Show & Tell – Show Off Your Window Displays

Posted on May 17, 2011 by ksantry

There’s a wonderful scene in the movie “A Christmas Story” where the kids rush downtown to see the toy display in Higbee’s store window that sets the tone for the entire movie. Or for another generation, remember the Barney’s Christmas window episode of Will & Grace? Or Holly Golightly strolling down Fifth Avenue in her little black dress to look in the Tiffany & Co. window. How many remember that Rhoda on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was a window dresser by trade? Or remember Marlo Thomas winking at a look-a-like window mannequin in “That Girl?”

All those scenes focus on store windows – the literal window the world of retail. With the Show & Tell Window Display Contest AmericasMart is paying tribute to all the creative displays out there, while having some fun and giving the buyers who search our showrooms for the perfect props and products a chance to show off a bit.

So, show us what you’ve done. You could win an Apple iPad 2 or an Apple iPod Touch.

To enter, email photocontest@americasmart.com with your Window Display jpeg image attached. In the body of the email, please include:

1. Window Display Title
2. Your name
3. Store name
4. Store location (city, state and zip)
5. Email address
6. Telephone number

Once we receive your entry, you will receive a confirmation email with 24 to 48 hours.

DEADLINE EXTENDED! Submit your photos between May 16 – June 3. Online voting begins June 6. So, send in your photos – then start bugging all your friends to go to the AmericasMart Atlanta Facebook page to find out all the details to vote for you. For the complete scoop, visit the site: http://www.americasmart.com/photocontest/.

Good luck!

Home Accents Today announces 2011 Retail Stars

Posted on May 12, 2011 by ksantry

Home Accents Today, in partnership with AmericasMart Atlanta, is proud to announce 2011 Retail Stars!

Click here to get the scoop on the winners from Home Accents Today!

June is All About Color!

Posted on May 11, 2011 by ksantry

AmericasMart is offering TWO great seminars during Market Wednesday on June 1, 2011.

In Living Color
Color expert Rebecca Ewing of the Color Marketing Group will show you how color unconsciously affects feeling, behavior and physiology. Learn to use these predictable and universal color responses to attract, inspire and compel customers and clients.
This seminar is worth .2 CEU credits.
TIME: 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
LOCATION: Home Furnishings Center, Building 1, Floor 14 Seminar Room
Coffee and muffins will be served.

Benjamin Moore Color Pulse
Join Randy Smith of Benjamin Moore as he presents the upcoming color trends for interiors and exteriors.
TIME: 1 – 2 p.m.
LOCATION: Living. Outdoor/Indoor.^® The Gardens.^®, Building 2 WestWing, Floor 10 Seminar Room
Coffee will be served.

DON’T WAIT! MAKE YOUR PLANS TO ATTEND TODAY!
Seating is limited. For more information and to RSVP, contact:
Meagan Maron: 404.220.2104 or mmaron@americasmart.com

And while you’re here…
Refresh, Renew and Reenergize your store or client’s home with the latest in home furnishings, gift, gardens and more when you shop Market Wednesday in Buildings 1, 2 and 2 WestWing.

JingleNog Awarded “Best in Show” for Market Temporaries at Spring Market

Posted on March 16, 2011 by ksantry

The Atlanta Spring Gift, Home Furnishings & Holiday Market inspired retailers with fresh product, ideas and creativity. You could especially feel the engery and excitement Market Temporaries where more than 140 booths were positioned to attract retailers from around the nation. And, there was one booth in particular that stood out above the rest: JingleNog.

JingleNog’s booth at the Spring Atlanta Gift, Home Furnishings & Holiday Market caught the eye of judges, who were tapped to identify the best displays in the Market Temporaries, with an unexpected and fresh take on holiday product. The winner of the AmericasMart “Best of Show” Visual Display Award this spring, JingleNog showcased the best use of space, product arrangement, lighting, flooring and signage overall.

