DDi - November/December 2011 - (Page 8)

8 | From the Editor Oh come, all ye spiteful F or retailers, the holiday season is typically a bit less holly jolly and merry merry than for the rest of the jingle-bell-happy shopping public. While children are laying all snug in their beds with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads—trimmers are hanging body-sized bows 30 ft. in the air, visual merchants are adorning mannequins with holiday frocks that simply won’t fit that size-6 mannequin, and store staff are vacuuming up fake snow, glitter and tree needles every hour on the hour. For those in the visual and design profession, holiday is the time when sleep comes in short, restless spurts, stress levels take on the color of Santa’s stockings and patience is most definitely a virtue. All we want for Christmas is two quarters of consecutive growth…all we want for Christmas is two quarters of consecutive growth…this is how we put ourselves to sleep each night. Has the holiday season filled us in the retail industry full of spite, more than full of joy? A local radio station here in Atlanta has a weekly “retail vent” line during the holiday season, where retail store employees can call in and anonymously gripe about shoppers. And have you seen the website www. retail-sucks.com? Not pretty, and especially not pretty during the holiday season. The point of the story: between store associates and the customers they serve, there are a lot of very unhappy people floating along in your retail stores this holiday season. I’m fairly certain someone could make a good bit of money on a reality TV show using hidden cameras in a check-out line during the holiday season—we can call it: “Customers Behaving Badly.” Or possibly, from another angle: “Employees Who Lose It.” Last month, I received a note from an independent gift shop owner in Ohio. Said indie retailer had just finished reading our “Visual Perspectives” columnist Ann Fine Patterson’s October article—“HO, HO, HO-mogenized” (October, page 16), which pointed out the retail industry’s current lack of Christmas trees, angels and Santas, in lieu of the politically correct, holidayneutral snowflake (even in Florida). Here are parts of what he had to say: Dear Editor, We not only acknowledge Christmas, we celebrate it! We also embrace Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Independence Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving. These celebrations bring joy and memories to our lives and can do the same for retail stores. This is the feeling I want my customers to leave with. I want to be part of their celebrations, traditions and memories. This is what makes you special, and not just another cardboard snowflake. Sincerely, Santa’s Helper The names have been left off of this letter to protect the innocent, but the sentiment remains. You may have to tune out the constant ring of the cash registers, the bustle of the angry shoppers, the incessant groan from the long lines and the hectic, frenetic pace of the stores. But, when the headaches and late-night gingerbread latte buzzes are gone and all the stars are hung, trees are decorated and lights are on—wow, what a sight! What a feeling! What a remarkable difference a little store décor can make. When you watch one small child gaze up at a retail window in awe, or see a young man purchase his first holiday gift for his new wife, or even witness a grandmother buying a new stuffed animal right off the endcap for her first grandchild, you’ll see the lights in their eyes, too. What you’ve done is created a bit of magic. Maybe even a memory. And that makes it all worth it. Enjoy your stores, enjoy your customers and at least try to enjoy the season! (And while you have this Buyers’ Guide issue in your hand, you may as well do a little shopping of your own for next year’s holiday décor among the companies listed.) And for Santa’s sake…PLEASE hit two quarters of consecutive growth. Alison Embrey Medina Executive Editor alison.medina@ddionline.com www.ddionline.com | November/December 2011 http://www.retail-sucks.com http://www.retail-sucks.com http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - November/December 2011

DDi - November/December 2011
Table of Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Retail Design Collective
Showroom Map
Products
New York Retail Map
DDi Buyers' Guide 2011
Company Listing
Product Category Index
Product Listing
Classifieds
Advertisers
Calendar

DDi - November/December 2011