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TGA Industry News Briefs
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Briggs & Riley

TOP NEWS


The Loss of Our Friend, Garrett Lai

TGA

Last week, the TGA team was devastated to learn that our longtime contributor and friend, Garrett Lai, passed away at 54 years young. Garrett’s vision, can-do attitude, indispensable creativity and friendly demeanor will be sorely missed by all of us. Garrett’s voice will live on in the countless Travel Goods Showcase articles which he authored, and the years of Travel Goods Show videos he directed. You can read our tribute to Garrett here. Thank you for everything, Garrett. We miss you already.

Be Where Your Customers Are

TGA

In the pandemic age, you need to be where your customers are – scrolling social media and surfing the net! Read Online Outreach in the Age of COVID-19 and learn how to open an electronic storefront and increase your social media traffic – fast. An active online presence is an investment in future sales, and one that will continue to pay dividends when normal life resumes. Read the all-digital Travel Goods Showcase for more retail ideas, travel safety products, and the latest travel industry news.

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Travel Sentry

How Luggage Brands Are Rethinking Suitcase Design Amid the Pandemic

CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER

Luggage made from antimicrobial fabric or material is not a new concept, but it’s certainly become a bigger selling point in the last six months. As travelers begin to navigate a world full of new precautions in the COVID-19 era, it’s little wonder that even luggage brands are finding ways to make their products safer, from germ-resistant materials to cleaning services. Here is a look at all the ways luggage brands are attempting to make their bags as pandemic-proof as possible. READ MORE

How to Travel and Book Smart This Holiday Season

TRAVEL PULSE

It is the time of year when people begin to plan their Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holiday travel. However, midway through a pandemic, things are definitely going to be different. Many people do still want to travel during the holiday season, whether it is to visit family that they have not seen since the beginning of this crisis or just to take a much-needed getaway after months of lockdown. READ MORE

Cruise Ships Torn Apart After Coronavirus Sell Off

CNN TRAVEL

On the beach, once-gleaming vessels lie dilapidated, their innards exposed, barely recognizable from their seafaring glory days. These huge ships were previously the pride of cruising fleets including Carnival Cruise Line. Now they’re shells of their former selves – beached at Aliaga shipyard in Turkey, mid-demolition and ready to be sold for scrap. READ MORE

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Ricardo Beverly HIlls

Black Friday is Over: Here’s Why Retailers Are Touting Weeks of Deals This Year

CNBC

In recent years, Black Friday’s importance has faded. More retailers have offered similar sales online, making it possible for shoppers to browse and buy from their couch or on their smartphone rather than having to camp out in a Best Buy parking lot, or cut through thick crowds at the mall. In the midst of a global health crisis, shoppers have even more reason to avoid long lines to snag a deep discount on a smartwatch, boots or a Nintendo Switch. READ MORE

Why You Should Always Mail Yourself a Postcard When Traveling

TRAVEL + LEISURE

To most, sending postcards is an old-fashioned, outdated way of keeping in touch – what’s the point when you can just post on Facebook and rake in the likes from everyone you know (and their mother)? But when I add that I also write a postcard to myself and mail it home from wherever I am in the world, as a way to record memories and experiences from my travels, their eyes light up – the most common response I get to that is, “Brilliant! Why have I never thought of that before? READ MORE

How AR is Redefining Retail in the Pandemic

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

COVID-19 has supercharged all things virtual, propelling industries like retail well into the future. According to IBM’s 2020 U.S. Retail Index report, the pandemic has accelerated the shift to digital shopping by roughly five years. Augmented Reality (AR) applications have been on the rise with virtual “try-before-you-buy” experiences ranging from previewing furniture and products in your home with everyday brands like IKEA and Home Depot, to virtually trying on luxury fashion such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Once a nice-to-have feature, AR has quickly become an essential technology for retailers. READ MORE

Hiring up in Leisure, Hospitality and Retail, as Pause in Stimulus Sends People Back to Work

NEWSWEEK

During the debate about the next round of stimulus, Democrats argued that a continuation of the added $600 benefit was necessary to help workers pay their bills. But Republicans said the extra money was a disincentive to return to work because in some cases the weekly unemployment benefit was higher than a paycheck. The current reduced unemployment benefit appears to have prompted thousands at the lower end of the wage scale such as food service and retail workers to re-enter the job market. READ MORE

Travel Goods Showcase Magazine

How to Handle Negative Comments on Social Media

CUSTOMER THINK

Easiness, accessibility, convenience and visibility have made social media networks the selling leaders. But sometimes they help not only to sell but also to solve the customer complaints connected with services and products. But is it so important for the business to invest into proper social media customer service? What benefits can a company have from responding to negative comments and posts? READ MORE

A New, More Trusting Style of Leadership is Needed to Manage People Working from Home, Says Tech Exec

CNBC

When the coronavirus pandemic closed workplaces earlier this year, businesses effectively went from having one or more locations to having as many offices as they did employees, as staff worked from home. For software company Splunk, this effectively meant going from 35 offices to more than 6,000 “overnight,” according to the firm’s Chief Technical Adviser James Hodge. Having so many people working at home has meant a more trusting style of leadership is necessary, Hodge told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.” READ MORE

Here is Why You Need to Partner with a Social Media Marketing Expert

LONDON DAILY POST

If you are ready to get serious about building your online brand, where should you turn to find help in developing a digital strategy? A new trend in digital marketing is finding companies turning to an unexpected source for social advice: social media influencers. READ MORE

Consumers Anticipate New Ways to Celebrate Halloween, Despite COVID-19

NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION

Like many holidays this year, Americans are planning to celebrate Halloween despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The autumnal holiday may look a little different this year, but consumers are finding ways to safely mark the occasion. READ MORE

Dreading a Dark Winter Lockdown? Think Like a Norwegian

GOOD NEWS NETWORK

At the beginning of the pandemic, experts feared that if a vaccine wasn’t available by winter, we would see case numbers rise in parallel with seasonal wintertime flu. While this might make winter seem like a season to dread, perhaps even more so than usual, psychologists have been looking to the curious people of Norway, only a small proportion of whom suffer from the Seasonal Affective Disorder that typically befalls people during winter months of reduced sunshine, increased time indoors, and fewer daylight hours. Is there something to take away from the Norwegians’ unique cultural mindset as the air temp falls and COVID-19 case numbers carry on mounting? Let’s see ways the Norwegians stay positive. READ MORE

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