I spent yesterday at the National Stationery Show (NSS) which started Sunday at the Javits Center in NY. I've been attending the show on behalf of CNA for a few years now and I strongly believe this show offers lots of products and inspiration for craft retailers.

Stationery/gift/home dec trends feed into each other so trendspotting at NSS is highly useful. The other thing about stationery is that because greeting cards tend to reflect the emotional priorities of consumers it gives you a window into how consumers are feeling.

I'll tell you...they're feeling cynical. I was surprised by what seemed like a lot of tongue in cheek and downright snarky card messages.

That said, consumers are also looking for beauty, perhaps to surround themselves with pretty things during uncertain times. The print story was very elegant (venetian prints) and whimsical (letterpress and vintage children's book art). Pink and kelly green was the runaway color story. Not just with preppy looks but with contemporary ones as well. Pink is a hopeful color. Kelly green suggests new growth and a healthy earth. Can you be cynical and hopeful at the same time? I really think you can.

Scrapbook folks will see some familiar faces at NSS: Creative Imaginations, DCWV, EK Success, Ellison, K& Company, Sandylion, Daler Rowney, Glue Dots, and others, but their booths take on a different look in a Stationery environment. Very interesting to see scrapbooking products in the larger stationery market, just goes to show you how "on the money" our industry suppliers are.

You'll have to check back for my full stationery trend report tomorrow (sorry I need to get a code cracker to decipher my notes).

Prior to the Stationery Show, CHA held an event to launch a new licensing pavilion at their show. This Pavilion is for artists looking to license art to craft industry companies for packaging, stickers, paper, fabric, etc etc. CHA has put together a really attractive package so if you are a graphic designer or a manufacturer with a really distinctive look, consider the pavilion. CHA will be agressively promoting it and working to draw in art directors who could potentially license the work. Contact Anthony DeMasi at CHA headquarters for more info.

i always feel inspired when I  leave the NSS and am feeling more inspired because we already have articles in the works for our July/August issue of CNA that address some of the trends I saw there. Stay tuned! --Beth

Great article on MediaPost called Baby Boomers More Loyal To Service Providers Than To Products
by Erik Sass,  highlighting a recent study conducted by Focalyst that was a joint venture of AARP and the Kantar Group. The study measured brand loyalty for products and services with a rather large sample of over 35,000 consumers over the age of 42.

The funny thing about surveys is that they don't always tell you what you expect them to. For years advertisers have been chasing that 18-35 age demographic under the assumption that the brand loyalty adopted by young adults would be carried through life.

Not exactly so, according to the Focalyst study.

This isn't the first  sign that good brands are just good brands and that age-based differences are not that significant.What the Focalyst survey found was that Baby Boomers tend to be more loyal
to service providers and service-oriented brands than other product brands.

This quote from Sass' article says it all...

Heather Stern, Focalyst's director of marketing, remarked: "Boomers are most loyal when companies give customized service, a natural reflection of boomers' desire for personalized attention and rewarding brand experiences."

She goes on to say that consumers are  also willing to pay more if a product or service makes their busy lives easier.

Service is an area where each member of our supply chain can step out and differentiate. If you've ever looked at a competitor and said "What's so great about so and so, my product is 10 times better" or "I have 3 times the selection and better prices," look closely at their service model.

Bottom line-Great service leads to better relationships with customers and breeds loyalty. We know at least 35,000 consumers over the age of 42 (sound like a familiar customer group?) say so--Beth

If you've ever lived in a large U.S. city, you've probably consulted the Zagat Survey for restaurant advice. If not, chances are you've heard the Zagat name recently thanks to a partnership with the Today Show.

Zagat and NBC's Today Show co-sponsored a survey of the best fast food restaurants in the U.S. they rated everything from who has the best burger (Wendy's) and best chicken (Chik Fil A) as well as consumer motivations for selecting a particular restaurant (80+% said food tast was most important).

This survey was headline news. It definitely got the attention of branding experts. The world's most well known burger chain did not win top burger. America' original chicken chain was edged out by a relative newcomer. Will this affect business in a significant way?  I doubt it. American consumers have had strong opinions about products ever since Meathead did a blind taste test of colas on All in the Family. If you need a fast food lunch you aren't going to get fries at one restaurant and a burger in another. You're going to go the place you like best and that decision is influenced by more than just the food.

