Ideas To Help Power Your Gift Shop - February 11, 2016

On Our Radar

* Goodbye Bags, Hello Lingerie?
After a decade of growth, designer handbag sales have slowed, and some experts say women are spending on a less-visible category: lingerie.

* The Changing Consumer.

Millennials are not only influencing their own peers; other generations are adopting many of the same traits. This expert shares behavioral shifts among consumers, and what retailers should watch for in the next 12 to 18 months.

Hot Topics:

POS Systems

Retailers are sharing their experiences -- good and bad -- with POS systems such as Keystroke, Clover and Lightspeed. They're also discussing the new chip scanners, with a North Carolina retailer offering this tip: "The secret for trouble-free operation is to position the scanner so the customer can't touch it. The customer hands their card to you, you insert it, remove from the scanner at the proper time and give it back. If the customer pulls the card out of the scanner too soon, you have a time-consuming mess to straighten out."
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Tip: The Power Of Personal Calls

Want to get the attention of your customers in this digital world? Start making personal phone calls, advises Cathy Donovan Wagner, a former retailer and founder of RETAILMavens. To get over her own fear of placing "cold calls" to customers, Cathy says she began to gather information about them and keep notes so she'd have something to talk about when she called, from birthdays to other life events. "Those notes made it so much easier for me to pick up the phone," she says. Sales increased by 10% the first month she began the practice. Subscribers can read Cathy's entire interview online or in Giftbeat's Feb. 2016 issue.

Pick: Blackwater Folk Art Signs

With 2016 a presidential election year, it's not surprising to see political-themed items hit the industry, from humorous towels to T-shirts. One of our favorites comes from Blackwater Folk Art, which pokes fun at both major political parties with its "Beware Dog Bites" signs, made of galvanized metal salvaged from old barns and warehouses (10 by 13 inches, $10 cost). Signs are made in the USA and shown with the company's dog-in-chief, Sunny, who has decided to remain neutral in the upcoming contest. Smart girl!

Trend: Red, White and Blue

If you were at the winter shows, you probably noticed the red, white and blue color combination. Fashion designers have been touting the look for spring/summer, and Accessories Magazine just featured a Trend Finder combining Americana and Nautical, as accessories pay homage to the American flag and nautical-style prints and patterns. Accent Accessories offered its own take on the trend in the colorful fashion statement shown here.

Feeling Inspired

"Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt

Thanks for joining me! See you next time.

Joyce Washnik, Editor

Giftbeat

joyce@giftbeat.com

P.S. Working too much? Maybe it's time to pick up a copy of the new book, How To Have A Good Day by Caroline Webb, a marketing consultant who examines the best social-science-backed ways to fight burnout.