AmericasMart Atlanta presented an all-encompassing powerful buying
environment with unmatched retailer opportunities as it premiered
the Atlanta Apparel Market with the Fall Gift & Home Furnishings
Market and Atlanta Gourmet Market together for the first time earlier
this month.
Collectively, these markets produced a one-stop shopping experience,
allowing retailers and buyers to discover categories outside their traditional merchandise fields. AmericasMart offered 400,000 square feet of
area rug products; 600,000 square feet of home furnishings, fine linens
and accessories; and 500,000 square feet of holiday, floral and home
décor. This comprehensive product collection and cross-merchandising
opportunity took place Oct. 13-17, 2011. The Atlanta Apparel Market
took place Oct. 13-17, 2011 (Temporaries: Oct. 13-16), and the Fall Gift
& Home Furnishings Market and the Atlanta Gourmet Market was held
Oct. 14-16, 2011.
In addition, retailers benefitted from an extraordinary lineup of educational seminars, events and entertainment. Activities interwove topics
and trends covering gift, home and apparel, providing industry-specific
insight and showing the advantages of blending these categories.
One-stop Shopping: AmericasMart Combines
its Fall Markets
Walnuts Boost Cognitive Function
the
True or False: Walnuts can improve the odds of correctly answering a
true or false question. The answer is true, according to newly published
research in the British Journal of Nutrition. The study conducted by
researchers at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich., found that
walnuts – already known for being a power food – can help increase
inferential reasoning, specifically the ability to discover true from false.
Peter Pribis, associate professor of nutrition and wellness, led the study,
“Effects of Walnut Consumption on Cognitive Performance in Young
Adults.” Pribis, along with a team of student researchers, tested whether
a short, intensive supplementation of a diet with walnuts can have an
effect on memory, intuition, mood and critical thinking skills in young
adults. In short, would a walnut diet improve cognitive functions?
“We discovered that students who consumed walnuts experienced
improvement in critical thinking, specifically inferential reasoning,”
said Pribis.
Using two test groups of Andrews University students, each group ate
two slices of banana bread daily for eight weeks: one group ate banana
bread with ground walnuts and the other group ate banana bread without walnuts present. Each student was tested for inferential reasoning
by reading a short narrative followed by five statements. Students then
decided whether the statements were true, partially true, false, partially
false or there was not enough information to make a judgment.
“Students consuming walnuts showed a significant improvement in
inference after consuming one-half cup of walnuts daily for eight
weeks,” said Pribis. “Walnuts will obviously not make you a critical
thinker; this comes after years of studying. However, students and
young professionals in fields that involve a great deal of critical
thinking or decision-making could benefit from regularly eating
walnuts.” He concluded further research should be done to gain a
deeper understanding about the impact of walnuts on cognition.
Investcorp, a global provider and manager of alternative investment
products, recently announced that it had acquired kitchenware retailer
Sur La Table. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Investcorp acquired Sur La Table from the Behnke family and investment firm Freeman Spogli & Co. Both original owners will remain as
investors in the company.
With its headquarters in Seattle, Sur La Table is a multichannel retailer
that sells through 86 stores in the United States as well as through
its catalog, Web site and gift registry. It offers a broad selection of
kitchenware brands and products to assist in cooking preparation
and presentation.
“Sur La Table’s management team, led by CEO Jack Schwefel, has
built a market-leading, multichannel retailer with a unique product
offering and a high level of customer service,” said Kevin Nickelberry,
