 |
| Former President Bill Clinton Speaking At The New York Gift Show - photo credit NRF |
January is the month for all the retail gift shows and the biggest of those is the Big Show in New York. Held at the Javits Center, there were 25,500 participants representing 85 countries and over 400 vendors. That's amazing! Matthew Shay, with the National Retail Federation, says that the companies showing product would occupy the equivalent of 4 football fields!
The Show's keynote speaker this year was former President Bill Clinton. This was the very first time a President of the United States, current or former, attended a retail show. To me, this proves that we are paying attention to the importance of retail and what it means to our economy. A large portion of our country's population works in retail, whether corporate or independent.
President Clinton mentioned in his speech that before he took off on a career in politics, he worked at a grocery store. He said he was "morose" when the Borders bookstore chain succumbed to the pressures of on-line competitors and the down economy. "I could have been one of you", he told the crowd.
On this President's Day weekend, I'm glad that I can talk about a contemporary President and celebrate the fact that Bill Clinton validated the retail industry as a major job creator. What enriches this country and makes it run are the myriad small businesses owned by people like us and I'm proud to be a part of it.
Have a great week, friends, we'll talk again next Sunday!
Lori and Scott