JingleNog’s handmade glass ornaments are the product of owner and creator Melissa Byrne’s stories and drawings. The glass blown ornaments showcase her twenty years of experience in the Christmas and Gift Industry, as well as the tradition of European glassmaking.

The JingleNog booth brings the product packaging to life as a whimsical, winter circus wonderland on a green and cream palate. Against the candy green striped curtains lining the space, white wire display trees and unexpected faux-grass flooring, JingleJog ornaments came to life and transformed this temporary booth into a fanciful fairytale.

This outstanding and unique display showcased JingleNog’s creativity and supported the playful nature of their product. Congratulations, JingleNog!

Be sure to join us for more creativity and excitement next Market!

Friday is Rockin’

Posted on January 14, 2011 by ksantry

Market Friday is always busy as things really crank up on all the floors. Once again, buyers attended AmericasMart University classes and seminars, then partied their way through the floors while doing some serious buying. The Windward International showroom reports that ”things are amazing” while Hillhouse Naturals says they are ”writing away – and they’re big orders!”

With events on multiple floors, special guests in showrooms and the overall excitement, the mood continues to be upbeat. People are busy but productive, getting a lot accomplished while having some fun too.

Opening day for Temps at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market is always exciting, driving extra traffic throughout campus. All the new Temp collections - Birding & Backyard Nature, Global Designs, Handmade Designs/Handmade Jewelry and HD Home – were filled with buyers exploring the floors, searching for new products.

Permanents and Temps open at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. Create a plan to check out all the floors; there are Temps in each building on campus and lots of new and expanded permanent showrooms.

January Market is Open for Business

Posted on January 13, 2011 by ksantry

Even the ice and snow couldn’t stop the January Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market and Atlanta International Area Rug Market! Not only did Market open on time, the floors are buzzing and people are writing.

Registration lobbies are still full at peak hours, but we’re open extended hours to help – until 10 p.m.tonight and open again at 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

All seminars, events and AmericasMart University classes were on schedule with a full line-up again tomorrow. Virginia Willis cooked and tried to explain what it means to “be Southern;” class attendees learned Brand Building through social networking strategies; Gerry Klaskala put a modern take on vegetarianism in the demonstration kitchen; six lucky buyers won a Kindle; plus people sipped, snacked and shopped throughout the campus.

Now that’s a full day!

Much more to come in the days ahead…stay tuned!

5 ways to use Social Media to find success in 2011

Posted on January 10, 2011 by ksantry

It’s that time a year again: new products, new deals, new themes, new marketing and of course, New Year’s resolutions!

In 2010, if you didn’t use social networks like Twitter and Facebook to market your store, network with your community and find ways to grow your business, then that’s ok. It’s ok because in 2011 you’re going to do things differently. You’re going to embrace social media and use it as a daily tool to help you grow, learn and succeed! (If you did use social media in 2010, leave a comment on how it helped your business; also assess what worked and what didn’t, then make a 2011 Plan of Social Media Action.)

To get started, here are 5 ways to use social media to ensure a successful show this January.

1. Pictures! If you don’t have a phone with a built in camera, make sure you bring your digital camera to the show because you’re going to want to make your customers so excited for your new products they can’t stand it! Take pictures of some new items or lines you bought at market. Post to your Facebook page and let your networks know that in a matter of days they could get their hands on those items. Posting pictures of the showrooms and people shopping at market is also a great way to let your customers in on your business, taking your relationship with them deeper.

2. Follow Vendors and Sales Agencies. The best way to stay up-to-date at market is to be monitoring your favorite vendors and sales agencies on Twitter and Facebook. You might even find show specials posted on their social media outlets. To find their accounts (if you don’t know them already) visit their websites, go to search.twitter.com and enter the company name or try Googling their name +Twitter.

