Welcome to the merry month of May. Spring is a time of renewal and retail sales seem to be doing that.  Easter sales were up from last year and retail sales continue to increase every month. Other reports talk about consumers beginning to feel better about spending money, both on others and on themselves. 

Luxury buyers are some of the first ones back — no big surprise. What they are looking for, however, is interesting. According to the National Retail Federation’s Smartbrief, luxury buyers are looking for quality, rather than status names. Forty-percent name family their top priority. Many of their decisions are family-driven. In other words, these consumers are looking for the type of pieces that you have or will have in your shop. They will be interested in the well-made, hand-crafted home décor pieces and decorative accessories. They will be looking for gift choice designs from new artists and maybe some from old favorites as well. They will want fresh designs and products for their children and fun accessories for their pets. They will be looking for unique decorations to celebrate their holidays and start new traditions. 

This is the time to let people, especially people new to your area, know what treasures your shop holds. Once again use your local newspapers to promote your shop. Make sure your windows look inviting. Send out invitations to new neighbors to come to your shop. Check local newspapers for engagement and birth announcements and send out congratulations. Make a connection. Get on board with the shop locally program and work with other retailers in your area to help support each other. Design or stylize your bag so that customers will use it again, promote green. Let people see your shop as the neighborhood place to find quality gifts.

Great service is another way you can appeal to these new customers and keep your old ones, as well. Greet shoppers as they come into the shop. Be ready to answer any questions and to help them narrow down what they are looking for. And on a personal note, if someone buys a gift, give them a box in which to put it and don’t charge them for it. If you can provide gift wrapping as well, for many rushed customers, that’s the icing on the cake. Again all ways to distinguish your shop.

And, of course we are here to help you. This month, Ashley shows you fresh, distinctive designs in greeting cards and she uncovers a selection of books, always a good gift. Mary takes a look at the growing craft industry and craft shows — a good source for those distinctive gifts. She’ll also introduce you to some special crafters and their stories. 

I’ll take our first look at Christmas 2010 and all its new delights. And I’ll show you some sport-themed giftware, more popular than ever. We also have our International Shows highlights — another source for unusual, stylish gifts.

And don’t forget to check out the May edition of our online magazine: Gift, Gourmet & Décor Plus. It has lots of ideas for your lifestyle shop. You can see it at www.ggdplus.com

See you next month-

Barbara Wujcik
Editorial Coordinator