These unconventional attempts are paying off, and in addition to keeping retailers in business they also offer more personal shopping experiences to consumers, who want to feel special as well as personally connected to brands — which special events and close-knit settings like trunk shows allow.  Hopefully this trend will remain long after the economy is back up on its feet again, and retailers will retain this feeling of brand-to-consumer intimacy; in a world fed up with commercialism, it will be important for retailers to recognize the people behind their sales figures.

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