Scott C. BorowskyAs you go about presenting your store in its best light, all the while appreciating what shoppers want from their visit, it is good to remember to make shopping a fun and enjoyable escape from the everyday. With an informative combination of trends reporting and advice from retailers just like you doing business all over the United States, each issue of Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties (SGN), offers many tools to reach your goal of finding retail success.
The industry is made up of a rich tapestry of individuals striving to make it a better place to do business. In March, we lost souvenir and gift industry veteran Al Bass. Bass and I attended the same college, Babson in Wellesley, Mass. He was a friend and colleague to many, and will be greatly missed. See the “In Remembrance” item in this issue for an article about him.
Other special features in this edition include a look at Black-owned stores in Massachusetts, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and California, and our Annual Trends Report.
The issue’s regular sections are also full of new ideas and thoughts on doing business. In the Apparel and Accessories section, we feature stories on T-shirt trends at zoos and aquariums, licensed gifts for sports fans, jewelry, handbags, footwear and socks at boutiques, apparel at public lands partner stores, and summer apparel and accessories at resort stores.
Jewelry is a leading category for many stores in our coverage universe. In this edition, we offer a story on selling jewelry at cave and cavern stores.
Home décor is a merchandise category that can be easily woven into the merchandise mix. In this issue, we cover home décor merchandise at college, discount, variety and floral stores.
We also offer a bonus Maritime Museum and Coastal Store Report that includes stories on nautical merchandise at maritime museums, and best-selling coastal gifts.
Each issue we offer toy coverage, and in this edition’s Games, Puzzles and Plush section, we cover games and puzzles at pharmacies, hardware and toy stores, plus trends in plush, dolls and action figures.
In the Party Store section, we cover best-sellers in the party supply and decorations categories, and in the Christmas store section, we offer the story “Trends and Best-Selling Merchandise at Year-Round Christmas Stores.”
I hope you enjoy the issue. Please contact me with questions and suggestions by emailing editorsgnmag@kanec.com and I will be happy to respond.
Scott C. Borowsky
President and Executive Editor
Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties magazine
610-645-6940
