DaySpring has announced the addition of Mark McKane as the new senior vice president of retail for the Siloam Springs, Arkansas-based Christian card and gift company.

“I am pleased that an executive of Mark’s extensive experience and background has chosen to join our DaySpring team,” said James Barnett, president of DaySpring. “Mark brings both business acumen and a heart for people that I believe will contribute significantly to DaySpring’s future success.”

Saved by Grace (savedbygrace.org), a Christian clothing line dedicated to assisting homeless families in shelters across the nation, this week announced a planned donation of 1,000 garments to Buckhead Christian Ministry (buckheadchristianministry.org) at the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS). The CBA convention will be held June 22-25 in Atlanta.

Saved by Grace recently launched the Grace for Two Project (GF2P, gracefortwo.org), which provides clothing to homeless families in shelters through a buy one, give one model with participating retailers and ambassadors from universities and churches.

Heaven Is for Real is making its mark as a No. 1 New York Times best-selling book and as a box-office movie hit. With Akiane painting a portrait of Jesus in the film, new attention has been drawn to the artist’s work, including related Art & SoulWorks gift products.

The company is releasing a 2015 Prince of Peace Fine Art Wall Calendar with Akiane’s famed portrait of Christ along with her other inspirational art and related encouraging scriptures.

Munce Group is inviting all Christian retailers to its second CPE at AmericasMart. Although the debut event in January was held mid-week, the July CPE will be held on a Saturday as there is greater traffic to AmericasMart on the weekend.

“One of the great ‘constants’ of working in this industry is newness of opportunities as we continue to see changes in the way we do business,” said Kirk Blank, president of Munce Group. “Several publishers and retailers asked the Munce Group to host a day at AmericasMart in Atlanta in January and July. Retailers who are going to AmericasMart in July can stop by Building 1, Room 1004 at AmericasMart on Saturday, July 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.”

AmericasMart Atlanta offers 35 tradeshow categories and more than 2,500 temporary exhibiting companies at The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market running July 8-15. Retailers can look forward to a great magnitude of product introductions at the July Temporary Market (July 10-14) as well.

“The excitement for the July market is palpable,” said Jo Ann Miller Marshall, executive vice president of tradeshows for AmericasMart. “Our exhibitors are eager to show off new lines and products, and our buyers cannot wait to visit their existing vendors and to discover new collections.”

Father’s Day spending is expected to dip slightly this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2014 Father’s Day Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The average person will spend $113.80 on neckties, tools, electronics and other special gifts for dad, slightly down from $119.84 last year. Total spending for the holiday is expected to reach $12.5 billion.

“Knowing both cost and sentiment are important to their shoppers, retailers this Father’s Day will make sure to offer promotions on a variety of gift options, including home improvement items, tools and even apparel,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “As more people look for ‘experience gifts’ with tickets to baseball games or a day on the golf course, retailers will also make sure to promote their gift cards for families hoping to create the perfect gift package.”

Piper Jaffray has completed its 27th semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens market research project. The survey signals a potential point of stability, with spending contracting by just 1% from fall 2013 compared to sequential declines in the mid-single digits previously.

“Over the 13-year history of our survey, we have observed notable changes in the brands teens aspire to own and wear, the influences that direct what they buy, and how teens are consuming, interacting with and sharing the brands they love,” said Steph Wissink, co-director of investment research and senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray. “The universal truths about teens remain the same—they continue to seek peer affirmation, their spending is almost entirely discretionary, and they are early adopters of change. What’s different about this generation of teens versus prior is that they are non-conformists, they seek experiences over products, and they align with brands that are practical yet cool.”