July 2013

Ideas for Inflation
Experience Shopping vs. Online
Balloon Recipe
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Party Line: A Valuable Lesson
I’m going to add the disclaimer that I haven’t eaten at a McDonald’s in probably 15 years, so perhaps I’m not quite as in touch with their product as others. However, their barrage of marketing — especially that of their Dollar Menu items — is impossible to escape. With other fast food chains stepping up their marketing over the past year or so, McDonald’s has responded by aggressively touting its Dollar Menu and other value deals to hold onto customers. Officials said that offering cheaper prices was necessary in the current climate, and since the restaurant industry is barely growing, they need to steal customers away from rivals to grow. But with McDonald’s ramping up the discounts, other establishments are retooling and offering more “values” as well. One would think this would increase revenue for the company, right? Not necessarily. A survey found » Read more
Shop Talk: Halloween Gear
Spotlight On: Palm Springs, Calif. There’s nothing temporary about lasting relationships At the age of 13, Lynn Abdelnour, owner of Halloween Gear in Palm Springs, Calif., started working with her mom in a family business that sold dance and fitness apparel. But come every October, they would order bunny and cat ears and tails from Rubie’s Costume Co. to merchandise with the leotards and tights so that kids could create their own Halloween costumes. Twenty-seven years later, what started as a 4-by-8-foot wall is now a separate seasonal business, Halloween Gear, that requires 10,000 square feet of space each Halloween season. Building the Brand Abdelnour said they set up their temporary Halloween store as they would a permanent store, and that it looks nothing like the “pop-up temps” that are set up in two weeks. Enclosed store front windows give customers the “wow” » Read more
Don’t Drop the Ball
Ring in the New Year with style and sales From a night on the town to a home-catered party, people like to ring in the New Year in style. As retailers, it’s your job to make sure sales rise before the ball drops by offering consumers just what they’re looking for — trendy items that offer the biggest impact for the greatest value around. Top Trends So what can customers expect to see for 2014? Black, silver and gold will continue to be the most popular colors with a bit of glitz and glamour thrown in. “For 2014, New Year’s Eve décor trends follow suit with the other winter holiday trends we’re seeing,” said Kacey Curry of Creative Converting. “Metallic finishes, glitter details and bold color will be prevalent this year, and the traditional trend of mixing black and metallics is still » Read more