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August, 2010





GiftsWholesale.Com is not responsible for changes in show information or typographical errors. OmegaNet and GiftsWholesale.Com are not directly associated with any trade show.

September 2010
11-13, Atlanta
11-14, Dallas
26-28, Los Angeles

October 2010
4-5, Dallas
8-11, Miami
21-24, Dallas

For a full list of Trade Shows, go to GiftsWholesale.Com


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TheShoppePlace.Com (Retail)



CAMEOEZMarketplace.comOmegaNet Announces CAMEOEZMarketplace.Com

To make it easier for Gift and Home stores to find product, OmegaNet Inc. has created CAMEOEZMarketplace.com. The website features online ordering capability, like all of OmegaNet's CAMEO EZ© websites, but features a wide variety of product lines from OmegaNet's clients. Almost fifty vendors are featured.

Stores can copy their registrations from other CAMEO EZ© websites by simply going to the login page and entering their username and password, then choosing to "Copy".

Placing orders at CAMEOEZMarketplace.com will feel very familiar to regular users of CAMEO EZ© websites, which will streamline the ordering process. Buyers will have separate shopping carts for each vendor and must meet the minimum order for each vendor. Hence the site's tagline "One Login - Multiple Shopping Carts - Easy Checkout!".

OmegaNet Inc. has been building wholesale ordering sites since 1997. The company debuted its proprietary website software, CAMEO© ("Complete Automated Merchant Electronic Ordering") in 1999 and introduced a complete rewrite of the software in 2004 known as CAMEO EZ© for "Easy to Build, Easy to Maintain, Easy on the Checkbook". The "E-Z" format has also made it easy for busy buyers to get in, place their orders for inventory, get out and get on with their responsibilities.

The synergy of CAMEO EZ© websites, with their similarity of format and ease of ordering, has created a community of more than 100,000 retailers who know their way around the websites and have copied their registration to as many as 30 different sites, prefering the familiarity of the system to navigating multitudes of sites with different ordering patterns.

"I'm always glad when I see a site is a CAMEO EZ© site because I know how to order," says one store owner.


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

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.

Badash Crystal: Our 24% hand-cut lead crystal is produced in the finest factories in Europe by the same artisans that manufacture for Mikasa, Waterford, Lenox, and Sasaki. Every piece is individually and safely gift boxed. We offer superb quality and value for all your gift giving and/or personal pleasure.


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.

CAMEOEZMarketplace.com: CAMEO EZ© member stores can now log into a site one time and place orders from several manufacturers. This is a newly introduced site, so check back often to see more lines. One Login – Multiple Shopping Carts – Easy Checkout.


Cha Cha Designs is a manufacturing and design company. We take pride in our sassy creations and know you will love them too! They are handcrafted in the USA! We are located in sunny Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.


CloseOutDealsWholesale.com - For companies wanting to liquidate discontinued items, possibly through a third party, OmegaNet offers new closeout services. Get special deals!





Don Mark DUEL OPENING Stainless Steel Water Bottles. -"Go Green" to protect you and your environment. Refill, reuse and reduce our landfills. Each bottle comes with dual, leak resistant caps, one for drinking, the other wide mouth to insert ice cubes and make hand cleaning easier. Also comes with handy carabineer clip. Our lightweight bottle weighs less than 6 ounces and holds 24 ounces of your favorite cool or cold drink (not for hot liquids). Comes with attractive "Go Green" hangtag. Visit our web site to see our entire line of petzzz plus over 180 other unique gifts and gadgets.

Elegant Baby recognizes that today’s babies are stylish, and is committed to providing baby gifts featuring the very best design, quality, craftsmanship and tradition anywhere.



Europa Home decor including glass, candleholders and candles for garden, lodge, awards, gourmet food, sale items and more.



Gina B. Designs Many of our retailers tell us that their customers come in and purchase Gina B. cards by the handful. The colorful art and simple verse make it a line that has something for everyone at a great price-point. Gina B. Designs is an award-winning greeting card, gift and stationery company featuring exceptional art and design. All products are made in the U.S.A.

The Heeney Company is a wholesale manufacturer and importer of floral and Christmas products. The company distributes, imports and or manufactures floral and Christmas arrangements, silk flowers, foliages and plants, dried materials, ribbons, candles and decorative accessories.


Hook Line Greetings offers the world's first patent-pending "Gift-in-Greet" Fishing Lure Cards. The company's unique and clever greeting cards contain an authentic hand-tied fishing lure as the "gift" that can be taken out for immediate fun and enjoyment. Just "release" the fishing lure from the card, tie on a line and go fish!

Highland Graphics: A leader in functional gift with decorative items for gift giving and kitchen. From our top selling Absorbastone coasters, to our decorative bamboo cutting boards, everything we manufacture is made in the USA. Our high quality plus competitive pricing lets our customers make higher margins. We feature licensed art, official collegiate products and have a full range of custom capabilities with low minimums.