Drill down into the survey to find out what customers don't like- questionable cleanliness. Cleanliness WAY before good service. The fast food nation has been well trained that it should not expect top service for cheap fast food. That sure isn't the case with craft retail.

In craft retail, which has a fairly level playing field in discernible quality of products, this translates to who has the best selection, best prices, best services and and best classes (perhaps not int hat order). Cleanliness probably plays a factor- it certainly doesn't hurt to have a fresh and clean shop.

Zagat has begun expanding it's surveying efforts to include retail stores, some craft/sewing industry stores in NYC and elsewhere have been recognized in recent years. If you are a retailer in an urban area where Zagat raters are active, find out how to get on their radar screen. Just as Wendy's, Chik Fil A and McDonald's will seize upon and promote their top ratings, a local "best of rating" for your business is something you can make a part of your marketing message--Beth

Kudos to the  ad agency for Aleve (pain medication). Their latest television ad campaign uses participation in favorite hobbies as a motivation to be pain-free. In one clip a woman talks about how she loves to knit. She is shown working on a project with an interesting yarn and chunky needles. In another commercial, the pitchwoman is shown beading jewelry, complete with a board set up with a necklace in progress.

What's neat about these commercials is that (without even knowing it) they position crafting as a positive and desirable activity.  But what I think makes me happiest is that whoever was in charge of these commercials got it right. All of the props were correct, the right yarn, the right project, the person doing the project going through the correct steps. The settings were contemporary and the women didn't look dowdy.

These commercials are a long way from the quilted TP cartoons that showed matronly women "quilting" tissue with knitting needles.

I wonder what the next hobby will be... woodworking? Sewing? Painting? Keep going Aleve, we've got lots of great crafts for you to showcase--Beth

A couple of weeks ago I went to a bead show in Delaware for a little article research and female bonding. Some of you may recall that I purchased beads at a bead show I wrote about months ago. Confession time...those lovely turquoise  and quartz stones keep winking at me from the bag (as do all of other glass beads I picked up).

In Delaware I bought an amazing closure hand tooled in South Africa plus my filler beads. I now have the stuff to make some necklaces. Time to sit down and figure this out. I think my pal is going to nail my shoes to her floor as soon as her kids go to camp. I promise to have the necklace by CHA Summer!

Bead shows are so interesting. I love the cross-section of people. First the audience is much more diverse than a general craft show- more racially diverse and more age-diverse. On a Friday a lot of the folks are retailers or people who buy beads to make jewelry for resale. I noticed a couple of retailers filling in at the bargain table. Good for them, they'd get the beads for a song, re-bag them and get a good mark-up.

Beaders are great sharers and I love nothing more that chatting folks up- hearing about their beading activities, how they got into it, etc. etc. They think it is so neat that I work in the craft industry (little do they know they do  more beading than I do). I've been to three shows in different locations and I am starting to recognize people which is fun.

Sometimes it's a good idea to go to a consumer show and be a consumer. Chat with the people, they'll tell you what they like about a product, a store, a TV Show a website. For the $10 you pay to get in the door you'll get thousands of dollars worth of focus group info. Plus you'll refuel the inspiration tank. If that isn't worth ten bucks, I don't know what is-Beth

Most folks are back in the office now that the Market in Salt Lake City is over the feedback is that the show was a good one.  Vendors reported seeing stores that had never been to a market before as well as folks in the process of opening a store. Good signs for us as a healthy independent base is important to our industry.

I think there are some opportunities for designers to exploit for the next show. One is wearables- across the board, particularly for children and items more to the fashion side than the wearable art side. Perhaps the punchneedle designers can show us how their designs can be incorporated into jackets etc.

We need all kinds of patterns for those neat contemporary prints that were in abundance. Favorite Things had a great band collar jacket that brought a few of these prints together very successfully. I hope other fashion designers do as well. We also need to see some great ideas for home decor (tabletop?) and quilts. Amy Butler had some great items in her booth using her pillows. I'd like to see more inspiration for our customer. Consumers may love the prints but they need some direction on what to do with them.

