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January, 2009


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February, 2009
Jan. 28-Feb. 1, New York
Jan.-Feb.1, Chantilly, VA
1-2, Louisville
1-3, Edison, NJ
3-6, Orlando
5, San Francisco
5-7, Denver
7-9, Biloxi
7-9, Halifax, Nova Scotia
7-10, Oaks, PA
9-13, Las Vegas
14-17, New Orleans
15-18, Edmonton, Alberta
15-18, Las Vegas
15-18, New York
18-20, San Francisco
21-23, Rochester, NY
22-24, Columbus
23-25, Baltimore
26-Mar. 2, New York
28-Mar. 2, Oklahoma City

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In this issue:
  • Lolly Lu becomes "Luckie Street" Under New Ownership
  • Consumer Spending Slump May Persist
  • Quick Industry News
  • Featured Vendors In GiftsWholesale.Com
  • Trade Shows

Consumer Spending Slump May Persist

December, 2008 saw a 3.1% decline in retail sales, the largest downturn since record-keeping began in the early 1990s, according to a Commerce Department report. When auto sales are included, the number actually improves to 2.7%, since auto sales were only down seven-tenths of a percent in December.

"The holiday season was truly disastrous," wrote Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist for High Frequency Economics. (source)

Sales figures were revised downward for October and November, meaning that the nation's retail sales dropped for six months in a row, but the lower numbers may be partly due to deep price reductions retailers have employed to attempt to attract customers. Consumers, shell-shocked by continual bad economic news, are sitting on the sidelines, only buying when they find discounts. (source)

With unemployment rising and credit tight, recovery may take longer than previous recessions.



Featured Vendors in GiftsWholesale.Com
indicates a CAMEO EZ© web site.

At Alexa's Angels , the special moment of gift giving motivates everything we create. Each of our expressive and inspirational jewelry products were crafted with your friends and loved ones in mind. Because what you give to the special people in your life can say so much about the sentiments you with to share.


Aspen Bay Candles: The best candles on the market--a result of our continual and diligent application of superior candle science. Take a moment to visit our unique high quality line of candles. Once you have experienced the superb fragrances and long burn times, we are sure you will be back again and again.

Box and Wrap Your Unique Source for Wholesale Packaging! We offer Stock and Custom Packaging. Gift Boxes, Apparel Boxes, Candy Boxes, Candle Boxes, Pillow Boxes, Wine Boxes, Jewelry Boxes, Paper Shopping Bags, Plastic Shopping Bags, Gift Bags, Gift Wrap, Gift Basket Supplies and more! With our Gift packaging Selections, the Possibilities are Endless!

Brownlow Gifts: Brownlow produces a full line of inspirational gifts for every occasion. You will find useful and attractive home decor gifts for the kitchen, bedrooms, study and all other rooms in the house. Brownlow is well known for gourmet products, journals, gifted paper items, photo albums, photo frames, decorative sentiment plaques, a variety of stationery, many different ceramic gifts as well as a large assortment of inspirational gift books. Most products are in coordinating themes that retailers can purchase in eye-catching countertop display collections.

Carson Home Accents: Long known for their wind chimes and outdoor accessories, Carson continues to develop exciting new styles and designs in categories like figurines, statuettes, message bars, plaques, mini-plates and table accents that are both decorative and functional.

Don Mark Lifelike puppies & kittens that actually breathe. These adorable pets offer a real pet ownership experience without the work or expense. Perfect petzzz -------the ultimate pet. We now offer 30 breeds of puppies and kittens to choose from. Visit our web site to see our entire line of petzzz plus over 180 other unique gifts and gadgets.


Hansen's Christmas Stuff : Everything you will need to make your Christmas season merry and bright. Hansen's is the exclusive distributor in Canada and U.S. for Gnomy's Diaries, handcrafted originals from Annekabouke of Holland. Gnomy's Diaries is a wonderful line of products that has something for everyone. Two sites: US and Canadian.


Mud Pie: Mud Pie products are now featured in three catalogs: Mud Pie Baby, Mud Pie Gift, and Mud Pie Pet. It has always been our goal to offer innovative giftware that's affordably priced and adorably packaged.


Peking Handicraft, Inc. is an international manufacturer and wholesaler specializing in home textiles, decorative accessories and giftware. The company's expertise in sourcing and manufacturing the finest products from throughout China is reflected in over two decades of experience and is recognized throughout the industry.


Regal Art & Gift: Offering unique & colorful Metal Garden Décor, Home Décor and Gifts. Garden items include: 3-D Garden Décor, Garden Stakes, Wind Chimes and Welcome Signs. Home items include: Wall Art, Wall Hooks, Candleholders, Ornaments, Boxes and Photo Frames. Popular themes include: Garden Bugs, Birds, Frogs, Tropical, Coastal, Fish, Suns & Celestial, Southwest, Western, Crosses, Americana, Country, Halloween, Harvest & Holiday


Spring Street is proud to offer the finest assortment of personal, home, and office accessories. Our extensive product lines are all theme oriented, from baby to bride and beyond. All of our gift items are hand epoxy enameled and adorned with faux jewel encrusted motifs. Many of our designs are inspired from the famed Soho district of New York City where the very real Spring Street is located.


