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August 2008 Archives

August 5, 2008

It's Show Time

The fall cycle of shows starts this weekend in Toronto and change is in the air. At the CGTA Fall Gift Show, the opening of the new North Building (Hall 10) at the Toronto Congress Centre has resulted in a massive shuffling of booths as exhibitors vied for better and expanded space. A bigger show does mean more walking for buyers. It also means a larger selection of new products and that can only be good news as the competition for consumer dollars gets harder as the economy softens.

But smart buyers should also schedule a visit to the more regional shows in Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal and Halifax. Besides offering a chance to meet with territory reps from major suppliers, these shows are also excellent sources of unique, new products from small suppliers. And some of these small suppliers have really great goods particularly if you're searching for local, made in Canada and unique items to differentiate your store from the competition.

A lot of retailers and suppliers have been knocked around by today's economic headwinds and being down--emotionally and financially--is understandable. However, if you're too cautious in your buying and you don't search for some really interesting new products to bring in to your store for the fourth quarter, what reason will consumers have to visit and revisit your store? It's show time: your biannual opportunity to discover new products and meet with your supplier partners. The only way to weather challenging times is to work together.

Posted by Lori Smith on August 5, 2008 4:17 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 19, 2008

Should the CGTA Show be Shorter?

I wrote this blog entry sitting at the magazine’s booth in Building Six on the fifth day of the CGTA Fall Gift Show. Despite a trickle of blue retailer badges passing by my position, most of the people who have gone by are wearing industry badges or are exhibitors wandering around the hall.

In the course of walking the show over the last couple of days, I’ve encountered several people--primarily exhibitors but even a retailer—who have questioned the length of the show. The general consensus is that five days is unnecessarily long, particularly when you consider the decrease in the number of attendees and the ever-increasing rise in the costs of transportation and accommodation.

The CGTA puts on a professional, well-organized show, the largest trade show of any kind in Canada, and it should be very proud of what it’s accomplished for its members in terms of the show and as an association. But, it’s time to make the show shorter. The International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago—a mega-show by any standards—only runs three days. The New York Tabletop Market has not only dropped a day but has also moved to a weekday format. Research has shown that very few buyers attend a show for more than two or three days, if they even stay that long. Today, time and money are in short supply. From my vantage point on Day Five, a lot of people were wasting both.

Posted by Lori Smith on August 19, 2008 12:48 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 28, 2008

More Men Shopping

On Tuesday, MasterCard released a new study on the Canadian grocery shopping experience. Among its many findings was one I thought was of particular note: Men are doing significantly more grocery shopping.

According to the study, in households with couples or multiple adults, 15 percent have a male who holds primary responsibility for grocery shopping and 41 percent share the responsibility equally. This leaves less than half that have a female who holds primary responsibility for grocery shopping. The study also revealed that men are more indulgent shoppers and that they spend the same amount of time shopping per trip as women. Julie Wilson, Director, Public Affairs, MasterCard Canada, points out that with "more men doing the shopping, it will be more important for manufacturers and stores to pay close attention to how men shop, and what motivates them to make purchases and shop at specific locations."

Reading the report, I couldn't help but wonder how these two segments will be impacting on specialty and gift retailing in the coming years. Will this industry have to pay closer attention to how men shop?

For those who are interested, the MasterCard MasterIndex™ Grocery Report: Checking Out the Canadian Grocery Shopping Experience is available on www.mastercard.ca.

Posted by Lori Smith on August 28, 2008 6:03 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Lori Smith, , Editor-in-Chief
Lori Smith is the editor of Gifts and Tablewares, Canada's premiere gifts and tablewares magazine. Written for retailers of gifts, tablewares, housewares, stationery and home furnishing accessories, its objective is to help readers increase their sales and run their businesses more profitably by providing information on new products, merchandising, small business management, customer service, consumer behavior and industry news. The magazine is published six times a year by BIG Magazines, LP, a leading Canadian information company.

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About August 2008

This page contains all entries posted to Editorial Blog in August 2008. They are listed from oldest to newest.

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