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To the editor,

Your press coverage [of the hurricane] was terrific. You were direct and painted the Katrina picture well.

We were on a major roll before the storm, and we are here following the devastation with the same drive, but with a more spiritual and humbled approach. Gaining the rewards from the survival process is what moves us forward.

Surviving our survival is the current route of choice. Superb writers like those at Gifts & Decorative Accessories help others to get a grip on the reality of one fine city in America barely hanging on to its rich history.

Again, I thank you for your coverage.

— Gay Sperling, CEO, Wearable Vegetables, New Orleans

(Editor's note: To read more about the Katrina experience, Wearable Vegetables and the coverage Gay Sperling refers to in her letter, read the “Gifts & Dec Direct From Market” Atlanta report by Executive Editor Caroline Kennedy at www.giftsanddec.com. Full coverage of the Katrina aftermath — “Weathering the Storm,” by Business Editor Meredith Schwartz — is in the June 2006 of G&DA.)

To the editor,

I always look forward to my monthly Gifts & Decorative Accessories delivery, because if nothing has got my blood boiling that month, your magazine will certainly take care of it! August's issue and news on giftsanddec.com were chock full of stuff that, as a retailer and wholesaler, were very discouraging to read.

Yankee Candle gets a Retail Excellence Award for Store Design. You're kidding, right? Yankee stores are among the worst store concepts. Granted, the new store in Marlton is an improvement, but deserving of an REA? I think not! I laughed when I read that JGA (the design team) wanted “to create an evolution of the shopping experience that promotes the love of candles and home decor.” This is a new concept?

How many non-candle related home decor items does that Yankee store carry? I think the answer is “limited.” It appears the REA team thought the concept of adding textures like “slate, brick, stone and decorative plaster” was about as good as the invention of the wheel. Hello? Specialty retailers have been using these materials and enhancing store interiors with decorative fabric, wallpapers, vintage fixtures, etc. for years (and we don't have to hire a high-powered design firm to do it).

From the pictures, Yankee's basic concept appears to be candles on shelves. Granted, it looks pretty in terms of color, but come on. Merchandising product on shelves and square fixtures isn't new, innovative or inspired. And what, pray tell, are “opaque and translucent wall surfaces”? We're talking about plexi-glass, plastic and glass. Wow, there's a novel concept in retailing that deserves an REA…NOT!

Wal-Mart: Yet again, Gifts & Decorative Accessories devotes major editorial space to a big box retailer. Now specialty retailers not only have to worry about Wal-Mart producing knock-offs in China for the lower end market, we now have to worry about them stealing specialty retailer business through their “store-of-the-community” concept. The day you convince any specialty retailer that Wal-Mart is the “store of the community” is the day I'll stop sending email to complain about what appears in your magazine.

While your article was informative, it was probably a regurgitation of what Wal-Mart fed you at that “invitation-only” event, and that doesn't qualify as editorial content. Here's some breaking news for you:You have an “invitation-only” to visit Aunt Sadie's wholesale and retail operations in Boston any time; we'll be happy to share with you the struggles and successes involved in manufacturing goods in the U.S., and competing against big box retailers. And we'll show you a fistful of Boston-area stores that would put the Yankee store in Marlton to shame.

Breaking News on giftsanddec.com: Target Opens 29 new stores. Since when is Target opening new stores breaking news? Target has been opening new stores (and putting specialty retailers out of business) for the past five years. Is it breaking news when a company that has 99 percent of its product made outside the U.S. and infringes on trade rights of small manufacturers by stealing their ideas opens a few new stores? The breaking news would be, “Target settles lawsuit with xyz manufacturer for copyright infringement.”

Thanks for reading my tirade.

—Gary Briggs, Aunt Sadie's, Inc., Boston, MA

(Editor's note: We appreciate hearing readers' criticisms as well as compliments — it keeps us on our toes. While this reader does not agree with the recognition of the Yankee Candle store as an REA finalist, we'd like to point out that, although there may be other stores as deserving of the honor, there's one significant difference: JGA/Yankee Candle entered the competition. As the lottery promotion in New York states: “You gotta be in it to win it.” REA judges choose the finalists, and ultimately distinguish between Gold and Silver Award winners based on the merit of the entries we receive, sent by retailers themselves or their representatives. Regarding our news reporting on Target and Wal-Mart, we believe that it is important for our readers — and especially independent retailers — to know what these giants are up to. Knowledge is key to staying ahead of the competition. We may not like what they're doing, but we can't ignore it, especially as it affects the retail landscape and local communities as a whole.)