3. Hashtags! You might not know what a hashtag is, so let me first explain. Hashtags were developed as a means to create ”groupings” on Twitter. Through these you can tag a post with a keyword so it can be found or referred to later. You create a hashtag simply by prefixing a word with a hash symbol: #hashtag. Here are a few examples:

via @AmericasMartATL: AmericasMart launches HD Home juried home furnishings/lifestyle collection: http://bit.ly/hFp0ty #atlmart

Via @AlexasAngles: “To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful.” #quote

Via @snapretail: Cute Displays for the #Holiday Season http://ht.ly/3ipaP #retail #marketing

4. Connect with other retailers. Running a successful retailer store can be hard. One way to learn what works is by talking to a retailer that has proven success. You can find these retailers online and set up a time to share a coffee, walk showrooms together or grab dinner after market. Continuing that conversation throughout the year will help you stay on track and feel the support of someone who knows exactly what you’re going through. A great way to find these retailers is by following the #atlmart hashtag. Another way is by sending out Facebook posts and Tweets that you’ll be attending the market and you’re looking at connecting with other retailers. Finally, go to AmericasMart Facebook page and see who they are talking to/who is posting on their page and reach out to them.

5. Attend a social media seminar at market. As you return to your store after the shows, you should be asking yourself: how will I market the products I just bought? It’s important to create a 2011 marketing plan and make sure social media is a part of that plan.

There are lots of good seminars at Market. I will be speaking on Thursday, Jan 13^th in the Social Media Track. Please consider spending an hour with me on: Top 10 Facebook and Twitter Strategies to Drive Sales.

For a complete list of seminars visit AmericasMart seminar page and SnapRetail’s seminar series page.

If you can embrace social media in 2011, you will find how beneficial it is for your store. Just make sure you know what you’re doing, how to use the sites, and create a plan of action first that way you can track your efforts. Wishing you a happy new year and a successful 2011!

Guest Speaker Niki Papadopoulos’ Top 10 AmericasMart Tips

Posted on January 5, 2011 by ksantry

I love going to the AmericasMart. When I first moved to Atlanta, it was this giant treasure chest of a building and I would ALWAYS tag along with my Mother-In-Law when she would offer to take me. We would start with breakfast at the diner across the street and hit up the 7th floor for serious shopping. That was before I knew what else lived inside and I was able to get access on my own as a designer (one of my happiest moments!)

Being that I have spent some serious time there both shopping for fun and shopping for work I have some tips for making the most out of your AmericasMart experience.

1. You MUST wear comfortable shoes. It is not an option, it is a necessity. You will walk forever and you need to be comfortable (or you could just buy cute flats somewhere in Building 3.)

2. Get a map/directory and hold on to it! If you are coming for the first time you might get disoriented but a campus map and the directory will get you where you need to go.

3. Bring business cards. As a designer this should be automatic, but it is the easiest way to hook up with showrooms. Give an associate your business card and ask them to send you whatever you need to set up an account/line list/etc. This way you don’t leave with 5,000 brochures, unless you’re into that.

4. It also doesn’t hurt to keep a copy of your Tax ID and Business License in your bag. I carry mine around and I pull it out more then you could imagine.

5. Bring a small notebook that can fit in your bag. You will need it.

6. Have your camera ready and charged. Of course always ask if you are allowed to take pictures, but I find that snapping a photo of what it is I like and then jotting down where it is from, is the best way to keep track of what I see. There are so many showrooms and options that if you like a piece, snap a photo, get the info, then send that photo to your showroom rep and chances are they can hook you up with the rest of the line.

7. Utilize the Coat Checks! You will have your hands full, you will have a bag, maybe a cart as well, they will get full and cumbersome. There are coat checks located in each building near the lobby or registration area, ditch your coat, it’s one less thing to struggle with.

8. Market Wednesdays are awesome. If you can’t make it to Market or if the idea of fighting ATL traffic downtown on a busy Market Week isn’t appealing, hit up Market Wednesday. They are typically every other month (check www.americasmart.com for exact dates) and most showrooms are open specifically on those dates. Sometimes showrooms are open every day, some are only open during Market, etc. But most vendors make and effort to be open for Market Wednesdays.

