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Holiday Retail Sales Expected to Make an Impact
Poor forgotten Thanksgiving Day.
It’s All Fun and Games at Downtown Plainfield Shop
Plainfield, IL – If you’re looking to spend some quality time with family or friends — or just hoping to snag the perfect gift for that hobby gamer in your life — you’ll find what you’re looking for at The Wandering Dragon Game Shoppe in downtown Plainfield.
The family run shop, located on the second floor of the historic Steiner building at 24026 W. Lockport St., opened June 30 and has already found its niche with game lovers, according to owner Kevin Martin.
“So far it’s been encouraging,” he said of the traffic at the downtown Plainfield shop.
Hip Chics Focuses on Collectibles, Gifts, Christian Focus
Clemmons, NC – Word-of-mouth, from her years working as a wedding consultant, helped Kristina Prysiazniuk when she opened Hip Chics Boutique on Lewisville-Clemmons Road in March 2007.
The Webkinz didn’t hurt, either.
Those furry creatures, which were all the rage among tots and tweens in 2007 and 2008, were a customer-magnet for Hip Chics, which got in on the craze early.
“It was on fire,” recalled Debbie McCaffrey, the store manager. “We were selling a dozen a day.”
How to Find the Perfect Gift and Support Local Businesses
It’s hard to imagine a community that thrives without the help of local businesses. One of the best ways to show that you value a community with unique local businesses is to shop at those establishments.
The holiday shopping season is the perfect time to explore what the local businesses in your neighborhood have to offer.
William Bounds Adds Over Thirty New Pepper, Salt and Spice Mills to Its “Made in the USA” Line
William Bounds expands its 100% American-made line of pepper, salt and spice mills, to give specialty retailers more opportunities to wave the American flag and build sales throughout the year. With more than 30 new SKUs, the mills are identified with red, white and blue “Made in the USA” ribbons.
The highly durable Made in the USA mills feature the exclusive William Bounds three-step adjustment ring for a fine, medium or coarse grind. To maximize fresh flavor, the proprietary William Bounds milling mechanism crushes rather than grinds ingredients, releasing full flavor.
New Kuhn Rikon Baguette Knife Colori: A Must-Have for Bread Lovers
Combining a slice of whimsy with new practicality, the new Kuhn Rikon Baguette Knife Colori® is designed to make a clean and easy cut through crusty baguettes and other French breads.
This attractive wheat colored knife has a shape reminiscent of a loaf of French bread. Featuring a gently scalloped edge and a long handle for maximum maneuverability, this baguette knife is perfect for creating small bites or big sandwiches, without crushing or tearing the bread.
The 10.25-inch blade is made of high-quality Japanese carbon steel, with convenient nonstick coating.
Colorful Kuhn Rikon Silicone Splatter Guards for Frying, Sautéing, Microwaving, Draining, Baking and More
A multifunctional marvel, the new Splatter Guard from Kuhn Rikon will come in handy every day in the kitchen. It can serve as a splatter guard on the stove, a microwave-safe cover, a strainer, and even as an oven-safe baking sheet.
Naturally non-stick, Kuhn Rikon’s colorful Silicone Splatter Guard is made of FDA-approved, food-grade silicone that is microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe, and oven safe up to 450 degrees F. Stain and odor resistant, it won’t transfer flavor from one task to the next.
Museum Shop at Fall River Historical Society Features Season’s Eatings
Fall River, MA – The brandy butter and brown bread with raisins are surely going to be in more than a few Christmas stockings this year.
Add some beach plum jam, a tin of biscuits from England, Bellagio hot cocoa and old-fashioned Christmas pudding, and it’s a gourmet feast.
One might think these delicacies are from a catalog or specialty store, but they’re actually from a little shop on Rock Street that has garnered quite the following.
The Museum Shop at the Fall River Historical Society has become a first stop for many Christmas shoppers.
Casual Furniture, Miniature Gardens and Birding Share the Outdoor Living Spotlight in January
January is the perfect time for all retailers to think “outdoors” to plan for warm-weather sales, and the product mix in Living. Outdoor/Indoor.® The Gardens.® at AmericasMart® Atlanta is the perfect source for all that’s new—inside and out. Casual furniture, miniature gardening and birding & backyard nature are among the top concepts trending for early 2013 and showcased at The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market®, Jan. 9-16, 2013 (Temporaries Jan.
Woodstock Chimes Puts Creative “Spin” on its Rainbow Makers
Woodstock Chimes, a leading manufacturer of musically-tuned windchimes, continues to build on the success of its ever-popular Woodstock Rainbow Makers™ Collection with its new Crystal Spiral series. The series incorporates the collection’s iconic Austrian crystals with a fun mobile-like design. Each item features small, rainbow or rose-colored glass crystal “dancers” that delicately move in the breeze, leading the way to the larger clear Austrian crystal drop at the end. The crystal drops are in ball, heart or icicle shapes.
