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his issue we offer a few notable firsts. We are happy to announce our
partnership with the Association of Partners for Public Lands (APPL),
which debuts with a story about green products. We welcome the
group’s membership to our readership. We are additionally pleased to
offer a Minor League Baseball section. The result of another new partnership,
the story examines merchandising for all-star games.
In addition to the APPL story, we offer another piece on green practices and
products at attraction retailers, and a look at the types of nature product stores
that benefit from the upcoming Birdwatch America show.
As shoppers flood zoo and aquarium stores during the summer months,
keeping your often young employees from getting discouraged is a concern.
Read about boosting employee morale in the Zoo and Aquarium section.
Moreover, as your summer planning is paying off, it is time to think about the
winter holidays, and our Christmas in July section can help.
Just as promotion is integral to the success of a college’s admissions office,
the shops that serve students and faculty at these institutions need to take a
proactive marketing stance. We look at promotional plans at NACS member
stores, and at efforts to boost apparel sales at independent bookstores.
Despite a slower economy, the demand for pet gifts continues to grow. For
the Pet Gifts section our contributor spoke with pet boutique owners to take the
pulse of this important market segment. We also cover wind chimes, flags and
banners at seaside shops, art glass for sale at museum stores and trends in holiday
merchandising at hospital retail outlets.
Solving the Healthcare Cost Crisis
All businesses and organizations are facing rising healthcare obligations as costs
rise faster than inflation. A standout state on the issue is Texas, which is solving
this thorny concern with tort reform. The state’s three-fold strategy involves capping
non-economic damages at $250,000, changing the burden of proof for
emergency room care from simple negligence to willful and wanton neglect, and
requiring that an independent medical expert file a report in support of the
claimant.
These reforms are allowing doctors and hospitals to cut costs. The medical
liability insurance that doctors pay has either gone down or stayed the same
despite years of rising prices. However, the principal benefit is the influx of doctors
coming to practice in Texas. Many of these transplant physicians serve rural
patients and other underserved populations in the state.
Another facet of tort reform in Texas is multidistrict litigation, which allows
for the transfer to one federal judge all pending civil cases of a similar type. For
example, common injury cases such as those involving asbestos are consolidated
for a single pre-trial discovery phase. The system creates consistency, eliminates
bogus claims and venue shopping, and contrasts sharply with the situation
in Pennsylvania, where Governor Ed Rendell refuses to pass tort reform. As a
result, the state, with its many top-notch universities, is not retaining the young
doctors it has trained. E-mail us at the address below with your views.
We hope you enjoy the issue. Please e-mail us at the address below with your
comments, suggestions and questions
Scott C. Borowsky
President and Executive Editor
SOUVENIRS, GIFTS AND NOVELTIES MAGAZINE
EDITORSGNMAG@KANEC.COM
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