Gifts & Decorative Accessories

3 days ago | giftsanddec.com | Pamela Brill

All eyes and ears are on this year’s ABC Kids Expo (May 21-23), where kids’ brands take center stage in the retail world. From adorable infant and toddler apparel to cuddly plush toys, retailers are ready to restock their shelves with goods that welcome new arrivals — and new customers. To find out what’s big with little ones this year, we consulted ABC Kids Expo’s Jill Hegstad, manager of marketing and sponsorships, who forecasted the latest product trends.

3 days ago | giftsanddec.com | Joanne Friedrick

New tariffs, including paused ones, are clearly weighing on the minds of gift industry members, as 88 percent said the Trump administration’s tariffs would have a very or somewhat significant impact on their business. The responses were part of an exclusive Gifts & Decorative Accessories/Strategic Insights survey that polled nearly 200 gift industry retailers, manufacturers/suppliers and others aligned with the industry.

1 week ago | giftsanddec.com | Warren Shoulberg

The old saying about “everything that’s old is new again” is going to have to be updated. I’m thinking maybe “everything that’s old is good again.”While the average consumer loves new stuff, increasingly they have more interest in what’s old too. I’m not talking used, second-hand, gently repurposed or any of the other euphemisms floating around there these days. This is about vintage and the ever-growing number of retailers that are mixing in some of this merchandise into their assortments.

1 week ago | giftsanddec.com | Adelaide Elliott

Data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau showed retail sales grew in March even though consumers “continued to worry about the impact of rising tariffs,” said Jack Kleinhenz, the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) chief economist. “Retail sales strengthened in March, supported by continued solid growth in income, lower energy costs and bigger-than-usual tax refunds that all helped support household budgets,” said Kleinhenz.

1 week ago | giftsanddec.com | Adelaide Elliott

Members of the International Housewares Association (IHA) now have access to new tools to help them keep up to date on rapidly changing tariffs, regulations and rulings through the organization’s new collaboration with Quickcode, which features discounted pricing to Quickcode’s artificial intelligence-powered or AI-powered platform.