​By Eliana Barriga
Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer

A friend of mine recently went to the doctor for her knee pain, and was told that the first thing she needed to do was rest. According to the doctor, continuing to force movement would only make things worse and cause more injury to the area, so rest was the most important component needed to recover.

How many times do we all push through life, even when we are mentally exhausted or physically fatigued? Personally, there were many times I have felt like taking a day, an afternoon or even one hour off, but felt it was a luxury that I just couldn’t afford to take.

​After only a few days of rest, my friend happily reported that the pain was almost gone and by the end of the week, she was surprised to find that she had no pain at all. What would have happened had she pushed through it and continued to stay active? She probably would have increased the severity of her injury beyond what a week of rest could heal.

So, the question begging to be asked is: are you making time for rest, mental breaks, exercise, healthy meals, visits with friends or quality time with family? What kind of toll is your body, mind, and life taking by pushing day in and day out? Many of us don’t even stop to recognize the changes, since they happen so gradually. We wake up one day and remember how energizing it was to play a round of golf or how relaxing morning walks used to feel. When was the last time you did anything other than work?

I have found that when I work too hard and push through it, my workdays seem longer and it’s harder to let go and unwind at the end of each day. But when my life is more balanced, I am more productive and enjoy the time I am working. When the day is done, I am able to easily relax and get some much needed rest.

To taking care of yourselves,
Eliana Barriga
​[email protected]

​By Moe Lastfogel
Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer

In the previous issue, I discussed the 50-year history of The Retail Observer, and now I’ll discuss what’s new and coming.

Change is always an important part of the health of any magazine,
while keeping in mind your core values and what appeals to your readers. This has been our mission since we took over in 2007.

We have added some new Trends articles which you may have noticed in the January issue. The first of these is Technology of Business. In this piece, we will have industry experts discuss programs and solutions to help you better run the front and back of the house of your company. This area will expand as we have re-upped our alliance with DSE (Digital Signage Expo) and have a new partnership with The National Retail Federation. I just visited their show in New York — more on that soon.

In other categories, we will be bringing you more news and trends from the Connected Home, HSTN and Prosource in the CE and integration areas of your businesses. As homes and your customer get smarter, we want to be your source for keeping up with these fast- paced changes as they happen.

The final new category we touched on in the past is Outdoor Trends. With our alliance with SPOGA Germany and the growth in the retail, design, and construction industry, the outdoor space has become a well-added source of income to many of our readers.

We look forward to presenting these new categories to you and have more plans coming as our magazine and readership continues to grow in the future.

Happy Retailing,
Moe Lastfogel
[email protected]