Consumers plan to spend $890.49 per person on average this year on holiday gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items. That’s according to the National Retail Federation’s annual consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The amount is the second-highest in the survey’s 23-year history and is 1.3% less than last year’s record of $901.99. The increase comes as 85% of consumers are expecting higher prices because of tariffs.

Customer loyalty is much more nuanced than points-based rewards programs! Explore five research-backed strategies with real-world examples from brands like Patagonia, Lego, Native and more. You'll walk away with a score of new ideas that you should embrace to drive true loyalty and connection. Lauren Ackerman, VP Client Strategy at J.Schmid will share insights related to customer loyalty and translate them to marketing tactics that will: • Use emotion to move your audience • Build a strong community with social media and in-person events • Refine the customer journey around the points of the purchase – online and offline, from triggered emails to the box experience • Turn error into opportunity by above-and-beyond handling of returns and mistakes • Prove you “know” them with customer journey messaging, personalization, versioning in direct mail and beyond. Register at: https://www.ana.net/membersconference/show/id/MOC-OCT23E6

The U.S. Postal Service is at the heart of a postal system still dedicated to tying our country together today. Here’s one example: Recently, it issued “250 Years of Delivering,” a pane of 20 stamps by cartoonist Chris Ware that shows a carrier delivering mail across four seasons of the year. Kind of like the unofficial motto inscribed on New York City’s Farley Building: “Neither snow nor rain nor sleet nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.” According to a study by the Envelope Manufacturers Association, the industry accounts for 7.9 million jobs. Even more than USPS, that’s a lot of jobs in print, packaging, paper, and private delivery! There are a lot of people in workforces and businesses who use ink on paper to bring ideas to life. We’ve come a long way since the days of Franklin, railway mail, and big gleaming buildings made of limestone, granite, and marble. But the public service task remains the same. And improvements in printing, marketing, and automation technology make mail more relevant than ever.