Retailer Service

While customer service is the hallmark of the specialty retailer, we consider retailer service the hallmark of Gifts & Decorative Accessories. Part of our mission is to provide you with the information and tools you need to run your business better. We recently augmented our commitment to that goal by introducing the Retailer Resource Center, an online source for articles, manuals, surveys, and other material. Currently, we offer four products. "Savvy Staffing Solutions" is a selection of ten articles on employee relations, written by Carol Schroeder. "Visual Merchandising" is a collection of ten articles by display expert Linda Cahan. All of the articles have appeared on the pages of Gifts & Dec. Each of these packages is available for $19.95. "Today's Gift Retailer" ($24.95), our exclusive retailer comparison survey, covers subjects crucial to gift retailing; and "Kaleidoscope Kids" ($49.95), is a 21-page report on the demographics of American consumers, with a focus on the country's 72 million children. You can place your order for any of these electronic products simply by going to www.GiftsandDec.com, and clicking on "Retailer Resource Center." A pdf file will be e-mailed to you.

Speaking of visual merchandising, you are in for a treat this month as we present the finalists in the Visual Merchandising category of the 2002 Retailer Excellence Awards. All three of these stores are very classy operations with very different merchandise mixes, customer bases, and store sizes. Lasting Impressions Home Gallery is a 9,000-square-foot, full-service design firm in St. Petersburg, Florida. Ruby & Begonia, run by a mother-and-daughter team, opened its doors in historic Odgen, Utah, last September. And Welcome Home in San Anselmo, California, is a 600-square-foot store that looked to the ceiling to create holiday displays. Their stories begin on page 28. The Gold and Silver Award winners in all categories are listed on page 10.