Am I missing it or are there few dolls and other soft sculpture items. As a Santa and Angel collector I am always eager to see what designers introduce.There are so many soft squishy yummy fabrics out there, perhaps some more baby items as well as collectible soft sculpture.

Looking at all the thread options... I want to encourage folks to educate their customers however possible about which is the right thread for the job. It is in your vendors' best interest to help you with that info so ask them for information.

I am glad to see that the fabric purse as an accessory item has not gone the route of the scarf. Designers wisely keep reinventing this fashion item and the latest versions are soft and slouchy  with self fabric straps. Alot of these were shown at market in dyed wools, Consider what you have in faux suede, velvet and other textured home decor fabrics to switch them up.

All in all another great market with great ideas from fabric companies and pattern designers. Start planning now, while the ideas are fresh in your mind, for promotions and classes to keep folks engaged. It's going to be a stay at home summer- I figured out when I gassed up in NJ yesterday. Yikes.

That could spell opportunity for crafting close to home. Check out our online forums for advice on kids camps-- Beth

With meetings and appointments aside I could really dig into the show floor on Saturday. Also had an opportunity to chat up my trend tracking peers and we were in agreement- no runaway trends from the show. Lots of line extensions and product introduction of exisiting trends (ie: felting and punchneedle embroidery).

That said, there is plenty to capitalize on from a store's point of view.

New fabric lines- Joel Dewberry (son of of One Stroke Painting's Donna) introduced three stunning collections for Westminster Fibers. Barn Dandy fabrics is a collection of vintage inspired western prints presented by a designer Polly Wilson who is inspired by her own ranch living. Paris Bebe presented a very dainty collection of "shabby cottage florals.

Contemporary fabrics- There is an opportunity for designers to create more patterns for contemporary fabrics with large repeats. There were many more offerings of these "modern" prints at the show. I hope to see more patterns to help our customers understand how to use them.

Halloween-Buttermilk Basin took a risk and dedicated the whole booth to autumn/halloween items and  it is a winner. My favorite there was a hooked wool squirrel with  a big loopy tail and some coordinating acorns. These are seasonal items that would appeal to folks who do not celebrate Halloween.

More Aprons!- If  you do not have apron patterns in yours store- give them a shot. Taylor Made pattern company had a version for mom and daughter- very cute for the holidays. More great options from Threaded Pear and Kwik Sew.

Yesterday I mentioned yo-yos- for the customer who doesn't want to make hers...Wimpole Street sells them already gathered.

Cute Little Things-Designers are responding to the "Not enough time to quilt" lament with lots of small projects that are great in-between or gifty projects. Lots of cute ideas for wool needle cases (Need'l Love) and pincushions (Reets Rags to Riches). I especially liked Wooden Spool Designs bumble bee needlecase and pincushions.

Display ideas always abound at Market but Blackbird Designs stepped out with a Princess and the Pea inspired bed piled high with mattresses and in between each mattress was a separate set of "covers" that included a quilt.

More trends and product ideas to come. Safe trip home from Market all- Beth

I'm here in Salt Lake City attending the International Quilt Market. I've never been to a place where it could be 85 degress one day and 50 degrees the next day with intermittent hail storms. If you haven't seen the mountains here they are pretty amazigng.

The show is a bit earlier in May than usual and I know fabric vendors in  particular were challenged to get their lines ready. A few weeks mean everything when you have to bring your fabric over the water then get a quilt made. But with a little magic known as overnight freight and digital imaging they made it work- once again contributing to a beautiful show.

Marie Osmond has created some excitement with her new line of fabrics for Quilting Treasures. I had the opportunity to record an interview with Marie, so look for that at www.cnamag.com in the coming weeks!

So far the 'next big thing' hasn't jumped out at me yet but some "item" trends are emerging:

Overall color scheme- Incoming trend is yellow and colors with yellow undertones. Also greens and blues.

Yo-yos (not the ones with the string, but the little fabric circles drawn up with thread)-Clover Needlecraft has a tool that makes it easier. Indygo Junction had adorable little animals- a dog and an elephant with yo-yo bodies.

