Those ubiquitous 20%-off coupons have raised revenue but also pinched the retailer's profits, as consumers come to expect discounts each time they shop.

An Illinois retailer was looking for shopping basket ideas, other than plastic or wire designs seen everywhere. His peers jumped in with ideas, including this Indiana retailer: "We use a French market basket, which nests to stack and has folding handles. We have a price tag on each one, and we sell some every week. We also watch for full baskets and ask customers if we can give them an empty basket and place theirs with their name at the checkout while they continue to shop." Discover some of your peers' favorite basket sources in our Buying/Product forum. Reminder: Access to Giftbeat's Community Board is FREE for subscribers.