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Shining in This Week’s HUB Spotlight…
TGA
This week, in the Travel Goods HUB Spotlight – cases so cool they give flight to travelers’ fantasies of heroic conquests – backpacks and bum bags that stare down travel challenges so you can just…chill – and bags that are music to musicians’ ears. Pop into the Travel Goods HUB to check out brand-new travel gear – from the comfort of your desk and free of charge. You’re not in the HUB yet? Register today!
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U.S. Lifts Vietnam, Switzerland From Currency Manipulator List
ABC NEWS
Vietnam and Switzerland have been removed from the list of nations labeled by the U.S. as currency manipulators, reversing a decision made by the Trump administration in December. READ MORE
Biden to Nominate Senate Staffer White, Former Close Aide Bianchi As Deputy USTRs
REUTERS
President Joe Biden plans to nominate long-time Senate staffer Jayme White and former White House official Sarah Bianchi to serve as deputies to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, the White House said on Friday. READ MORE
14 Surprisingly Roomy Pieces of Underseat Luggage
TRAVEL + LEISURE
If you’re like most airline travelers, you keep busy during flights: working, reading, catching up on your favorite TV series – although sometimes you might just take a nap. No matter how you choose to spend your time, with underseat carry-on luggage, you can keep everything you need – your electronics, headphones, chargers, books, games, sweaters, and snacks – conveniently and securely nearby. READ MORE
Free Presentation Alert: Automate Your Business to Boost Efficiency and Sales
RETAIL MINDED
Retail Minded teamed up with Brightpearl to deliver a dynamic, engaging and informative panel that will unveil ways you can save time by automating your e-commerce business. Register now, free of charge, and learn about ways to save time while increasing profits. READ MORE

How to Implement a Subscription Product in Travel
SKIFT
Naysayers might say subscriptions don’t work in the travel space, but proponents say it’s about execution. The keys to being successful are adaptability with the changing times, customer needs, and authentic relationship building – easier said than done, of course. READ MORE
State Department to Issue Travel Warnings Amid ‘Unprecedented’ COVID-19 Risks
NPR
The U.S. State Department announced plans early this week to expand travel advisories, urging U.S. citizens to stay home as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose “unprecedented risks” around the globe. The updated travel guidelines are intended to curb visits “to approximately 80% of countries worldwide” that are experiencing dramatic spikes in cases, the department said in a statement. READ MORE
What the Pandemic Means for Retail Supply Chains – in Charts
FINANCIAL TIMES
A year of coronavirus health concerns and ensuing government lockdowns have led to more online shopping – and greater use of local businesses. But evidence suggests these shifts in consumer behavior will outlast the pandemic, meaning retailers will have to adapt to ensure goods can be delivered quickly and cheaply. READ MORE
The Reason Retail Stores Have Such High Ceilings
MENTAL FLOSS
In an interview with the Star Tribune in 2019, Target’s vice president of store design Joe Perdew said that ceiling height impacts how consumers process buying decisions. “There’s a universal design principle that you want to expand ceiling heights when you want people to make holistic decisions and you actually contract them a bit, or shrink them, when you want people to make detailed decisions. So that’s why it’s OK to drop beams and stuff over produce, because you’re picking out that specific orange you want.” READ MORE
Social Advertising is on the Rise for Retailers
BUSINESS 2 COMMUNITY
As social advertising matures and in order to take advantage of new e-commerce opportunities from COVID, retailers are ramping up their spend in social. According to a report by Insights and Smartly.io, 62% of retail organizations spend between 31% and 50% of their overall marketing budget on social media advertising. READ MORE
Why Some Retailers Succeed Despite Big Disruptions
KNOWLEDGE @ WHARTON
Wharton marketing professor Barbara Kahn is the author of The Shopping Revolution: How Retailers Succeed in an Era of Endless Disruption Accelerated by COVID-19. In a newly released updated and expanded edition, Kahn examines the companies that have been most successful during a tsunami of change in the industry. READ MORE
Four Guiding Principles to Improve Collaboration Among Leadership Teams
FORBES
Thinking, learning and working together requires us to share openly, address issues and be willing to look beyond one’s direct responsibilities. These behaviors make leaders vulnerable, which most are not used to. There is a certain risk involved with these moves, which, in many risk-averse corporate environments, can feel countercultural. READ MORE
5 Things to Know About Booking a Summer Rental
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Travel is rebounding in the U.S. with gusto, as vaccination rates rise, restrictions loosen around the country and would-be travelers act on their eagerness to reunite with family and friends. The surge has already left its mark on the vacation-rentals market, where property owners, agencies and management companies are predicting an extremely busy, if not outright bonkers, summer. If you’re looking to rent a vacation house this summer, here’s what we know. READ MORE
TRENDING ARTICLES
Missed last week’s issue? See which articles your colleagues read most.
- U.S. Government Proposes Retaliatory Tariffs on U.S. Travel Goods Imports from a Number of Countries over Digital Services Tax (TGA)
- Calling All Travel Products for Pint-sized Travelers (TGA)
- Who’s in the HUB Spotlight This Week? (TGA)
- What’s the Best Rolling Luggage? (NEW YORK MAGAZINE)
- TGA Urges Members to Contact their Members of Congress on Shipping Crisis (TGA)