The City that Never Sleeps

WE USUALLY COIN our November/December edition our “New York” issue and, this time around, there’s only one project (Wayfair’s new flagship, pg. 28) in this entire book that is not located somewhere in New York or New York state. The rest found in these pages are all nestled in or around the Big Apple, where retail thrives in this one-of-a-kind testing ground for brands across our industry.

From noteworthy store openings like Gucci (pg. 26) to indie retailers like Gather in New York’s Lower East Side (pg. 24), this issue only scratches the surface when it comes to the larger trends we’re seeing through retailers setting up shop in the city.

Our last issue of the year would be incomplete, however, if we didn’t include our annual Year in Review/Top Stories feature (pg. 40), written by our longtime contributing writer and former editor Steve Kaufman and illustrated by our Art Director Danielle Sy. We hope this cheeky article not only gives you a smile but makes you think about the state of the industry and where we’re headed in 2025.

The next issue of VMSD will be the January/February “Look Book,” which includes the latest and greatest retail products from across the industry and encompasses our holiday windows recap penned by our Managing Editor Olivia Taylor.

Showcasing holiday windows from around the globe, the feature will also include our 2024 Gene Moore Window Award winner and the PAVE x VMSD Window Awards (sponsored by Travelstead), the latter to be unveiled in person during the PAVE Gala in New York this Dec. 12.

There’s a lot coming up for the VMSD staff in the new year, like Shop! MarketPlace in Charlotte, N.C., this April 8-10 (visit shop-marketplace.com to register), and the announcement of 2025 International Retail Design Conference (IRDC) location and dates. (If you missed joining us in Kansas City, Mo., this past Oct. 9-10 for IRDC 2024, check out our recap on pg. 32.) We’ll also be making our way to New York this coming January for the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show” and for the 2024 Markopoulos Award. Stay tuned to vmsd.com – as well as our social media channels – for regular updates as we kick off our 128th year in print.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from the VMSD team!