editor’s
note

RETAIL NEWS THE OFFICIAL VOICE OF THE CANADIAN GIFTWARE INDUSTRY JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2008

Dollars & Sense

42 Voyager Court South
Toronto, ON M9W 5M7

As I write this editorial, our dollar is still above the U.S. greenback. Who knows where it will be when this issue lands in your hands. Regardless of its current status, our loonie’s rise and consumers’ subsequent demand for lower prices has likely affected your business.

If, like many gift retailers, the items you stock come from overseas rather than south of the border, you may have been impacted very little by these developments. For other retailers with branded goods and stores close to the border, the story isn’t the same. These store owners are stuck in an unpleasant situation: trying to explain to shoppers why their goods will never be on par with American prices.

Hopefully, as the fantastic independent retailers they are, they’re overcoming these
setbacks by continuing to offer customers unbelievable shopping environments, very high
customer service and unique items they can’t find elsewhere in Canada or the United States.

Perhaps some of these unique finds are green items, as eco-friendly products are gaining real momentum. While most gift retailers don’t carry them (see Reader’s Poll on page 39), increasing consumer demand for green products deserves a closer study, which is why we’re now highlighting eco-friendly products with a special symbol in our Product Guide. We’ve also traveled to California and Iowa in Shops Around the World (page 110) to profile two successful eco shops, and in 6 Steps to Being a Green Retailer (page 99), Roger Griffin shares his ideas for running an eco-friendly store.

If green isn’t what your customers are after, perhaps you can tempt them with the super sweet baby, children’s and pet items we’ve collected for this issue’s Product Guide (page 41) as modeled by our adorable cover girl, aka my daughter!

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ART DIRECTION
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SUSAN MCINTEE
NICK MONTELEONE

DESIGNERS SUSAN MCINTEE ERIC EPP

PUBLISHER TOM FORAN tforan@cgta.org

ERICA KIRKLAND | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

erica@cgta.org

CGTA PRESIDENT

BOB LOVE

CGTA CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD RANDY COOK

CONTRIBUTORS

DAVID BAGOSY, BARBARA CROWHURST, BRIDGET FABI, PETER FALLICO, ROGER GRIFFIN, VIOLET LEMAY, SHERI-LYNNE LJUCOVIC, HOPE MILNER, IAN MITCHELL, DOUG NORRIS, JOYCE OZIER, ANDREA REYNOLDS, EVA ROSS, NAOMI STILLER, TERRY WONG

My Favourites

With a wee one of my own, the following items for little baby girls won me over. All can be seen in the Product Guide which starts on page 41.

Retail News is published by the Canadian Gift & Tableware Association six times a year for retailers of gifts, tableware, stationery, novelty, bed, bath & linen, and home accessories.

Retail News supplies retailers with useful information to assist them in running a more efficient and profitable business, and provides news on the latest products on the market.

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©The Canadian Gift & Tableware Association 2007. The contents of this publication contained herin are the property of the association. Reproduction or use of the contents, in whole or in part, for any purpose, is strictly prohibited without the written consent of the copyright owner. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.

These bunny-ear barrettes from
Versatile MMS are so cute;
I couldn’t resist trying them on my
daughter as soon as they arrived
for the photo shoot.

I love all things miniature,
like this mini silicone baking set
from Accents de Ville. Paired with a
children’s apron, it makes a perfect gift
for a budding baker.