Gift Ideas Under $25 - Canvas Pouches from Emily McDowell

Another hot category this season is zippered pouches, especially among younger female customers.  You know what else is hot with this demo?  Emily McDowell's humor!

So having her signature humor and graphics in a collection of 9 zippered pouch design means you need these in your shop this season!

Your retail customers already know Emily's greeting cards that put into words their feelings on the quirky, complicated relationships we have with friends and family.  Now they can express themselves with a fun twist on an everyday accessory.

This is an ideal holiday gift for so many occasions - girlfriend, secret santa, stocking stuffers, office or book club gift exchanges - but is also a popular impulse purchase.  They also make a fun addition to a girly or beauty-themed gift basket. 

Retail them at $20 with a comfortable margin.  Each pouch is made of sturdy 100% cotton canvas with a cotton lining and gold zipper with fabric pull.  The dimensions are 8.5" x 6.5" - perfect size for makeup, meds, note pads, phone chargers, pens and personal items.

Gift Items $25 & Under - Drinks for Mundane Tasks from Knock Knock

You can always rely on Knock Knock for fun merchandise, so you won't be surprised that they have a plethora of items under $25 for all categories of gift-giving.

Drinks for Mundane Tasks features 70 convivial cocktail recipes to make even the dullest to-do lists more intoxicating.  The tedium of daily life requires at least as much spirit as special occasions do, and the recipes here will make you look forward to your household chores.

Author and aspiring mixologist David Vienna serves up drinks like The Grass Chopper (for mowing the lawn, pictured below), Three Sheets (for making the bed) and The Debt Charge (for paying bills).

It is a 128-page book that is easy to read with colorful graphics.  It's a humorous option for stocking stuffers, co-worker gifts, girlfriend gifts - but maybe not a teacher gift.

Retail it for $14.95 with some breathing room in your margin.

Let's get your store stocked now so you aren't caught off-guard when holiday business kicks in.  If you order at least $400, you will also receive a free half-dozen Fill in the Love Notes, Family version - a $48 retail value.

The Girl Who Ran - new release from Compendium

This was originally posted on June 1, 2017 at my old blog.

Summer is here (unofficially), but all of us in the retail world understand that means it's time to make plans for fall buying.  It's exciting both to see what your favorite vendors have created and to discover new vendors.

Here is the first in my series of Fall Preview posts, and we're starting with an inspiring new introduction from everyone's favorite - Compendium.

The Girl Who Ran is an encouraging new book for people of all ages, written about the first female to run the Boston Marathon.

“She said she would do it, she wasn’t a liar; she’d show them by running like the wind in the fire.” When Bobbi Gibb saw the Boston Marathon her mind was set—she had to be a part of it. She trained hard, journeying across America to run on all kinds of terrain. But when the time came to apply for the marathon, she was refused entry. They told her girls don’t run, girls can’t run. That didn’t stop Bobbi.

This picture book tells the true story of how she broke the rules in 1966 and how, one step at a time, her grit and determination changed the world. The energetic and bright illustrations capture the emotions of Bobbi’s journey and the fluidity of running. Created in collaboration with Bobbi Gibb, The Girl Who Ran is perfect for would-be runners, kids of all ages.

Don't forget that Compendium is one of the most retailer-friendly vendors in the marketplace.

• $5 flat-rate shipping on all orders within the continental US
• Risk-free returns mean you are never stuck with merchandise you aren't selling
• Bonus Buy & Super Buy programs increase your margin on books

Let's make plans to meet so you can see this and many other new introductions from Compendium to add to your shelves - and cash registers - for the fall.

In Other Words....from Compendium

This was originally posted December 22, 2016 at my old blog.

New for 2017 - Compendium is introducing a new card line to their award-winning assortment!

In Other Words... provides your customers another option to say more with their greetings.  It is a card series that is big-hearted and witty, combining genuine sentiments and playful storytelling to mark life's important occasions.
 
You may already stock one or both of Compendium's other successful card lines - Positively Green or Frank & Funny.  So why should you consider another one?

• Generation X and Millennial consumers are purchasing more greeting cards, averaging 18 cards per year
• Greeting cards satisfy a craving for deeper, meaningful offline connections
• The growing demand for greetings that offer something original or distinctive
• In Other Words... incorporates bright colors with a simple design and smart, witty content with a small press aesthetic

Because In Other Words... celebrates the art of the written word, a percentage of each card's purchase is donated to organizations that promote literacy and support the readers of the future.  And like all Compendium cards, they are printed in the USA on FSC-certified recycled paper.

In Other Words... is available with the same spinner options as the existing collections - and with the same guaranteed sale as those collections, as well.