9. Coffee. If you need coffee like I need coffee (or water and sustenance in general) you can find it in every building! Specifically: Building 1, floors: 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 15, 16, 19. Building 2, floors: 8, 10, 12. Building 3, floors: 1, 2, 5, 6.

10. Strategy: I like to work from the top down and walk the loop in each building. It helps to have an idea of where you want to go and what you are looking for in advance, that way you make the most of your time. If you aren’t up for chatting with vendors or showroom staff and just want to get through as much as possible, I like taking my directory and noting each showroom that looks appealing and then contacting them for information later. That way I can see as much as possible and still get the information I need when the time comes.

If you don’t see Niki on the Home floors, you can find her at the “Blogging, Business and Bites” panel on Saturday, January 15. She, along with three other blogging peers, will give insider tips on how blogging can build your business. It all starts at 4 p.m. in Building 1, floor 14, 14-D-9.

Blogging For Business

Posted on December 20, 2010 by ksantry

In preparation for speaking to fellow retailers at the upcoming AmericasMart Gift Market in Atlanta next month, I’ve been thinking about what I feel are the most important aspects of blogging for business. I started a blog for my invitation, stationery and gift boutique in October of 2008. I wasn’t exactly sure what a blog would do for my small business when I started it, however, I now know how valuable it is for keeping current customers engaged and obtaining new customers. I hope to be able to share some of what I’ve learned about “blogging for business” with my colleagues in Atlanta in January.

Here is a sneak preview of what I’ll be sharing.

Keep It Simple

It really couldn’t be easier to create a blog for your business. It is much easier than creating and maintaining a website and can even be your business’ website if you don’t have a reason to keep a separate web presence. Using free blog hosting services such as WordPress and Blogger, it’s as simple as creating a free account, selecting from one of their excellent blog templates and filling in the blanks to customize the blog for your business. Then you do have to actually come up with what you want to blog about.

More about that at my upcoming seminar. Hint: It’s simple.

Keep Communicating

One of the original reasons I started a blog was because I didn’t want to send emails to customers too often at the risk of ending up in their SPAM folders or them just not reading emails because they were to frequent. I have always sent a monthly email newsletter to customer who subscribe and found that as business grew, there were times I wanted to communicate with customers more than monthly. Blogging was my answer. I post information on the blog that is worthy of sharing between newsletters and then direct customers to the blog for special updates, event info, sale and new product notifications. In this case, if customers want the information, they are free to review it, however, we are keeping our promise of only emailing them once per month.

Keep It Going

Blogging does take time. You may be lucky enough to have someone to delegate

blogging to, which would mean it won’t take as much of your time. I actually really enjoy blogging and using it as a platform to tell others about my business, therefore, I maintain our blog entirely on my own. Anything worth doing takes time and one of the biggest blogging mistakes you can make is to stop blogging once you’ve started. Make a commitment to your blog, just like you commit to your business. Make it something reasonable for you, not something an expert told you. If you can commit to blog once a week that’s great. If you can commit to once a month, that’s better than not at all.

Keep It Connected

Because I’m also an avid user of social media for my business, I use other social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter to promote our blog to existing and prospective customers. After I post on our blog, I always put a link to the new post on Facebook and Twitter. These avenues expose our blog to many more people than just those who choose to follow it. I also reference the blog in our monthly email newsletter. I’ve found that this makes creating the newsletter faster and easier. I typically cover some of the same information in the monthly email newsletter that’s recently been posted on the blog. I link directly from the newsletter articles to the blog to share more detailed information, making the newsletter more concise.

These are just a few of my “blogging for business” tips. I’ll be sharing much more at the upcoming panel discussion “The Power of Blogging” AmericasMart University: Building

Your Brand Course on Thursday, January 13, 2011 from 1- 2 p.m. in Building 1, Floor 10, Room 1001. I hope to have the opportunity to meet many of you there!

