Lisa Kays

Every industry is different. In the promotional products & apparel industry, where most businesses have been around for 20+ years, connections are the key to growth 🔑 Today I’m in Indiana meeting up with a new contact from our recent SAAC show (check out previous posts!) Here’s a small snapshot of how the day went! #sdr #bdr #businessdevelopment #networking #marketingandsales

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Playing an ever-growing role within the aisles of dollar stores are private label products. Leading retailers in the channel have grown their respective assortments in recent years by developing items that are something other than name-brand equivalents. This continued effort is not only providing high-value items to consumers but also offering points of differentiation for each retailer. #dollarstores #privatebrands

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🌟 Trend recap from the Sweets and Snacks Show! 🌟 Just wrapped up an incredible week at the Sweets and Snacks Show in Indianapolis, and while I did miss the fun of Chicago, I think Indianapolis rolled out the red carpet and the show was bigger and better than ever. Here are some of the trends worth noting: 🍬 **New Mouth Experiences:** Familiar flavors taking on new life with trends like Freeze Dried Candy and Pringles Mingles, offering a fresh and exciting texture and eating experience. 🌶️ **Extreme Flavors:**  - **Spicy Infusions:** Spicy flavors are spicing up traditional categories! Tajin chocolate-coated gummy bears were a finalist for the Most Innovative New Product Award, and spicier flavor profiles are driving innovation and growth across many categories! - **Sour Candy:** Sour flavors were everywhere, not just in traditional gummies but also in chocolates and caramels, dominating the innovative product awards. 🍫 **Functional Foods:** Snacks with additional benefits like protein+, adaptogens, etc. are offering new options for those seeking both taste and nutritional benefits. 🥨 **Pretzel Innovation:** Dots' flavor success has led to innovation across the pretzel industry, with tons of new flavor and formats being showcased. 🍭 **Better for You Candy:** There are more healthier-for-you options than past years, with new plant-based and clean label candy companies making a strong presence. 🌿 **Alternative Bases in Snacking:** We saw an increased number of snacks made from alternative bases like peas, mushrooms, and lentils, catering to diverse dietary preferences and offering better-for-you options 🌱 **Sustainable Packaging:** Sustainable packaging is becoming mainstream, with compostable bags that can also be microwaved, adding a new dimension to ready-to-eat snacks like popcorn and pork rinds. The future of snacking looks delicious 🤤 ! Can't wait to see how these trends evolve. #SweetsAndSnacksShow #FoodInnovation #Trends #SustainablePackaging #BetterForYou #FunctionalFoods Feel free to connect if you want to chat more about these trends or explore potential business! #FoodIndustry #Innovation #SnackingTrends #SustainableFuture #SweetsandSnacks

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Our Brand Reps aren’t just visual merchandisers. They excel in conducting product demonstrations, training store associates, and managing restocking tasks—even relocating shelves and displays. For this program, our Brand Reps embraced one of their many roles to host a themed event. They shared their product knowledge and demonstrated use cases to prospective customers. The result? An immersive experience that truly highlighted the products' value and connected customers to the brand! One of our Brand Reps noted, “Even the attendees who weren’t mothers loved trying on the baby carriers! We generated a ton of interest and even made some sales!” When it comes to your product, don’t compromise – our Brand Reps can bring it to life in countless ways. #customerexperience #branding #retailsolutions

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Big impact... From reinforcing brand identity to highlighting specific merchandise, store fixtures are an essential component of any dynamic in-store environment: https://lnkd.in/gKkAc6Ky #foodretail #grocery #supermarket

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Flexibility is essential for in-store fixtures due to changing consumer preferences. Retailer need to be able to shift quickly, read more at Progressive Grocer

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How did Abercrombie & Fitch Co. pull off retail's biggest comeback? In the season finale of Inside Retail, Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s Chief Product Officer, Corey Robinson, joins host Grace Hill to explore the pivotal strategies behind the brand’s resurgence. Corey explains what it means to be truly customer-centric, how they created product offerings that no longer relied on the infamous moose logo, and how they’ve completely overhauled both the brand image and the business. 🎧 Listen to the full episode now: https://utm.guru/uhOaP

