Las Vegas Design Center (LVDC) presents two events in May, the hallmark “First Friday” education with a Cinco de Mayo celebration of Mexican design and architecture hosted by Hooker Furnishings on May 3, and the Spring Sample Sale on May 15-17. “With two events, one networking and educational and the other for mid-market sourcing, there’s no better way to bring the design community together this May,” said Cain Brodie, general manager of LVDC. “The two events at LVDC this May will offer full opportunities for the local design community to learn, network, celebrate design and complete any shopp ..read more

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau today shows retail sales continued to increase in March as tax refunds and job growth put more money in shoppers’ pockets, said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist of the National Retail Federation (NRF). “March’s Census Bureau numbers confirm that consumer spending remains steady, underscoring a resilient consumer despite inflationary pressure,” Kleinhenz said. “While sales were mixed, several factors supported retail sales including an early Easter holiday, slightly larger 2023 tax refunds and stronger payroll growth over the last three months. Nonetheless ..read more

With a dynamic showcase of more than 3,500 resources across furniture, home décor and gift categories and programming designed to connect, Las Vegas Market is set to host the West Coast buying event this summer. Registration is officially open for the July 28-Aug. 1 market at World Market Center Las Vegas. Photo courtesy of ANDMORE. “Las Vegas Market provides a hub to discover the new and next in every category,” said Bob Maricich, CEO of ANDMORE. “This summer, we leverage the availability of better home furnishings, celebrate veteran and emerging resources across gift and home and embrace top ..read more

The Greeting Card Association (GCA) celebrated excellence in greeting cards at its 35th Annual Louie Awards Ceremony. Artist of the Year: Homework Letterpress Studio. The event took place at The Cowell Theater on the campus of the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture in San Francisco. According to GCA, this year’s competition had an overwhelming response from card makers with a 21% increase in competition entries over last year. 1,229 total cards were submitted in 57 unique categories. A panel of judges consisting of 78 card publishers, retailers, sales representatives, and stationery indu ..read more

Despite expectations for slower growth of both gross domestic product and retail sales, the economy should continue to do well the remainder of this year, said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for the National Retail Federation (NRF). “No one can accurately forecast what surprises the next year might hold, but the foundation of the economy is relatively sturdy and still on a sustainable path,” Kleinhenz said, adding that the continuing recovery remains “highly reliant” on consumer spending. “Barring unexpected shocks, it should continue growing in 2024, although not spectacularly.” “No one coul ..read more

Gift for Life issued a statement in response to Monday’s news that seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers were killed during hunger relief operations in Gaza. “We were shocked and saddened by yesterday’s news that seven World Central Kitchen relief workers were killed by Israeli airstrikes while delivering much needed aid to Gaza,” the statement read. “WCK sends teams and aid where they are desperately needed, which is quite often into harm’s way, so while this type of danger is not unknown to WCK, Chef Jose Andres has announced the suspension of WCK’s relief efforts in Gaza. Since 2019, ou ..read more

Gift for Life and NY NOW are once again fielding a team for AIDS Walk New York, the largest single-day AIDS fundraising event in the world, on Sunday, May 19, in New York’s Central Park. NY NOW has pledged to match the first $5,000 in donations raised by the team for the 2024 edition, with all proceeds benefitting GMHC’s HIV/AIDS prevention, care and advocacy programs. “In 2023, the Gift for Life/NY NOW team exceeded its fundraising goal by raising more than $50,000,” said Caroline Kennedy, team co-captain of Gift for Life/NY NOW. “Our fundraising goal for 2024 is set at $40,000, and we are al ..read more

Crane Stationery, a provider of luxury stationery products, promoted Fred Marione to the position of chief revenue officer. According to Crane, Marione brings with him a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in various leadership roles. Prior to his promotion, Marione served as the director of marketing at Crane, where he played a pivotal role in enhancing the brand’s visibility and market presence. Before joining Crane, Fred held positions such as area director at the Simon Property Group and senior vice president of merchandise Marketing at Macy’s. Throughout his career ..read more

Joy Valle will lead new business for ANDMORE in a newly created role: vice president of business development. Joy Valle In this role, Valle will report to and work closely with ANDMORE executive vice president and chief growth officer Dorothy Belshaw as they explore opportunities to add value for buyers and sellers across existing product verticals, complementary industries and new avenues, according to the company. “As our new ANDMORE brand hits its stride, we are focused on creating more opportunities that provide more value for more buyers and sellers,” said Belshaw. “Joy’s extensive experi ..read more

Indie & Main, an online wholesale marketplace by OneCoast, has officially closed. The company announced its closure through a social media post on March 15. “Our team is so thankful for every one of our retail friends, and we encourage you to continue to support our wonderful vendor partners through their direct websites or other wholesale marketplaces and shop with our friends at [OneCoast],” the post read. OneCoast launched Indie & Main in October 2022 as a curated shopping experience relevant to the seasons, reasons and trends that mirror how consumers shop in-store but also brands ..read more