Formulating Social Media Success: Where to Start and Find Missing Pieces To The Facebook Puzzle

Posted on December 15, 2010 by ksantry

Finding a formula or social media concoction that works for retailers can be rocket science if you make it, keeping things simple is best! Like other forms of advertising your social media target audience should be identified and a plan must be created. Most independent retail stores have a target audience of generation ages 32-54 to older boomers (65+). Of course there are over a dozen decent solutions waiting to eat away your valuable time; a few include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Google Buzz, FourSquare, and Tumblr. So, how would you dare know where to begin spending time on the social web?

First and foremost, while this article is being written, printed, and distributed Facebook has just gained enough users to make up a small country. There are more subscribers to Facebook than there are people in the United States. If Facebook were a country it would be the third largest country in the entire world just behind India and China. Therefore, your uno, number one choice for social marketing for retail stores and brands should be Facebook!

With over 500,000 users think of Facebook as the largest newspaper in the world that more than 50% of the subscribers actually login to read every single day. Yes! That’s exactly what happens people read what’s happening in the world by going to their Facebook “newsfeed” before they open their email! Facebook makes it easy for people to like and share all of their favorite things. When each subscriber has an average of 130 friends you can bet that those “things” that they like spread like wild fire!

So what’s the missing piece of the puzzle??? Many independent retailers dive into Facebook and other social media as if they’re the BIG BOX and BIG BRAND. Think about it! Does the world know your brand? Do they know of your store? OR do they know YOU!??? In many instances, many independent retailers fail to use their personal relationships in their social media campaigns.

How do you rewind??? Start by creating a personal page, expand your knowledge with the platform and then of course find some friends. You may be thinking there’s no place or space for you. Or that you prefer not getting caught up in the social web or that you’d just prefer a “place” to advertise your business. The last excuse is what I tend to hear most from retailers…they want a “place to advertise” their stores for free. Free is good, but it working to increase your bottom line is better.

Building your “personal” page and “personal” friendships on Facebook are more valuable than you think Remember: Each Facebook user has an average of 130 friends. Therefore, if you can find 100 friends that are in your community that already know you, like you, and may know of your store, then your chances of reaching the masses for FREE are greater!

After setting up your personal page, first and foremost….make the page personal! Fill in as much information as possible on your info tab. You can choose to hide specific information by going to account (top right hand corner) and then privacy settings. I recommend that you leave your information page visible to all, yet hide your posts and wall so that people have to ask you to be a friend in order to see your comments and posts. Be sure to add photos, comments, and positive personal comments that are well written. Post your favorite quotes so that your new friends know something about you.

Next, on the right hand column of Facebook Newsfeed, under Get Connected allow Facebook to find your contacts from your email service provider (ESP). If you haven’t imported your customer email list into your ESP, you’ll want to do so. With a couple of clicks, Facebook will begin to find ALL of your customers for you almost effortlessly. You’ll have hundreds of friends before you know it!

You maybe thinking…”I don’t care about having friends, Christi!” I want my business to benefit! On social media it’s most important for your to connect personally so that you can advertise your business secondly. Think of how your relationships with sales reps, if you have a relationship with a sales rep you’re more likely to buy from their manufacturer. The same is true for your customers.

In most cases, the BIG box stores have products that are like or could replace the products you have in your store. What is the major difference between “Jane’s Hallmark” and Target? RELATIONSHIPS! Target and Wal-Mart change employees faster than most of us change underwear! Independent retailers have the advantage of the relationships and customer service-make yours count

To learn more about marketing your retail store on social media including Facebook and Twitter, join Christi at AmericasMart University – Thursday, January 13 at 9 a.m. Location: Building 1, Floor 10, Room 1002

Have questions about Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, or other social media sites? Ask Christi on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/PuTTinOuT

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