Total Product Expo - 2025

Holiday Spending

Navigating this year’s fluctuating shopping dynamics will require patience and persistence with the consumer, and a perspective on the holiday season that extends beyond the traditional retail definition. That’s the word from the NDP Group, a market research firm, whose annual holiday spending survey revealed that while one in five consumers say they’ll send less on gifts this year, more of those purchases will be made in-stores than online. So, don’t wait until the last minute to decorate your store and put out the sale signs — more “early” pre-Thanksgiving shoppers are starting even earlier—39% started or plan to have started before October, according to NPD.

Recent Articles

The Account Executive for HQ is a certified platinum talker. As the former No. 1 sales rep for long-distance carrier MCI’s Bilingual Division and a veteran of the tough-as-nails construction industry, she’s honed her skills in some of the most competitive arenas imaginable.
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Jerome is the owner of three Los Angeles California-based smoke shops. We sat down with him to get his insight on the highs and lows of owning a smoke shop in 2024, including top selling-products, and how to stay profitable and successful in these uncertain times.
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Our fearless intern and ever-stalwart production assistant went full Gonzo at the 420 Expo in Edison, NJ this past fall to find out what cannabis consumer culture looks like in 2024. His findings may shock you (actually, they won’t.)
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As HQ Magazine celebrates its 25th anniversary, we’d like to take a moment and reflect on a journey that began in 1999 when Roger Kay and Ralph Garza envisioned a publication that would unite, solidify, and empower what had traditionally been a fragmented market.
As HQ Magazine celebrates a quarter century, it’s only right that we pause to consider its journey. How did a print magazine launched at the turn of the century grow old enough to finish grad school? To find out, we went directly to the source: Sandy Caputo, the hard-charging president of HQ.