News
Paperworld to begin this January
International trade fair for stationery, office supplies and writing instruments will begin from 27 to 30 January 2018 at Frankfurt, Germany. The trade fair shows latest products in the stationery industry every year organised by Messe Frankfurt. Over 1,500 exhibitors from some 60 different c... READ MORE »
Take the Greeting Card Industry’s annual industry survey
GCA’s annual industry survey, developed and conducted by Cleveland’s MPI Group (www.mpi-group.com), is designed for four specific industry stakeholder groups: 1. Publishers 2. Retailers 3. Sales representatives 4. Associated companies (such as printers and paper companies) Most resp... READ MORE »
On That Note
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that 2018 is off to a great start! Speaking of great starts, a report issued by Mastercard SpendingPulse states that year-end holiday retail sales in the U.S. rose 4.9% compared to the same period in 2016, making it the largest ... READ MORE »
Launchpad London judging panel confirmed
This year’s LaunchPad London entries will be judged by Sidonie Warren, founder of design-led stationery retailer Papersmiths, Daniel Mark Carr, global brand director of international art supplies company Colart and award-winning textile and stationery designer Nikki Strange. “To get feedb... READ MORE »
Young Bushey brothers launch stationery collection to help the needy
After watching a documentary about children living in poverty, Bushey brothers Joe and Sam Pressinger were moved to help. The boys, aged 12 and nine, had no idea families struggled to buy basic items such as pens and pencils for school, let alone fun stationery for play. They decided to ... READ MORE »
The art of the thank you note
There are two reasons people don’t send out thank you notes: lack of time and no stationery. But don’t minimize the importance of the handwritten card, says Atlanta stationery artist Kelli Hall. Here are three bits of advice for carrying on this tradition. Timing Thank you notes are best sen... READ MORE »
Holiday retail sales exceed NRF forecast, showing strongest gain since Great Recession
Holiday sales during November and December increased 5.5 percent over the same period in 2016 to $691.9 billion as growing wages, stronger employment and higher confidence led consumers to spend more than had been expected, the National Retail Federation said today. The number, which excludes re... READ MORE »
Top tips for building a retail brand story that sells
In an era of increasing competition from both online and brick-and-mortar retailers, modern shopkeepers find themselves continually questioning what they need to do to stand out. According to Jerrod Sumner, founder of branding and storytelling agency Brandtabulous, the answer may be ... READ MORE »
Mud Pie Celebrates 30th
Mud Pie rings in the new year, celebrating its biggest milestone to date – 30 years as a business in the wholesale gift industry. Mud Pie has experienced tremendous growth since it was founded in 1988 by current visionary and CEO, Marcia Miller. The humble beginings of the brand started w... READ MORE »
Emily McDowell Studio, Sisters of Los Angeles join Knock Knock to become Who’s There Group
Venice Beach gift company and book publisher Knock Knock announced the acquisition of Emily McDowell Studio (EMS) and Sisters of Los Angeles (SoLA), fellow Southern California women-owned companies. Knock Knock will run the trifecta under the new banner of the Who’s There Group. On Jan. 9, the com... READ MORE »
