InStore Magazine Inc’s Post

GOING IT ALONE & GETTING IT DONE! Despite all the challenges thrown our way in recent years, 2023 advertising sales rebounded significantly, leading to InStore's second best sales year to date. At a time when marketers have a plethora of mediums to choose from, we're humbled that they continue to choose InStore as a trusted marketing partner. By remaining focused on our core mandate of being the voice for independent lifestyle retailers in Canada and operating with the utmost integrity, we've maintained our market share in an industry that most claim is dead or dying. #humblebrag #solopreneur #womeninbusiness #independentpublisher

What’s InStore for 2024? We've spent the last few months contemplating how InStore could use its national platform and engaged audience of 12000 plus Canadian retailers and vendors to highlight and recognize the best retailers and vendors in the business along with the hottest new products! Our brainstorming resulted in a half a dozen initiatives we'll be rolling out this year. Retailer Awards InStore Magazine will be reviving the Retailer of the Year awards program with the support and sponsorship of the Canadian Gift Association. The awards program will celebrate retailers from coast to coast of all sizes and makeups. Stay tuned for details! New Statistical Insights! InStore Magazine is now in a position to tap into our U.S. sister publication's market research capabilities in a way that makes sense for the Canadian market. Using the knowledge we've gained conducting surveys among U.S. independent gift retailers for the past five years, we'll be taking those learnings and applying them to the unique structure of the Canadian marketplace. 5 New Programs for Vendors In the spring, InStore surveyed our readers to discover what they wanted and needed. Resoundingly, retailers told us they wanted more product from more vendors, so we’ve come up fun new programs and initiatives to deliver them with the goods, including FAVE FINDS where we highlight our favourite finds from the shows we visit throughout the year. This program will launch this month during the Toronto shows. While we’re in Toronto, we've been asked to help the Canadian Gift Association choose the BEST BOOTH WINNERS from among the Toronto Gift + Home Market’s 400 exhibitors. In March, our editorial team is heading to the Vancouver Gift Expo to compile our Favourite Finds from the Best of the Very West! Next year, we’ll head to the Edmonton show for the Best of the West:) Near the close of the year, InStore will be crowning the top vendors and suppliers of the year in various categories based on actual sales results - see statistical paragraph above regarding statistical insights. Rest assured, this won’t be a popularity contest, and with plenty of categories, vendors of all shapes and sizes will be honored.  Let us know what you think about these new programs by commenting below. Have we missed something?! - Erica Kirkland

GO WITH THE FLOW This weekend, our award-winning editorial, production and design team has been hard at work putting the finishes touches on our 100-page (!) Winter 2024 edition. Inspired by third-generation female shop keeper, Marie Letard from Bouche Bee, @bouchebeemtl, we decided to be instinctive. As this fearless Montreal boutique owner says in our Shop Profile in the Winter 2024 issue, "The last few years have taught me that you can't control very much, so go with the flow!" After 10 years of showcasing beautiful flatlays on the cover of InStore, we're going in a bit of a different direction with the next cover, and we actually can't wait to reveal it. It will be live in the next day or so! Rest assured, the usual inspirational eye candy of styled product photographs and display ideas will be presented aplenty including gorgeous shots for our features on on wellness, personal style and our bi-annual baby and children's gift guide. DID YOU KNOW? All InStore's gorgeous product and merchandising shots are styled by the incredibly talented Leslie Groves from Warehouse 84? Here's another fun fact: Leslie and our owner Erica Kirkland have been friends and colleagues since the late 1990s. At that time Leslie was an award-winning floral designer and Erica was the editor Cut & Dried, a magazine for florists. GIRL BOSSES:) For this issue, we had the immense pleasure of working with a new photographer, Gillian Gillespie from @soundslikeyellowphotography. There was a total #GirlBoss thing happening at the shoot with Leslie, Erica and Gillian. It was a complete mutual-love society. #WinterEdition #EditorialTeam #HardAtWork #FinishingTouches #NewDirection #GoWithTheFlow #TrySomethingDifferent #CustomContent #StyledShots #DreamyPhotography #DesignInspiration #GirlBosses #LiftEachOtherUp

HOME DECOR TRENDS Consumers will be searching for comfort with softer and more natural hues trending for the home this spring. In our current issue we sourced the latest products for the home for independent retailers in Canada. Check out the assortment here: https://lnkd.in/gCtbb-5G

WANTED: NEW PRODUCTS Attention Vendors: Our editorial team is looking for fresh new products for our Winter 2024 edition. HOW TO SUBMIT * Visit https://lnkd.in/gZTfTTEF * Read the instructions and download the Editorial Submission Form * Send products by November 10

BEWARE: CYBER SHOPLIFTING When consumers or criminals abuse the chargeback process it’s known as cyber shoplifting and it’s on the rise in Canada. This form of theft comes when someone falsely claims a product they purchased was either never delivered or arrived damaged. Another avenue for this fraud is when a person asserts the transaction was unauthorized yet he or she actually did authorize the purchase. Read "Chargebacks & Friendly Fraud Hit Hard" in our Fall 2023 issue. https://lnkd.in/gaKFvnMd

ENGAGING LIFESTYLE RETAILERS IN CANADA If you're a vendor looking to increase your market share in Canada among independent lifestyle retailers, download InStore's newest media kit to discover the ways you can engage with our loyal audience, including a new enewsletter delivered to 6000 of our 12,000 print readers. EDITORIAL EXPERTS Lifestyle retailers want to be inspired with drool-worthy photography, high-energy editorial and pages upon pages devoted to what they love best - new products. By delivering the content retailers desire in a package they can’t put down InStore's advertising partners benefit from having their brand exposed repeatedly to our loyal readers and having it elevated via an association with one of the most respected and recognized marketing mediums in the gift, fashion and lifestyle industries. https://lnkd.in/gU3C9VUH

EXTRA, EXTRA! Have you heard the news? InStore has launched a newsletter - InStore This Week. Packed with actional advice, the latest news and the hottest products from Canada's most trusted resource for independent lifestyle retailers, the bi-weekly newsletter aims to keep retailers up-to-date and inspired. Not on the list? Subscribe today at www.instoremagazine.ca #helping_stores_succeed #weloveindependents #inSight #inSpiration #inStore #retailadvice #gift #giftware #lifestyle #homedecor