Some parents take it for granted that they can go into a toy store and buy whatever their child wants. Parents of special needs children know it’s never that easy, and retailers who carry toys and clothing for their child’s specific needs can foster a valuable customer relationship to last a lifetime. A few examples of all-inclusive products include Pocket Frenz for children who need something small and tangible to get them through the day; Fun and Function toys, games and apparel; Soft Clothing’s seamless, tagless apparel for children who find regular clothes irritating; and WorryWoos for children who have trouble processing emotions.

It’s time to dive into swimwear for all-day splash-tastic fun! Both little girl and boy waterbugs go gung-ho for colorful duds that are easy to jump into and out of, while your shoppers appreciate styles that can hold up through next year’s long, wet summer. A swim suit should fit snugly, but not so tight that it binds and chafes; but neither should it be so loose that it slips down or shows off a saggy-baggy vibe. Swimwear manufacturers like 405 South by Anita G., Haiden Surf, SnapMe Swimwear, and PilyQ offer good-looking, long-wearing styles that put young pool and beach-goers front and center with on-trend appeal.

Abraham Maslow, well known for the creation of his hierarchy of needs chart, managed to delineate in five steps all the needs of humanity. He starts with the most basic, physical needs including food, water and clothing and then progresses up through safety, love and esteem to what he calls self actualization. In the marketplace there are products to address and capitalize on these needs. Those products meeting the needs of the categories higher up on the chart can command a greater price because theoretically, they are harder to achieve. Knowing where your product is on the physical to emotional spectrum helps to direct how you communicate your product to the marketplace.

Lately I’ve been allowing my sweet tooth to make more and more of my eating decisions. Cupcakes in particular are a personal favorite. And clearly I’m not alone. The cupcake business continues to boom with new bakeshops popping up on every street corner. We certainly don’t need them to survive, so why are we consuming them at such a high rate? Obviously we’re addicted to the sugar rush, but there’s more to it. It seems the bakery industry has developed the perfect recipe for cooking up demand. And it’s time for other industries — ours included — to take note. Because let’s face it, no one needs anything brands are selling.