Magnolia Lane Collection: A leading distributer of handpainted ceramic collections like NFL, College, Kids, Wedding, Birthday, Christmas, Everyday and the extremely popular "Make it Personal" line. The whimsical table top designs are a must have.


Natural Life: Fashionable and fun treasures to share or keep! Whether you’re shopping for friends, family, baby or yourself, Natural Life has the perfect gift for you.



Puzzle Pen The Puzzle Pen is the only erasable, retractable and refillable pen on the market. This product is a great, new break-thru for puzzlers. If your store has customers that play Crossword, Sudoku, KenKen, Kakuro, Magic Square, Acrostic, or any other word or number puzzle, this unique new Puzzle Pen will be a great hit in your store.


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

Saltbox is a Manhattan-based design studio known for its signature creations in canvas. Regularly featured in magazines such as Oprah, Self, People and Brides, the Saltbox collection is renowned for its alluring prints and colors and is well-loved for its sturdy construction and heavy weight, water resistant canvas.

Shade Tree Greetings' "Actual Pictures" are recognized as one of the best-selling greeting card lines in the industry. Nostalgic photographs and clever, funny verses make these cards a success. Go to our website to browse over 300 styles. GREAT introductory programs and free fixtures.


snoozies!® are not socks and they're not slippers - sort of a crossover between the two and that's why we call them "foot coverings"! snoozies!® are made with a brushed fleece exterior in colorful & fun printed patterns and then lined with a soft Sherpa fleece inside.


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.

Sunbelt Marketing Group, Inc. Licensed functional and decorative giftware for the home and tailored for the men's market, i.e. (clocks, signs, coat/key racks, salt and pepper shakers, bottle openers, shelves, picture frames, games key chains and more). Licenses include Coca-Cola, General Motors, Pepsi-Cola, Farmall Tractors, Shelby and the Shelby Ford Mustang and Dodge. Product mediums include wood, polyresin, and glass and mixed mediums.

Sunset Vista Designs Inc.: offers you extra margin opportunities, and sells thru at retail. They offer innovative designs, in proven products, with space saving merchandising solutions, and attractive package deals that all add value to the quality products we offer. Many say this is the “best ever” line of innovative gift, garden, and home décor.



Tripar International Inc.: Tripar International is your source for both displays and decorative accessories. Our extensive product line includes a wide assortment of easels, risers, ornament stands, plate racks, mirrors, jewelry displays, and unique display pieces. We are also an excellent source for wine accessories, wall décor, inspirational signs, and cookbook stands. We offer quality with style, low minimums and fast shipping.

Wellspring: a great gift and stationery line. We bring art and organization to everyday life! Our products include: hand-painted ceramic pieces, note pads, Flip Notes, compacts, pill boxes, recipe books, and much more!


Live What You Sell

Dear friends,
Inspirational, motivational, and humorous messages, once reserved mostly for the greeting card industry, seem to be everywhere and on practically everything these days.

From goods made in China to exclusive designs handcrafted by local artisans—house wares, wall art, guest towels, wine glasses, furniture, jewelry and even mouse pads— are shouting out messages to live love laugh, enjoy the journey, live simply and forgive always. Embroidered, engraved, screen printed or hand lettered, encouraging words have captured the marketplace like never before.

Affirmation is powerful. Words are powerful. And consumers don’t seem to be tiring of them. But are we living the messages emblazoned throughout our shops?

For a daily injection of positivity, consider beginning each morning with a walk around your sales floor (it’s a great way to see what needs to be reordered and re-merchandised, too!). Run your fingers along an engraved bracelet: Believe in your dreams! Pick up a book and read a few pages: Anything is possible! Hug a favorite word pillow: Life is for leaping! Gaze up at the wall: Attitude is everything!

Words matter. When stocking your store with affirming messages, don’t forget to live what you sell! When you and your customer service team are beaming with good vibes and your products touch a heart or inspire a laugh, your customers will take notice. And so will your sales.

To your success,
Cheryl

~ Cheryl Karpen is president of Gently Spoken. A retailer and a manufacturer, Cheryl is best known for authoring the Eat Your Peas Collection, a series of 21 gift books that begin with a promise. Visit Cheryl at gentlyspoken.com and cherylkarpen@aol.com.



Quick Industry News

Vendor Hit By Gulf Oil Spill Offers Specialty Greeting Cards

When the Deepwater Horizon oil platform suffered an explosion accident that killed 11 workers and became the worst offshore oil spill in history, thousands of businesses were affected, from fisherman and the seafood industry they serve to the beach shops that dot to coastline. The timing was particularly bad for Hook, Line Greetings, a start up greeting card vendor in Panama City, Florida. Their product is a line of unique greeting cards geared for fishermen which includes an authentic hand-tied fishing lure under plastic, right in the card.

The line fills a need for men's gifts, although they do not presume that all who enjoy fishing are men. The company has plans for a hunting themed line as well.