Sunset Vista Designs: From the same creative team that brought you Care and Wonder Company; We're back with a fresh new line of the latest in home and garden decor.


Wellspring: Stationery products that help keep you organized by giving you fashion with function--wherever you are in your home, office, or on the go. Includes: Pencil Pads®, Auto Notes, Flip Notes, Wiggle Pens, note cards, note pads, and recipe books.


Lolly Lu becomes "Luckie Street" Under New Ownership


Designer Sheri Cline will add to the fun and fashionable items offered by co-owner Barbara Knight.

Lolly Lu LLC burst onto the scene (and into your handbag, home and heart) with sassy, blingy products and a heaping dose of style. The brainchild of Barbara Knight, the feisty product company now has a new name - Luckie Street - and a new driving force behind it: award-winning designer Sheri Cline.

Cline is no newcomer to the world of art and production, having specialized in graphic design and computer illustrations. She honed her craft on such projects as the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, Carnival Cruise Lines and Don Shula's Hotel and Golf Club. Operating under the motto that "Life is a box of Crayons and art is what you make it," Cline's affinity for color and splashy graphics will be present in Luckie Street's offerings, one of which includes Cline's own line of playful gifts and art called So Sassy.

Lolly Lu fans need not worry, as the company's ability to create on-trend, even ahead of trend products will transfer to Luckie Street. Other new products and artists for spring 2009 along with Cline's So Sassy, are Charmed, I'm Sure by Atlanta artist Kay Davis and new and newly-packaged gifts from Bad Girl Couture by Keithly Pierce.


Quick Industry News


The Traditions plaques come in 36 designs.
About Face Designs Releases New Traditions and Reminisce Plaques

The new Traditions Mirror Plaque Collection from About Face Designs features classic designs on 6" x 4" colorful mirror plaques of blue, green, brown, pink and smoke. The line includes About Face Designs best selling sentiments and each individual mirror has an original and heartwarming verse. There are 36 individual styles in the initial introduction.

The plaque is 6 inches high by 4 inches wide with a suggested retail of $9.00.

Also, the new Reminisce Decorative Plaque Line features new colorful contemporary art on classic 8" x 4" sentiment tiles. Each individual tile has handsomely finished backing including an easel with ribbon stop making it suitable for hanging on a wall or setting on a shelf and all Reminisce Tiles also come in attractive window packaging. There are 12 individual styles in the initial introduction each with an original and heartwarming verse. The "Reminisce" plaques are 8"h x 4"w and suggested retail is $10.00.



Alexa's Angels Kicks Off 2009 With New Designs, New Energy
Fashion Forward Designs, New Reps and Charitable Initiatives Help Ring in the New Year

Circle Icon -"Heart" Necklace (left), Wallpaper Disc -"Believe" Necklace, and Crystal Silhouette -"Angel Wing" Necklace

(Windsor, CO) -- Alexa's Angels, a leading inspirational and gift jewelry manufacturer known for its high-quality original designs, is kicking off 2009 with fantastic new fashion-forward designs, a renewed charitable mission and new national representation. "We’re looking forward to the new year and are starting off 2009 with some exciting new products and developments," said Beth Lang, founder of Alexa’s Angels. "We have some great new designs that we are really proud of, a new relationship with our national representatives and we’re putting the finishing touches on formalizing our charitable initiatives, which has always been an integral part of Alexa’s Angels." (more)



Global Product Resources Debuts DecoGLOW® at Winter Markets
New fashion-forward wax candle line destined to be this year's show-stopper

San Diego, Ca. - Global Product Resources, Inc. (GPR), the manufacturer of the popular decorative floor and table top fans known as Deco Breeze®, introduces its newest division, DecoGLOW®. The new collection of highly detailed and sophisticated decorative candles will be featured at the January 2009 Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market® in the Darrah & Company Showroom located in building 2, suite 1818.

"We are receiving tremendous customer response to our initial introduction of DecoGLOW®," says Jeffrey Amon, vice president of marketing for GPR. "Our unique designs, trendy styles, and one-of-a-kind embellishments will make these new, fashionable candles very popular." (more)



RGC Gifts Introduces Four New Frame Designs

Based on the success of the first introduction for the Signature Series Frame Collection, RGC Gifts has introduced 4 new frames just in time for the January markets.

The 4 new 11X14-inch frames have a suggested retail of $21.99 and come in the following occasions: Golf, Family, Teacher and Coach.

The frames contain an opening for a 4"X6" photo of the consumer's choice, and then can be personalized with any permanent marker. The best feature of the Signature Frames is that each frame contains from 3 - 4 occasions in each frame which the consumer can customize for the exact occasion needed.