This morning I received an email from a reader (of SRR ) who wanted to know when he should open his two carts for the holiday season (November 1st versus September or October 1st). He's planning on selling toys in one cart and is still debating what to sell on the second cart. I recommended opening by November 1st at the latest (or earlier if your budget will allow) and here's why:

It takes time to hire a great sales team
The #1 reason why I think he should open prior to November is that it takes a while to hire a team of great sales people. When you open early it gives you time to make good hiring decisions and then fine tune them as you determine your power sellers from those who aren't.

Establish your presence in the mall
By opening prior to the holiday season customers will see you in the mall, start purchasing now, and keep you in mind for holiday shopping.

Fine tune your visual merchandising
By opening in advance of the holiday rush you can tweak your visuals to make the most impact and to capture the attention of busy holiday shoppers.

Start building your inventory
One of the top five mistakes that retailers make is not stocking enough inventory during the holiday season. By opening early you can start to build inventory and get a feel for which products will be your best sellers.

Operate like a well-oiled machine
You'll have time to create the best sales pitch and figure out operational issues, such as the best bank to make deposits at and the best schedule for employees (who works what shifts and how long).

While many cart and kiosk retailers can turn a profit during the months of September and October, some choose to operate at a break-even or even slight loss because they find that they can have a much more profitable holiday season when they open early.

The spring issue of GIFT SHOP magazine ran a feature on organic and sustainable products, and noted that the organic market is estimated to reach $2.6 billion in sales–a tenfold increase over the last seven years–by 2008.

So as I walked around the gift shows this summer, I paid careful attention to some of the new options in this category. Here are some really fun and innovative products that I came across:

green 3
A really terrific line of super-soft, organic cotton T-shirts with clever slogans ("chicks rule") and a wonderful line of Asian-inspired T-shirts with Chinese characters and American translations ("happiness" and "love").

The News
Wonderful handbags, belts, etc., made from recycled LA & NY newspapers.

Twist, Inc.
Adorable line of frames and wine stoppers that incorporate recycled bottle caps as part of the design.

Zambezi Studios
Incredible products made in Africa from recycled newspapers and electrical wires. All their products are Fair Trade certified and/or produced by workshops and co-ops that practice Fair Trade principles.

Bungalow
Colorful line of doormats made from recycled coconut husks.  

Tivi
Upscale line of jewelry (necklaces, belts, bracelets, cufflinks) made from recycled Jack Daniels barrels.

ecosource Home & Garden
Eco-friendly line of flowerpots and decorative containers made from rice hulls, bamboo and other natural fibers. Styles range from traditional to modern and the price points start at only 99¢, so the margins are great!

Eye Kandy
Cute line of handbags made from recycled food containers such as candy wrappers, potato chip bags, beer boxes and bubble gum wrappers. Available in 25 styles.

Sukie Ltd.
Great line of travel journals made from recycled paper. Each journal also has envelopes made from recycled brown paper… handy for storing special mementos from the trip.  

I'm back in the office today, accompanied by bags filled to the brim with exciting new products. We had a very successful time exhibiting at the show, and here is a sampling of some of my favorite picks from other exhibitors.

Cat Studio
Hand-embroidered pillows, with one for each state. I was amazed at the details on each pillow, and I think they'd be a great addition to most gift stores. It's definitely a very unique product.

Princess Linens
Aprons for budding artists, age 3 and up. The top portion of the apron can be customized, and there are separate pockets to hold crayons. Princess Linens will drop ship for you, or can ship it back to you so the customer returns to the store for a pick-up (the hidden benefit of selling personalized products in your store). They also have an adorable line of children's scrubs which can be personalized, and an on-the-go travel bag complete with chalkboard, pad, crayons, chalk and eraser.

Michael Rogers Press, Inc.
Journals, books, boxes, folders, etc., that are created from recycled record covers. I particularly loved the music sheets used as the paper in the journals.

Bell Air Motor Sports
Car-themed cookie jars and night lights, each with a corresponding dog. All pieces are designed by Henry Cavanaugh.

made by humans
Oversized clock magnets that are perfect for the refrigerator. They're dishwasher safe and available in four colors. I loved the modern design and functionality.

McSparran Design
Original dog portraits by artist Kim McSparran. She'll send you a print and the signage to display in your store. There's no upfront fee, and her portraits start at $750 for an 8×10 (you then earn commission on each piece that's sold). It's perfect for the pet enthusiast who has everything. Your customers supply the photos, Kim paints the portrait in her studio and ships you the completed piece.

