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Articles
Illustration by Lance Lekander
How to Beat the "80/20 Rule" in Sales Performance
Does your sales team have what it takes to achieve top performance in sales? Do you think sales skills can be grasped by everyone, given enough time and training, or are they unique to a smaller percentage of your staff? Read About.com 's surprising article written by Alan Rigg.
Attention Shoppers: Great Deals in Retail Mergers
Wharton's newsletter, Knowledge@Wharton, has given small businesses the competitor's inside scoop regarding the world of department stores. Click here to follow the latest news.
Appealing to Repeat, Loyal Customers
Joel Evans and Barry Berman discuss the importance of targeting your loyal customer and new customer bases. This article for About.com features instructions for developing a customer database and frequent shopper programs.
Special Section: Trends in Contemporary Jewelry
Ettagale Blauer introduces six jewelry pioneers who stand out in their world--they set the trends and the world follows.
Retailer Tip of the Month
Tip: "Behind Enemy Lines: The Competition, Friend or Foe?
Rarely, if ever, does a competitor put someone out of business. Stores put themselves out of business because they aren't flexible, don't change, or don't adapt to a varied retail climate. The better you know your competitor, the easier it will become to compete and coexist. The other factor that has made a huge difference in competing businesses is the value of trade associations, networking groups, buying groups and mastermind groups. The stronger and more active the trade association, the healthier the industry. Excerpted from Rick Segel's tip of the week for April 26, 2005 www.ricksegel.com |
Emerging Artist
Aaro Studio/Kiwon Wang
New to the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft, Kiwon Wang is an accomplished jeweler, teacher, and curator. Her work is a clever mix of found materials and fabrication, most notably her New York Times necklaces (pictured). Wang earned her MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design and has exhibited in several galleries and museums across the United States and Europe for the past fifteen years. To view more examples of her work, click here to access her web site. Aaro Studio/Kiwon Wang will be participating in the August 5-7, 2005 Buyers Market in Philadelphia.
Upcoming Shows
June 4-7, 2005: Portland Gift Show
June 11-13, 2005: Gallery of American Craftsmen
June 24-27, 2005: Dallas International Gift & Home Accessories Market
Click here for a complete list of upcoming Market Dates
Retailer Resources
What POS system do you use? Email news@rosengrp.com and share with us what works for you--or simply send us your resource wish list. We welcome your feedback!
CRAFT
RETAILER NEWS ARCHIVE -
a collection of all past Craft Retailer News newsletters. E-mail
us topics you would like to read about in future Craft Retailer
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MARKET INSIDER
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Your Opinion Counts!
We'd like to hear a wider array of retailer opinions to incorporate into our panel discussion, Winning Web Sites! Part II, a seminar for artists at the Summer Buyers Market and sponsored by the Craft Retailers' Association for Tomorrow (C.R.A.F.T.). Winning Web Sites! Part II will focus on ways artists are increasingly utilizing the web to wholesale their work and how they could improve their online offerings to build better relationships with retailers. Please take a moment to assist us by completing this brief survey. As you answer each question, please keep in mind that this seminar focuses specifically on artists who choose to wholesale online. Your participation is greatly appreciated.
REFER AN ARTIST TODAY!
Do you know an artist ready to put their best business foot forward? Why not recommend The Rosen Group's Visiting Artist Program? Held in conjunction with the Buyers Market of American Craft, August 5-7, 2005, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, the Visiting Artist Program offers artists an opportunity to research the wholesale marketplace, see successful craft business models, meet with a business advisor for a one-on-one mentor session, participate in a full Artist Lecture Series... and more! Registration forms are available for download at http://www.americancraft.com/BMAC/artist/newvisiting_artist.html. Interested artists can contact Debra Anderson, Public Affairs Coordinator at 410.889.2933 ext. 222 or DebraA@rosengrp.com. Deadline for registration is July 11.
EDUCATION FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS
Show and Sell!
Now on DVD and with a sleek new look, Crafting an American Style: Part I is available to you at wholesale. Buy a quantity of 10, show it on a portable DVD player or laptop, and watch them fly off the shelves. Bringing multimedia craft education into your gallery will boost your sales and satisfy your customers. Download a .pdf order form today!(pdf) |
