Gifts & Dec Direct








	Here's the news for the week of September 20, 2006


	In This Week's Issue: 1. Expect “Subdued” Shopper in Q4 2. Cooler Weather Spurred Third Week Sales 3. Expansion Lights Up Dallas 4. NRF Launches Women’s Resource Website 5. Gifty Goes Global 6. Prinz Expands HQ 7. Your 2 Cents Worth

	1. Expect “Subdued” Shopper in Q4 Washington, DC — While consumers have shown a surprising amount of resilience in 2006, retailers can expect a more subdued holiday season. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), total holiday retail sales are expected to increase 5 percent over last year, bringing holiday spending to $457.4 billion. By comparison, holiday sales rose 6.1 percent in 2005, to $435.6 billion. The NRF projection is in line with one released by Retail Forward, a Columbus, OH-based retail research and consulting company, which forecasts a 5.5 percent year-over-year growth in fourth quarter holiday sales. (See Holiday Growth to Slow) “Consumers have faced a number of economic challenges this year, and have taken them in stride,” said NRF Chief Economist Rosalind Wells. “Although sales gains will not be as robust as last year, retailers can still expect above-average holiday sales growth.” “Consumers make small sacrifices all year so they can splurge a little during the holidays,” explained NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. “If gas prices continue to fall, shoppers will find a little something extra in their wallets, giving them even more reason to celebrate.”

	2. Cooler Weather Spurred Third Week Sales New York — The third week of September turned out to be “firmer” for most retailers, with the Johnson Redbook Sales Index climbing 4.1 percent, following a 3.8 percent gain the prior week. Redbook’s summary cited cooler weather as a factor spurring seasonal sales. Another plus: easing gas prices, which are putting a few more discretionary dollars in consumers’ pockets. “As back-to-school merges into transitional fall business, most retailers in our model are claiming satisfactory results,” said Catlin Levis, research analyst for the consulting company.

	3. Expansion Lights Up Dallas Dallas — Lighting tenants at the Dallas Market Center’s (DMC) newly expanded lighting center at the Trade Mart are already busy with “finish outs” of their new spaces. One hundred percent leased, the 500,000-square-foot expansion will open in January 2007, doubling the lighting marketplace and giving Dallas 1 million square feet dedicated solely to lighting. The expansion to the Trade Mart is the only market space custom-designed exclusively for the lighting industry, according to the DMC. Showrooms are equipped with enhanced electrical capacity of 15 watts per square foot to support industry requirements. Other enhancements include more efficient dock access, an additional freight elevator and greater HVAC capacity. The Trade Mart Atrium is being renovated to serve as a special events space with the capacity to host up to 1,000 guests. Renovation of the exterior of the existing Trade Mart will soon be underway, and will include new major architectural elements, signature window medallions, a porte-cochere, a covered “undulating ribbon” walkway that connects the exterior of the Trade Mart with the World Trade Center and updated landscaping. Completion of the exterior is on schedule for January 2007.

	4. NRF Launches Women’s Resource Website Washington, DC — A new online resource for female retail professionals is now open for business at www.nrf.com/wrc. The site — the Women’s Resource Center — is a National Retail Federation (NRF) initiative in cooperation with the NRF Women’s Retail Council and the NRF Women in Loss Prevention Caucus. The virtual center features resources relating to professional development, and is password-protected for accessing networking directories. The website currently features the NRF Women in Loss Prevention Caucus directory through a password-protected area. “I am so proud of this new resource available to members of the Women in Loss Prevention Caucus,” said Joan Manson, caucus chair. “This new website will provide access to valuable resources and ultimately to each other, and will directly support our mission of encouraging women to network and learn from their peers.” Visitors to the Women’s Resource Center may access conference call recaps and other resources generated by NRF’s Women’s Retail Council and the Women in Loss Prevention Caucus. NRF member company personnel can participate in both groups at no charge. The Women in Loss Prevention Caucus also manages a mentoring program for female loss prevention professionals.

	5. Gifty Goes Global Austin, TX — Gifty Idea Greeting Cards & Such!, a small greeting card and stationery producer, signed a three-year licensing agreement with Jays International Trading Co. of South Africa. Jays will produce and sell greeting cards and other stationery and gift-related products in South Africa using Gifty’s dog-inspired designs and images. The two companies initially made contact this past May at the National Stationery Show in New York, where Gifty Idea was a first-time exhibitor. “This is an exciting move for us," said Kim Crisler, owner of Gifty Idea Greeting Cards & Such! "This business relationship puts us in an international market that we would otherwise probably not have been able to tap into.”



	6. Prinz Expands HQ Northbrook, IL — Prinz, manufacturer of frames, albums and accessories, is doubling its headquarters to 37,000 square feet. The expanded facility will provide more space for the company’s warehouse, additional receiving docks and product display areas. “We’re astonished at how quickly we outgrew our current headquarters space, but we’re not surprised given our rapid growth,” said Richard Feldstein, president.

	7. Your 2 Cents Worth Well, we guess we know where most gift industry folk will be next Monday at 10 p.m.: watching the premiere episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Last week, we asked readers which new network show they would watch and nearly half — 44.4 percent — of poll takers voted for this new NBC entry. Shark and Ugly Betty were distant runners up, each with 16.7 percent of the vote. And speaking of shows, please do show up at this week’s poll by clicking here to vote. And remember that each vote counts for two cents to Gift For Life, the industry’s charity devoted to helping find a cure for AIDS.



	For daily news updates visit www.GiftsandDec.com.

	That's all for now. We'll be with you again next week. Maria Weiskott, Editor In Chief Matthew Kalash, Managing Editor

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