There’s something distinctly different about this issue of NICHE. For the first time since its inception in 1988, we’ve produced the Autumn issue exclusively online. For the Rosen Group, it signals a jumping-off point for relaunching a refreshed, updated and redesigned print version of NICHE in late December. In the meantime, we’re taking time off from printing and mailing to repurpose NICHE as the must-have interactive resource for craft artists and independent gallery owners.

So much has changed since we launched NICHE magazine more than 20 years ago. There were no personal computers then, no e-mail, no Google. Broad-based access to the World Wide Web was out of reach, and any thought of personalized websites and e-commerce was fanciful at best. Retailers did business in brick-and-mortar locations the traditional way, and phones and fax machines were the accepted means of staying in touch.

I don’t need to tell any of you how completely revolutionized our world has since become. Just keeping up with innovations taking place in every facet of business and society seems like a full-time job in itself.

Twitter? Facebook? LinkedIn? RSS feeds? Blogs? Information overload is the real worry these days: how can you ever hope to stay abreast of the rocketing technology and still get your job done? Or stay successful as craft gallery retailers when the playing field in which you were once so sure-footed keeps shifting?

Since the beginning, NICHE magazine’s mission has been to address business and marketing issues with the needs of craft galleries and artists in mind. That won’t change. In the new print edition, you’ll still find the solid mix of retail gallery and artist profiles, essential retailer business topics, trend features and merchandising strategy updates that you’ve come to rely on. But what you’ll also find is much more emphasis on interactivity and e-commerce, both in the two expanded print editions, now scheduled for Summer and Winter, and on our NICHEmag.com website.

Whether you are a craft retailer or craft maker, NICHE exists to help you grow your business. We want to make things easier for you as you chart the challenging waters of retailing in the 21st century.

The new, redesigned NICHE will have a more functional look and feel. Our goal? To encourage you to see each ongoing issue as a workbook, pinpointing what’s new, what works on the retail scene, and how other small businesses are dealing with today’s challenges.

But we also need to hear from you. What’s on your mind? What do you want us to incorporate into our editorial mix? How can we help?

I look forward to your comments and suggestions. Let’s move forward together!