U.S. Greeting Card Association Releases 2012 Christmas Card Figures, Trends
The Greeting Card Association (GCA) expects approximately 1.6 billion Christmas cards (both boxed and individual cards) to be purchased in the U.S. this year – reflecting the continued strength of the Christmas card category and the cultural significance of this important holiday tradition among consumers.
Christmas Card Sending Trends
Sales for individual Christmas cards, which are generally selected for just one recipient, are increasing year-over-year.
Dallas Market Center Honored as a Top 100 Place to Work in D-FW for the 2nd Consecutive Year
Dallas Market Center (DMC) today announced that The Dallas Morning News has recognized DMC as one of the Top 100 Places to Work in D-FW for 2012. The best places to work list includes 30 large companies, 35 midsize companies and 35 small companies. Dallas Market Center falls under the category of midsized companies and has climbed 10 spots from number 27 to 17 in 2012.
DMC was also honored for “The Next Big Give,” an annual contest which searches for independent retailers who give back in their communities.
Big Additions in Dallas for January: More than 100,000 Square Feet of New Resources
Dallas Market Center today announced that the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, being held Jan. 16-22, 2013, will introduce more than 100,000 square feet of new resources from hundreds of new exhibitors during the seven-day show. The Market is held in conjunction with the Dallas Temp Show, Jan. 18-21; the Dallas International Lighting Market, Jan. 17-21; and the Dallas Holiday & Home Expo, Jan. 16-22.
“We’re seeing an upswing in companies eager to bring their products to market in Dallas,” said Bill Winsor, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center.
Brass Lantern Brings Specialty Gift Store to Growing Sycamore Street Corridor in Newtown
Newtown, PA – Sycamore Street continues its transformation into a vibrant, walkable business district with the arrival of The Brass Lantern, a specialty gift store brimming with Christmas.
After 30 years at Carousel Village in nearby Wrightstown Township, owners Roger and Nancy Anderson are open for business in the 1800s Brooks House at 221 Sycamore Street, formerly the home of Carriage House Collection.
“We’re excited to be in Newtown,” said Roger. “It’s a perfect location for us and we’re looking forward to welcoming our old customers and meeting new ones.”
GIANTmicrobes, Inc. Announces Big New Line-up of Contagiously Cute Toys and Collectibles for Christmas
Trim your trees and fill your stockings with new ornaments and toys from GIANTmicrobes, Inc. (www.giantmicrobes.com), the innovative designers of collectible toys inspired by the microscopic world.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121112/NE10948 )
Like other GIANTmicrobes® products, the new additions are humorously educational toys modeled on electron micrographs, enlarged a million times actual size. Each includes an image and information about the microbe it represents.
Twigs & Tides is The New Kid on the Block
Wareham, MA – Less than a week after opening her store Twigs & Tides, Margee Millspaugh is a natural who seems like she’s been doing this forever.
The former marketing executive for several high-tech Boston corporations greets customers and strikes up easy conversation, talking about the marketing strategies she might use for her new store on Main Street in Wareham.
“We were going to put a bathtub in the window, with one of our ladies in it — but the only problem was, we couldn’t figure out how to keep the water warm,” Millspaugh jokes.
The store opened Nov., 5 and Mills
On Wisconsin: Small Towns Gear up for Holiday Season
Evansville, WI – Shelley Meredith was a little hurried when I met up with her last week at the business she manages in this city’s quaint downtown.
Christmas can do that to a retailer.
Meredith doesn’t sell flat-screen televisions, peddle iPhones or have aisles of board games and toys.
But that doesn’t mean this time of the year is laid back or not important to the bottom line. The Hometown Pharmacy she manages is a gift shop, a place to buy cards, home décor items and holiday decorations for all seasons.
How Social Media Helps Small Businesses
The most important tool a business needs to fix its social media content strategy can’t be bought online or found on a blog or in a chat room.
Social media’s all-in-one tool is patience.
“For all the social media obstacles small businesses face, all of them are self-imposed,” said Meghan Gargan, a social media marketing guru. “Small business people get overwhelmed by the idea of social media and it paralyzes them.
“The reality is you can maintain all your social media channels in 10 to 20 minutes a day if you know how.”
Cash Mob Helps Out Local Business
Logansport, IN – With hushed voices and a secretive air, a group of about 15 women sneaked around the side of Village Peddler and flooded through the door to surprise store owner Cindy Meister.
The “Surprise Cash Mob” was organized on Facebook and intended to bring in a large group of customers from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday to support the local business at 1828 E. Broadway.
Art & Gift Gallery at the Adobe Opens for Holiday Shopping
Agoura Hills, CA – Agoura Hills will be bringing a new kind of holiday shopping experience to the public this season with the Art & Gift Gallery at the Adobe.
The gallery store, located in the historic barn at the Reyes Adobe Historical Site (RAHS), will feature many handmade crafts and gifts–jewelry, scarves, aprons, bags, cards, candles, decorative items, books and more.