Aprons, and yes... they are just like the ones your grandma used to make. Patterns from Mary Mulari, Amy Butler and Indygo junction feature vintage silhouettes updated with contemporary fabrics. they make attractive and functional uniforms for store employees. Plus in some urban areas young girls are wearing them over tee shirts and jeans as a fashion item... a la the apron dress.

Plenty of wool here- lots of applique. But, friends where are the wearables I had hoped to see trending in last year? There are plenty of patterns from fashion patterns that serve the quilt community. Let's see some great clothes!!!

Purses power on. The lastest incarnations are soft slouchy fabric bags with self- fabric or cord handles.

Today's my day to dig in to products and trends so tune in tonight for more from the show!- Beth

Quilt designer, author and educator Meryl Ann Butler shared with me that she has a daughter at Virgina Tech. When I asked how folks were coping she told me she was coping the best way she can- by making a VT-themed quilt in school colors.

The email took me right back to the weeks after 9/11 when quilters all over the world turned to their fabric stashes and sewing machines to work through their grief. Unlike Meryl Ann, most of those quilters did not have a connection to the World Trade Centers or anyone who died that day. For them the process of making the quilt was a way to express grief and work through the horror.

The fall quilt market fell only weeks after that. I'll never forget the exhibit that the folks at Quilts Inc. brought together practically overnight. I confess I found the quilts to be hard to look at. Not because they weren't beautiful. Quite the contrary... it was hard because they were so true.

Isn't it remarkable how scraps of fabric and stitches can be so  healing? Quilts have always comforted, but in the last few decades we are seeing how the creation of a quilt block or quilt can provide an emotional salve. Whether it is block for the Aids Quilt, a tiny top for a sick baby or a photo quilt that helps folks deal with the tragic circumstances in Africa and the Middle East, the fabrics heal. They heal the maker who pours heart and soul into the quilt. And they touch the viewer who opens his or her heart to the spirit in the quilt.

Meryl Ann's quilt will be true. It will be tangible healer. Somehow, I think she's not the only quilter out there doing healing the same way.--Beth

"Disco is the music of ringing registers." That quote stuck with me from a Kizer & Bender seminar I attended years back. Georgeanne and Rich have a great way of turning a phrase.

I was reminded of it the other day while during a circuit of errands Disco was playing in three consecutive stops. I noticed because the music was  upbeat and it made me happy.  You know how a song can take you right back (practicing the hustle in platform shoes in Laurel and Holly's backyard- summer of 8th grade). The music obviously made other people happy too. You could see people bopping or humming along. Customers were connecting over naming the singer or what year it came out. 

I know the music made me linger a little longer in that store- added a few things to my cart too. It was a nice interlude before I moved on to the next errands.

Aren't we all rushing to fill in as many activities as possible in a day? Getting customers to pause and focus isn't as easy as it used to be. 

What shakes you out of your mission-driven reverie in a retail store? For  my husband it is food samples. For my son it is television sets - doesn't matter what is showing. If that screen is flickering he comes to a dead stop.

Craft stores use display fixtures as road blocks to get folks to stop and pay attention. We hang things from ceilings, we add lights, We put them on rotating displays. What else works?

Have you seen any innovative ideas? Please share- Beth.Mauro@fwpubs.com.

Hope this weekend finds you spending time with people you love. Who knows? You may create a music memory that will still be fresh in 20 years. --Beth

Great article from The Washington Times called Boomers Fault Fashion by Anne D'Innocenzio (Associated Press).

It addresses the disconnect between the the fashion needs of the young-minded active 50- and 60-year old and what she sees in the store. After my recent bathing suit search I'd like to add 40+ to that list.

The fashion industry is missing a huge opportunity to reach out to fashion conscious Baby Boomers who want something in between the flimsy, spaghetti straped tops and size 0 skinny jeans  marketed to teenagers and the tropical floral rayon shifts and elastic-waist knit pants marketed to the over 21 crowd.

In descrbing the women interviewed for the story D'Innocenzio says "While their bodies may be aging, their spirits are not."

AMEN!

