Happy New Year!  It is time to take a deep breath, let out a sigh and welcome in the year with a new mindset!  It is 2009, an opportunity to reflect on the good, the bad and well, the ugly of this past year, and while ... view post

Hard to believe that 2008 is coming to an end in just a few days time.  The older I get, the faster life seems to move.   How scary is that.  I just want to slow down, take some time to really evaluate what needs to get ... view post

Right now we are in the middle of the holiday rush. For those of us in retail, as much as we are living in the moment, we also need to be looking towards the future and planning! In a little over a week we will ring ... view post

I love my town, especially at this time of year, as one of my favorite occasions happens the first weekend of December, when New Canaan holds the Holiday Stroll.  It is a great weekend, kicked off on Friday night, with the tree lighting ceremony, a visit ... view post

Each day I start off with my favorite cup of coffee, Dunkin Donuts and thank gosh that there is a DD literally two blocks from my office, right on the way from my subway stop.  Honestly, I need that fix in the morning!  Well this morning, ... view post

I spent this past week at the GHTA (Gift and Home Trade Association) conference.  It was a great conference with lots of wonderful ideas being discussed and vetted, and an opportunity to network with gift and home professionals. The most exciting thing for me was the ... view post

This past week I attended Christmas '08: The Retail Forecast Conference in NYC, produced by Retail Marketing Society.   As you might imagine, the economic outlook was the primary focus this year.   While the conference proved sobering, its speakers revealed many optimistic prospects for the upcoming holiday ... view post

I had the opportunity this past week to reconnect with some old friends -- suppliers from when I ran the NYIGF (New York International Gift Fair).  It was invigorating to get their perspective on today's industry, as well as their concerns and foresight.  Overall they are ... view post

The holidays are well on their way and, due to the uncertain economy, buyers may be pulling the purse strings a bit tighter this year.  But despite many of the articles covering these trying times, Rueters.com/article and Dallasnews.com people will still be eating, decorating, celebrating, and more importantly ... view post

It's October and the holidays are just around the corner.   There are no gifts greater for the independent retailer than bountiful sales and happy customers.   Here are four effective ways to help you mark "a successful selling season" off your holiday wish list: 1) Use e-mail ... view post