of Frontdoor Back, talks about "turning the corner," a design trend where paint or another element crosses from wall to wall or from wall to ceiling. In the example shown here, Tender Loving Empire (Portland, Oregon) cut cardboard scraps into 3-ft. pieces to create a band of "shingles" that went up the wall, across the ceiling and down the other side. Pretty cool, huh? Subscribers can read the full interview here. |
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Feeling Inspired
"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."
-- Anne Bradstreet
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Thanks for joining me! See you next time.
Joyce Washnik, Editor Giftbeat
P.S. Remember the Pet Rock? It was a gift industry sensation in the 1970s. In honor of creator Gary Dahl, who passed away last month, here's a piece on the Greatest Entrepreneur of All Time. |
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