Check back next week for more great products.

It's day three of the NY Gift Show and it's been incredibly busy. The booths are full of buyers and I've seen some amazing new products. Here's a sampling of what I've found so far:

Fifth Avenue Manufacturers… Really fun luggage tags that are available in eight designs and sold in an assorted pack. These tags caught my eye immediately. They're big and bold and your customers will love that they can identify their luggage from a distance.

fuzzycouture… Trendy and fashionable line of dog handbags, available in five breeds. The fabrics change seasonally and each bag is numbered. Wholesale price points range from $29.50 to $95 and the packaging is fabulous.

Switch Flops… Adorable flip flops. As the company name implies, the top piece of the flip flop is interchangeable. The sole is black (brown and tan are coming soon), and the top is available in 15 different designs, each easily changed by lifting the velcro.

Groovy Holidays… Felt bags for all holidays, including Halloween, Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas and birthdays. I loved the quality and the price points. This product is a great addition to any seasonal holiday display.

The Straight Edge, Inc.… Cute line of three children's books all centered around a main character named Abigail. Each book includes an Abigail doll, and at the end of each story, a built-in, three-dimensional "stage" for the children to "act out" the story. Book themes include Abigail going to bed, ice skating, and taking ballet lessons. The company also has an amazing line of educational placemats for kids.

et all designs… Wonderful line of candles. Terrific accents and colors that tie into holidays or can be used everyday.

Sherwood Forest Designs… Handpainted wooden bowls made of maple. They have gorgeous designs, are available in 45 different patterns and have a clear, non-toxic coating so they can be used with food. Celebrities such as Dan Rather and the Clintons own bowls.

Lee Karen Designs… Great line of lamps. The bunny lamp is perfect for a baby's nursery and the baby section of your store.

Matahari… Fabulous home decor pieces made from recycled wood from Thailand. Products include frames, tables, dressers and chairs. The colors are terrific and perfect for any store.

I read an article this morning in the Wall Street Journal and was fascinated by the different buying behaviors in other parts of the world. In the article, "In India, a Retailer Finds Key to Success Is Clutter," Kishore Biyani (the owner of a $875 million supermarket chain) discusses how he re-designed his supermarkets to create tiny, cramped aisles with messy floors lined with dirty vegetables. His customers are lower middle-class shoppers who prefer shopping in this type of "chaotic" environment.

This article brought up important three questions that I think every retailer should know the answer to in order to optimize sales:

1. Who's your customer?
2. What kind of experience are they looking for in your store or at your cart?
3. Are you selling your merchandise based on price or value?

This morning I received an email from a cart retailer asking me the following questions about licensed products.

How do you get started selling licensed products from a cart?
Can you manufacture your own licensed products?
How do you know if the company you're buying from is legitimate?

Most cart retailers that I've talked to generally start by buying licensed products from a reputable wholesale company (a good start, because the wholesale company has not only already negotiated the rights to use the team logo, they've also mass produced the item). There are many companies in the pages of our magazine who offer great licensed sports products.

To his second question (can you manufacture your own)… In order to do this you need to get permission from the league (football, baseball, hockey) to use their logo. It's my understanding that once this is granted, you pay an upfront royalty fee to them and an ongoing percentage of sales.

I know it's quite difficult to get permission. Your product must be unique (i.e., not a baseball cap, or product that they have already given the rights to someone else to produce).

That's why so many cart retailers do not produce or manufacture their own licensed products. They turn to wholesalers who have already done all of the work.

And make sure you're buying from an authorized distributor. Look them up, do your research… you don't want to find yourself in any legal trouble.

Taken from the summit of Wildcat Ski Resort of Mt. Washington around 11AM today.

Whenever I get ready to go on vacation, I always have second thoughts. "Maybe I shouldn't leave the office… maybe I should bring everything with me that needs to get done so I can work on it while I'm gone," etc.

Today, on our third day away, I'm slipping into vacation mode. As I sit gazing at the huge mountain before me, I realize that time out of the office enables me to clear my head.

I haven't touched my briefcase (packed to the hilt with things to be done), but instead have used this time to focus on the "big" picture. Where do I want (my company) to be in five years, are we on track with our marketing objectives for 2007 and what new initiatives can we try that we haven't before.

Technically, yes, I'm still working, but this kind of working is actually relaxing, and it's something I never have time for in the office, when deadlines are looming.

I hope that you'll be able to take a break this summer to get away from the office, clear your head and think of where you're going in the future.