True story- bathing suit department in JC Penney's 12 hours before I leave for vacation in Florida- I had been to every other store in the mall. Every bathing suit over size 10 was a large floral print in the worst color combinations I have ever seen. No linings, skinny straps or just wide blousy expanses of fabrics. Nothing priced at under $115. Very demoralizing. I turn the corner and come across a woman about my age and size crying , right there in the middle of the bathing suit department in Penney's! I stopped and asked her if she was Ok. She said she was just so embarrassed that she couldn't find a good bathing suit and that she felt so ugly and hopeless. She didn't want an old lady bathing suit. She said she'd pay anything to find something a simple well-fitting bathing suit. Anything!

I gave her a tissue and told her to go home and pull up the Land's End website.

Here is a demographic that has money to spend and nobody can figure out what they need. More likely nobody wants to figure it out. I would imagine it is difficult making fashion that has broad appeal and fits a range of body parts with pooches and folds where they didn't exist 30 years ago. Even the much-touted Chicos has stumbled a bit.

Difficulty finding interesting, fashion forward clothes may be driving women back to sewing. At the very least it is driving women towards purchasing younger-looking accessories (handbags, shoes, belts, jewelry) because they are easier to find or make.

Another opportunity is embellished fashion. Plenty of clothing items with simple lines and fabrics can be found. Craft stores can help consumers take these basic looks to a designer level. Trust me on this- go to a really chic fashion boutique- especially if you are travelling in Las Vegas- and you will see that the silhouettes are basic. It's the glitz on the top that makes the wow.

If I were to give advice to a fashion manufacturer on how to appeal to this "difficult customer." I'd say: try better fabrics and construction, tone down on the oversized floral prints, explore some shaping and decorative seaming. Create pieces that coordinate without being matchy-matchy. Add a decorative detail here or there. It's really not that complicated.

Don't we all want clothes that make us feel good?--Beth

A large electronics retailer experienced a hailstorm of publicity over recent layoffs of hourly employees on the top end of the pay-scale. The employees were replaced with new hires who were willing to work for less money.

I'm sure Wall Street wil be watching this company very closely over the next few months to see if the employee issue influences service and ultimately sales at the company.

The retailer's move seems counter-intuitive to me. Most retailers are struggling to find dependable employees who have an aptitude for operating the cash register and basic customer service skills. It seems to me that having experienced employees would be an asset. And with national surveys showing people are extremely unhappy with the customer service they've been getting from retailers and service providers, why make a move that could jeapordize your customer service?

Electronic products must sell themselves.

OR, this retailer has found that its customer is more informed than in the past and that employees are often reduced to the role of finding a product on the shelf or checking out a purchase. The consumer is likely doing some research, probably on the Web, to learn about product features and prices, then going to the discounter and buying.

Craft retailers- don't follow this example.

Unlike electronic products which are used for the same tasks- to broadcast TV shows, play music, etc. etc. craft supplies can be used in a myriad of ways. Most craft supplies do not come with a little stapled booklet with instructions in four languages on how to install and use the product. Plus, people are discovering new uses for craft supplies every day. The beauty of the products we sell is their versatility.

Yes, our consumers are becoming more informed about product uses through television programming, magazines, books and especially the Internet. But often there are so many more possibilities that can be shared with that customer. Independent craft retailers who want to diffferentiate their stores from competitors need product-knowledgeable employees. In our business, longevity and experience are definitely a plus.

Before you make any move to cut employee pay or reduce your minimum pay rate, think about how this will impact your bottom line in other ways. Low paid employees generally aren't as invested in your business as those who are better compensated. Talented people are likely to find better paying jobs because they have a better skill set. If you are lucky enough to find a gem who started at a low wage, find other ways to compensate that person to keep her bonded to your business. If that employee is a star for you, she can be a star for someone else for another two dollars an hour.

I hear you, money doesn't grow on trees- if only. And, when cuts have to be made, every cost center must be examined. We've all had to do the hard thing. I'm suggesting that before you take any action- look at the long term impact. Lowering wages may have hidden repercussions on your business that with time build and become difficult to overcome.

Good employees can help you through the tough times- in fact they may have great cost-cutting ideas that you haven't considered.--Beth