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Nov 30 2015
Sweet Dreams
What do today’s busy parents want – besides more sleep? Serene shopping.
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Oct 1 2015
Crash Course
Five weeks in Parenthood 101 provides an illuminating take on what’s truly a newborn necessity.
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Sep 3 2015
The Only Thing
The birth of my son forced me to unplug—and reminded me of what’s truly important.
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Aug 1 2015
Rep Battle
Can technology really replace savvy sales help?
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Jul 6 2015
Bridging the Gap
With social-media-savvy Millennials shaping the fashion narrative, marketing is more important than ever.
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Jun 3 2015
Mad Fashion
It may be the end of an era for a critically acclaimed TV series, but the show’s styling proves the apparel industry is always ready for rebirth.
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Apr 27 2015
Back to the Future
What goes around comes around in fashion and pop culture, but a few rare names endure through the decades—and we’re
proud to say Earnshaw’s is one. -
Feb 26 2015
Missed Connections
Do direct-to-consumer sales really offer growing companies the chance to reach thousands of customers?
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Feb 4 2015
An Inconvenient Truth
Delivery services and online shopping were supposed to make our lives easier—but have they lived up to the hype?
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Jan 7 2015
Let’s Get Physical
Make a New Year’s Resolution to get active this year – with your assortment.
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Nov 25 2014
Ideal Present
This holiday season, give thanks by giving back to an organization that helps keep your littlest customers safe. From A Christmas Carol to It’s a Wonderful Life, we’re often reminded that the holidays are a time to take stock of our many blessings in life, from family and friends to food and shelter. Perhaps that’s […]
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Oct 2 2014
Magic Act
You don’t have to be Houdini to create an enchanting customer experience, but a little beguilement doesn’t hurt. A few weeks ago, I stopped by a local burger spot for dinner. The scowling employee behind the counter was, to put it politely, not happy to be there. In protest, he blasted X-rated tunes from his […]
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Sep 3 2014
More Than Just Stuff
You can never have too many possessions that preserve irreplaceable memories. Two tiny pairs of bronze shoes have graced my mother’s dresser for three decades. While other objects—candles, jewelry, picture frames—have come and gone, the shoes have never been replaced. That’s because they are actual pairs my sister and I wore as toddlers, preserved in […]
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Aug 1 2014
Welcome to the Jungle
Fashion’s mélange of styles means standing out is more crucial than ever for children’s brands. Here’s an interesting experiment, ladies: Take a look at the jeans in your closet. I bet there’s an array of silhouettes and colors. Slim, dark denim for casual date nights. Ripped and faded boyfriend jeans for the weekend. White capris […]
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Jul 7 2014
Requiem for the Mall
Can a little creative thinking save the classic American shopping center? Attention mall shoppers! If that phrase rings a bell—if it leaves you reaching for a fake plastic credit card dubbed Fast Cash or Easy Money—then you were probably a child of the early ’90s. Why? It was the siren’s song of a popular Milton […]
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Jun 4 2014
The Outsiders
Never underestimate the value of a novice—especially in fashion. Graduation. Aside from being the time of the year when kids’ retailers see a post-Easter spike in dresswear sales, it’s also that weird and wonderful season when teens and twentysomethings across the country don polyester caps and gowns and march en masse to the strains of […]
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Apr 28 2014
Everyday Magic
Cast a spell over your customers with a little help from Mickey Mouse and friends. A few weeks ago I braved the brutal Florida heat and crowds of squealing youngsters to wait in line for hours and purchase an overabundance of overpriced trinkets. And I loved every minute of it. I’m not alone. More than […]
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Mar 3 2014
Weather or Not
Will record cold and snow finally convince the retail commmunity to shift its calendar? Walking past the Bloomingdale’s windows one weekend in February, a beautiful Diane von Furstenberg dress caught my eye. Then I looked down at the sidewalk, still covered in slushy snow, and at my leather boots, coated in a filmy layer of […]
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Feb 4 2014
Feeling Foxy
How a wily woodland creature snuck into kids’ hearts—and onto their clothes. This month kicks off the year of the horse in the Chinese calendar—but for children’s retailers, it just might be the year of the fox. I overheard more than one retailer declare, “Fox is the new owl,” as I browsed the aisles at […]
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Jan 7 2014
On The Edge
For today’s girls, fashion rules were made to be broken. A few weeks ago a reporter called asking about a blog post that made the rounds online, featuring menswear-inspired looks for flower girls. Forget froufrou dresses—the post was packed with velvet blazers, bling-adorned button-downs and sparkly high-tops. She wanted our take: Is it a trend? […]