Industry Links

 

Associations


American Floral Industry Association

Organization of florists
www.afia.net

American Home Furnishings Alliance

Group devoted to home furnishings
www.ahfanews.com

American Pet Products Manufacturers Association

Find all sorts of information on pet products
www.appma.org

American Specialty Toy Retailing Association

Group that helps specialty toy retailers
www.astratoy.org

Collectors' Information Bureau

Information related to the collectibles market
www.collectorsinfo.com

Direct Marketing Association

Help with direct-marketing
www.the-dma.org

Gift & Home Trade Association

All sorts of things related to the gift and home market
www.giftandhome.org

Greeting Card Association

Organization that helps promote stationery items and also presents annual LOUIE awards
www.greetingcard.org

International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association

Organization for licensing, also hols LIMA trade show
www.licensing.org

 

National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT)

Group that works with specialty food market, holds annual Fancy Food Shows
www.fancyfoodshows.com

National Candle Association

Statistics and information on the candle market
www.candles.org

National Gift Organization

Information on gifts and collectibles
www.naled.org

 
 
 
 

 

 

Business Resources

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Tax codes, tips, advice and forms
www.irs.gov

Main Street

National movement with advice on improving downtown districts in older towns
www.mainstreet.org

National Retail Federation (NRF)

National group devoted to retail at all levels
www.nrf.com

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Information on on-the-job safety issues
www.osha.gov

Porterfield's Fine Art Licensing

One of th top art licensing companies
www.porterfieldsfineart.com

Retail Details Blog

Visual merchandising blog with lots of photos for ideas
www.swirlmarketing.com

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)

Information on local chapters where retired business people can help others with their businesses
www.score.org

Small Business Administration (SBA)

Government web site with tips and advice for running a small business
www.sba.gov

Small Business Trends

Website featuring business advice, tips, experts and newsletter
www.smallbiztrends.com

Specialty Shop Retailing Podcast

Downloadable podcast on all aspects of specialty retailing
www.orangetreeimports.com/podcasts.jsp

The 3/50 Project

Movement to help businesses promote buying locally.
www.the350project.net

United States Chamber of Commerce

National chamber with small business tips and tools
www.uschamber.org

 
 
 
 

 

 

Trends

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Color Marketing Group (CMG)

Organization that predicts color trends for consumer and trade
www.colormarketing.org

Garden Media Group

Trends on garden items and outdoor living
www.gardenmediagroup.com

The Trend Curve

Trend guru Michelle Lamb's web site with link to blog
www.trendcurve.com

The Trend Forecaster

Newsletter on trends in home decor and gifts
www.thetrendforecaster.com

 
 
 
 

 

 

Wholesale Markets

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

7 W New York

Permanent showroom building in New York
www.7wnewyork.com

AmericasMart

Permanent showroom facility with four buildings
www.americasmart.com

ASD/AMD Trade Shows

Temporary wholesale shows in Las Vegas, New York and Atlantic City
www.asdamd.com

California Market Center

Permanent showroom facility featuring home decor, gifts and fashion
www.californiamarketcenter.com

CGTA

Canadian Gift & Tableware Association wholesale show
www.cgta.org

Charlotte Merchandise Mart

Showroom in North Carolina
www.charlottegiftshow.com

Chicago Market: Living & Giving

Permanent showrooms plus Beckman's temporary show
www.shopchicagomarket.com

Columbus MarketPlace

Permanent showroom in Ohio
www.thecolumbusmarketplace.com

Dallas Market Center

Permanet gift, home decor and clothing showrooms
www.dallasmarketcenter.com

Denver Merchandise Mart

Permanent showrooms with a Western flair
www.denvermart.com

George Little Management (GLM)

Temporary wholesale shows in New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and Canada
www.glmshows.com

Helen Brett Enterprises

Gift and jewelry wholesale shows
www.gift2jewelry.com

Heritage Markets

American-made temporary show
www.heritagemarkets.com

International Gift Exposition in the Smokies

Temporary wholesale show in Tennessee
www.iges.us

Karel Furniture & Accessory Shows

Temporary wholesale furniture shows
www.kemexpo.com

Kentucky Crafted

Kentucky artisans and craftspeople
www.kycraft.org

L.A. Mart

Permanent gift and home furnishings showrooms
www.lamart.com

Lancaster County Wholesale Mall

Permanent showroom with all American-made product
www.lancasterwholesalemall.com

Las Vegas Market

Permanent showroom facility with three buildings
www.lasvegasmarket.com

Market Square Shows and Buyers Cash & Carry Shows

Country-themed wholesale shows and immediate delivery
www.marketsquareshows.com

Minneapolis Mart

Permanent gift showrooms
www.mplsgiftmart.com

New York Market Center

Permanet tabletop and home accents showrooms
www.230fifthave.com

New York Merchandise Mart

Permanent tabletop and home acessories showrooms
www.41madison.com

Northeast Market Center

Permanent showroom facility in Massachusetts
www.northeastmarketcenter.com

OASIS

Temporary wholesale show with Southwestern exhibitors
www.oasis.org

Offinger's Marketplaces

Handcrafted temporary wholesale shows in Ohio
www.offingersmarketplace.com

Pacific Market Center

Permanent showroom facility in Seattle
www.pacificmarketcenter.com

Buyers Market of American Craft

Temporary wholesale show featuring artisan and handcrafted goods
http://www.buyersmarketofamericancraft.com/

Rosehill Enterprises

Temporary wholesale shows in Louisville, KY, and St. Louis, MO
www.louisvillegiftshow.com

Smoky Mountain Gift Show

Temporary wholesale show in Tennessee
www.smokymtngiftshow.com

Urban Expositions

Temporary wholesale shows in Orlando, Philadelphia, Boston, Virginia, Myrtle Beach, Galveston, Miami Beach and Las Vegas
www.urban-expo.com

Wholesale Market Inc.

Temporary wholesale shows in Biloxi, MS
www.wmigiftshows.com