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Don't let guest shoppers slip away after a single purchase. Activate XIRCLS Flash Accounts - a discreet account creation prompt that appears on your store's post-purchase Thank You page. Encourage guest shoppers to sign up, providing a clear indication of long-term interest that you can leverage for future marketing. Install Flash Accounts today to increase repurchases and boost customer loyalty in your brand. Know more:​ https://lnkd.in/eyf9aZbQ #MarTech #FlashAccounts #XIRCLS #Marketing #Loyalty #Signup​ #GuestCheckouts #CustomerLoyalty #NoMoreDropOffs #BounceRate #AbandonedCheckouts #Ecommerce #OneTimePurchase

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Macy’s Trims Sales Outlook After Holidays Didn’t Deliver. Department store now sees 4Q sales at or below prior forecast. Company’s 50-store strategy to be expanded to 75 more stores $M https://lnkd.in/eh7Hgbd2 #tradeguard #receivableputoptions #arputs #receivableputs #tradereceivables #accountsreceivables

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Product leaders! Merchandising leaders! What could you get done if we gave you ONE THIRD of your work day back? Like Every. Single. Work Day. What could you accomplish? ✔ How much fresher would your product assortment be? ✔ How much bigger would your business be? ✔ How much happier would you and your team be? If that sounds good, spend 30 minutes learning how to make it happen with AssortmentGURU. Link in comments. #TimeSaver #MerchandisingStrategy #ProductLeader #Merchant #ProductDesign

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So Walmart have unveiled their new private label brand, bettergoods, marking their first foray into private label in 20 years! A 300 strong range launch is no small achievement 👏🏼. The design looks sleek and has modernity and the commitment to quality and affordability is very commendable. Very on trend and set to capture and resonate with a younger audience. Perhaps redefining the private label landscape in the US, setting new standards for quality and value🤔? But. I can’t help but think it could enhance its appeal further by clarifying what sets bettergoods apart? It’s 3 pillars of culinary experience, plant-based and made-without are great in their own right but is the overall proposition too disconnected? It’ll be interesting to see how consumers respond but well done Walmart…#bettergoods #RetailInnovation

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Some GREAT NEWS Dick's net sales increase Q3, raising yearly forecast from 2.5%-3.5%. to 3.6%-4.2%. Thats a potential increase of 70%! This is a VERY strong indicator that inventory levels are truly reducing and the overall trend of outdoors slowly growing continues. I suspect 2025 calendar Q1 and Q2 will see modest growth across the bike industry https://lnkd.in/egbCtUKA

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Target shares plunge 20% after discounter cuts forecast, posts biggest earnings miss in two years. Target missed third-quarter earnings and revenue estimates and cut its full-year guidance. Target struggled to drive sales even after reducing prices on thousands of items. The results come a day after Walmart beat Wall Street expectations and hiked its outlook. $TGT https://lnkd.in/gM-s-hMX #tradeguard #receivableputoptions #arputs #receivableputs #tradereceivables #accountsreceivables

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"Is your display a confusing scene, Like ‘What’s missing?’ at Halloween? Call Merchco today, We’ll clean up the fray, And make your store look crisp and clean!" Contact David Ginn at [email protected]. #RetailDisplay #MerchandisingExperts #StoreSolutions #FixtureInstall #RetailDesign

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How can you make sure your educational samples are seen and appreciated in retail during the busy holiday season? Elyse Ranger from Vetrina says it’s important to stay top-of-mind while making sure samples actually get to the right person.

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Are your cannabis samples getting into the right hands? Check out this portion of the Holiday merchandising series from our Head of In-Store Experience, Elyse Ranger, and Erik Fonseca from O2O. What learnings did you take from this past holiday season? What does your team do to ensure product education stays on track? #Vetrina #CannabisRetail #Cannabis

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