Smarts
Who to Watch Today
Welcome to Consumer Snapshot, where we dissect generational behaviors to help you sell your products and services more effectively. As a primer to what we’ll be covering in this department, we’ve…
The LIT Design Award Winners: What the Judges Think and What We Think
The 1st Annual International Competition for Lighting Product Design and Implementation kicked off this year, welcoming lighting submissions from manufacturers, designers and practicers from all…
Rattan To Me
There was a time when we loathed all things from the 70s. To be fair, the decade had its share of style busts. Raise your hand if images of shag carpet (in the bathroom), inflatable furniture and the…
The Shops Around the Corner
As high-end furniture stores across the country continue to dwindle in numbers — falling victim to everything from changing tastes and lifestyles to increasing competition online — small, inviting…
Merci, Paris: 6 Looks from Maison & Objet’s January 2018 Edition
In the Tropics
Walking the halls of Maison & Objet at times felt like a jungle expedition. This motif had been gaining in previous editions of the show but seemed to proliferate in time for this…
How to Build a Basic Digital Marketing Strategy in Four Easy Steps
A digital marketing strategy is a plan to build your digital presence in order to increase traffic to your website and ultimately to your store. You don’t need to have a background in marketing,…
3 Big Lessons from the Latest String of Bankruptcies and Closures
Last week, the retail industry — and the hundreds of people still humming "I don't wanna grow up, I wanna be a Toys R Us kid" song — got a nasty shock when toy retailer Toys R Us announced it would…
4 Signs It’s Time For a Rebrand
You may think of strong branding as something reserved for giants like Coca-Cola, but businesses of all sizes can focus on creating a distinct brand identity. Your branding can tell potential…
Dining Room Ideas: Modern Farmhouse Decor
Call it the Golden Rule, karma or good old’ fashioned physics, but everything has a reciprocal relationship, every action, a reaction. So it’s no wonder that as we pack more into our busy schedules,…
5 Tips for Creating a Compelling Newsletter
Although video is all the rage, and podcasts are the hot new thing, don’t underestimate the power of an effective newsletter. A tool to connect with your audience, a newsletter can help build trust…