July Retail Sales Grow At Slower-Than-Expected Pace

Retail sales grew 2.9% over last year in July, a smaller-than-expected increase, according to a Thomson Reuters index. Results were uneven, with chains including Macy's and Limited Brands beating expectations while Aeropostale and some others missed their goals. Industry watchers cited hot weather and renewed consumer concerns about the economy as the reason for the slower growth. "I believe we hit a soft spot," said NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz. "The consumer is really cautious. I'm not expecting them to really break out into any real aggressive purchasing."

"It was a mixed bag, but mostly disappointing—not the kind of momentum retailers want going into the back-to-school season," said Ken Perkins, president of Retail Metrics Inc., a Massachusetts-based retail research firm. (source).

Part of the problem is that the retail industry was overly optimistic when ordering summer merchandise six months ago, according to Eric Beder, associate director of equity research at Brean Murray, Carret & Co. As pent-up demand and a stabilizing economy pumped up consumer spending, retailers began restocking their warehouses in anticipation of a turnaround. Now the recovery seems to have stalled and retailers are again resorting to discounting, which eats into their profits. (source)


TRADE SHOW NEWS

NYIGF Online Catalog Gallery Generates 5,700+ Leads For Exhibitors

Popular Pre-Planning Tool Records 3.3 Million Page Visits To-Date

WHITE PLAINS, NY - Some 24,000 retailers have viewed more than 3.3 million pages on the Online Catalog Gallery in preparation for the summer 2010 New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®). The popular and convenient online planning tool - accessible online at www.nyigf.com - has generated 5,700+ sales leads from 128 countries for some 375 NYIGF exhibitors with catalogs posted to the site.

Designed to save buyers product sourcing time, NYIGF's Online Catalog Gallery offers retailers access to information for thousands of products which will be presented by exhibitors at the summer 2010 NYIGF. The Online Catalog Gallery enables buyers to find products specific to their needs and interests using a simple keyword search.

"NYIGF attendees can save time and money by using the Online Catalog Gallery before market to make product inquiries and schedule appointments," said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. "Participating NYIGF exhibitors average 20 or more qualified leads per cycle - many of which are converted to sales onsite."

NYIGF Handmade® Global Designer exhibitor Dan Margetts of H2M enthused in a recent tweet, "Online catalog is amazing - had almost 8,500 hits! It's going to be an incredible show." General Gift exhibitor David Schary echoed, "The amount of hits and interest we received as a result of our participation were great. I know many buyers were excited to be able to preview our new products online before the show."

This sophisticated software was introduced for the winter 2008 NYIGF, and its use by both exhibitors and attendees has grown exponentially since that time. In June 2010, Online Catalog Gallery listings were integrated with NYIGF's new product search engine "search.nyigf.com" enabling buyers to view catalogs directly within participating exhibitors' online directory listings. This integration has resulted in dramatic increases in catalog page views (up 57%) and leads (up 48%) over last year. The summer 2010 NYIGF gallery went live in April, and will remain active through September 30, 2010.

Vendors Receive Trade Show Awards

Several national industry trade shows gave awards to vendors this summer for creativity in design and visual display and best new products.

At the Chicago Merchandise Mart, Living and Giving® Best In Show awards were given for Best Showroom Display and Best Exhibit, which was subdivided into "Gourmet", winner Rolf Glass, "What A Girl Wants" winner W.I.N.O.S Inc., "Home" winner Amity Home, "Beckman's Handcrafted, winners Erin Smith Art and Printed Canvas and Gift and Accessories winner Royal Green Enterprises. Best Showroom Display winners were Design Design, Daniel Richards, AND!Sales, and Saro Trading.

In Atlanta, AmericasMart awarded Best Of Show for Visual Display for Temporary Exhibitors to Chehoma. Other awards were given to more than 50 showrooms and temps by building, floor and/or Category. The Mart also recognized 84 showrooms as grand opening, relocating or expanding. AmericasMart honored individual permanent showrooms and temporary booths for outstanding visual creativity, use of space, product placement, signage, flooring and lighting. Thirty-three permanent showrooms and 18 temporary booths—including one spectacular Best of Show booth—were rewarded AmericasMart’s coveted Visual Display Award.

At the New York International Gift Fair, "Accent On Design" honored four exhibitors: Best Product Collection Paul Smith for Stelton (Copenhagen, Denmark) and three Best Product awards: Wabnitz Editions for Boomerang Wok, by Royal vkb, Branch Lamps by Rich, Brilliant, Willing, and The Sasa Clock™ designed by Thorunn Arnadottir for HeadsUp Design Company Inc. During Textiles week, Orangerie Cushion by Designers Guild was named Best of Market. Additional awards were given for Bed, Bath, Dining and Home Accessories.


PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS

Gina B Designs Money CardsNew Greeting Cards Announced

PLYMOUTH, MN: Gina B. Designs, Inc. introduces 30 new Greeting Cards this month.  The cards feature colorful art with simple, sincere messages for all occasions. Free Display Fixtures available.

MRP: $2.25-$2.50.