Today's Journal

Shopping in New York

This weekend I am off to New York for one of my favorite pastimes....shopping!  The New York International Gift Show  runs from Saturday, August 13 through Thursday, August 18.  Every January and August, retail shops, interior designers and large department stores from around the world send their very best "buyers"  to see the newest offerings from the world's finest artisans, designers and manufacturers.

Like the outdoor markets in Europe (Italy, London, Spain, France, Belgium)  and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, the gift show is always coloful, diverse and exciting...and often exhausting. 

The show gives me the opportunity to speak with the designers directly, to see and feel their entire collection.  We discuss current trends, potential custom options and their perspective on how the pieces it their collection work together.  I also get to see new designers that are showing their creations for the first time.

I always go with a shopping list of items that I think will offer more options to our customers to enhance their shopping experience. I do carry a list of specific items that customers have told me that they are looking for and sometimes I have actually been successful finding exactly what they are looking for. 

I also go with an open mind waiting to be overwhelmed by a totally unexpected new discovery that I know our customers will love!  You never know what is around the next corner.  

And then there is always a  fabulous dinner in New York City waiting for us at the end of the day.

I will let you know what I  find....hopefully lots of news for my next blog!