NSS wrap up

Well the National Stationery Show’s done and the load out underway. From all accounts, it was a rousing success. Here are a few notes from my stroll down the aisles:

• Vendors who arrived with a positive attitude, fresh product, and new ideas came away feeling good about the investment they made. Reports are that while there may have been fewer buyers, the ones that attended were on top of their game, very sharp, and very determined. Most exhibitors ended up with better numbers than expected.

• Vendors who were sensitive to the limitations on buyers’ cash flow, then reduced their minimums accordingly, did well-—earned lots of thanks and orders. One exhibitor (who shall remain nameless) offered a terrific notepad line but insisted on an absurd $450 minimum opening. Wanted to return to their booth this morning to see if they’d snapped out of the state of delirium required for such a decision, but didn’t make it back before the show closed.

• Buyers felt that vendors who came to the Javits were serious about wanting to do future business and wanted to work as a team to find ways out of the sagging economy. Was a lot of positive buzz about established companies showing appreciation for what stores are going through, but…enormous frustration with companies who chose to skip the show while still expecting orders. As one buyer put it “This gave me a chance to find a lot of new product to replace them with.” Sounds oddly like a previous blog post I wrote.

• Twitter was THE word on the show floor as many of us sent tweets flying about product, booths, and buzz. One creative buyer, Caroline Brandt (Leap Frog Papers in Skippack PA) had a scavenger hunt going the first day. Admittedly, my own tweets were hit and miss, between the new phone and the various off-the-show-floor commitments lined up. Still, was a ton o’ fun, and proof that social media is part of our industry life.

• The RetailSpeaks Braintrust Session was great! Members are now able to put faces to names, which is always fun. I was impressed with the fact it only took five seconds for the conversation to launch into high gear. Just goes to prove that regardless of where your store is, or how long you’ve had it, being able to network with your peers is priceless. (Note to Richard B.: We missed you.)

• Stores that cater to custom work were understandably angered by two particular long time exhibitors who opted not to attend but instead upload lots of new designs to Tiny Prints and Shutterfly in the past few days (you know who you are). One company’s owner was seen strolling the aisles this morning, talking about “big things ahead.” Please pray for their customer service personnel the next few weeks since they‘ve officially been placed in the hot seat. I know of at least a half dozen buyers who called their stores direct from the show floor, telling employees to discard the books, and a lot more who plan to do so themselves upon returning home.

On a personal note:
There aren’t words that express how touched I am by those of you who made a point of finding me to say thanks for The 3/50 Project-—vendors, buyers, reps, etc. While I am deeply humbled and extremely moved, it’s not lost on me that my only role in this small business lovefest is to “Be The Hub,” as Joya Helmuth (Spark Fine Papers) so eloquently put it. You’re the ones who turned a flier into a groundswell. None of this would be possible without you.

By the way-—The 3/50 Project Facebook page climbed over the 6,000 fans mark yesterday around noon. See what you’ve accomplished? Well done!