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Buyer Attendance Doubles at the July Edition of California Market Center’s Gift & Home Market
The California Market Center (CMC) hosted the CMC Gift & Home Market, Tuesday – Tuesday, July 24 – 31, 2012. This edition of Market offered an even larger variety of Gift & Home merchandise with the arrival of premier showrooms Joy To The World Collectibles Inc., and Bridgeport Gallery. The new showrooms join thousands of gift, home, fashion, accessory and kids resources throughout the building. Furthermore, retailer and designer attendance doubled compared to last July’s Market, creating a palpable, positive energy throughout the showrooms.
Las Vegas Market Sets 2013 and 2014 Market Dates
Officials with Las Vegas Market announced dates for the Winter and Summer shows for the next two years.
In 2013, the Winter Las Vegas Market will take place January 28-Feb 1, 2013 and the Summer Las Vegas Market will be held July 29-August 2, 2013.
A Space That WOWs
Laramie, WY – Works of Wyoming (WOW) has always been about helping artists get their feet wet.
Their gift shop and workshop space in downtown Laramie is just another step in that effort.
“This is a great space for people who are not really ready jump in,” WOW coordinator Gayle Wilson said about the non-profit’s new downtown gift shop at 211 S. First Saturday. “It’s a way to dip your toe into the water without committing to a large body of work or that kind of thing. That really helps people get started.
Retailer Has it in her Blood
Bundaberg, Australia – EXPERIENCED Bundaberg retailer Lorraine Gorza has started her fifth retail project, this one a gift shop called Little Birdy.
Mrs Gorza is a veteran in the retail space, having done her “apprenticeship” working at the Bundaberg branches of David Jones and Sportsgirl in the 1980s.
“I did retail when I was younger, then I married a farmer and had children,” Mrs Gorza said.
KFI Plans ‘Cash Mob’ to Help Ailing O.C. Toy Store
Corona Del Mar, CA – Toy Boat Toy Boat Toy Boat, the struggling toy boutique that’s been a fixture in the community for nearly 50 years, will get a much-needed boost Tuesday from AM radio show host Bill Handel of KFI 640.
Owners of the retailer said they were facing the prospect of closure this week because of financial problems. Handel, who will be at the store from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Build Loyalty, and Business, With a Reward Program for Customers
I’m a bit of a reward points junkie. All things being equal, I will go out of my way to shop at a store or with a vendor where my business is being tracked and I get something in return, such as points, a discount or a free gift. I am sure I am not alone.
Yet, while many admit to enjoying loyalty programs as consumers, how many of us offer them, as businesses, to our customers? Not enough.
Rewarding customers for their loyalty doesn’t need to be an expensive endeavour. You don’t need an Aeroplan or an Air Miles program to attract customers.
Cottage Garden’s Collegiate Line is a Success
Cottage Garden’s launch into the Collegiate category created an immediate impact on that industry. Capitalizing on the popularity of their best- selling music boxes, Cottage Garden has introduced boxes featuring collegiate logos, but the key to the product line success was the inclusion of collegiate fight songs. “Customers would be walking down the halls of the various trade marts and glance into the window at our collegiate display.
Creative Women’s New Tablecloth Sports Blue Ribbons … and Green and Gray
Hair Ribbons, Blue Ribbons (it is Olympic season again), Ribbons of caramel laced through vanilla ice-cream, lovely gifts decorated with Ribbons, and now Creative Women’s new Ribbon Collection. Can we call it a collection if we only have one piece … the Ribbon Tablecloth?
There’s more to come, but for now, we’ve taken the ribbon concept, tweaked it by weaving ribbons of thick colored yarn through a natural, hand-woven, 100% Ethiopian cotton tablecloth. The ribbons add texture to a flat surface and a bit of whimsy to the table.
Treasures Features Jewels, Art, Cards and Baubles
Lewes, DE – Treasures, the name of a new shop on Second Street in Lewes, tells shoppers exactly what they’ll find inside.
“We have sterling silver jewelry, home decor and more. That’s our slogan,” said Michiko Seto, owner of the shop that opened Memorial Day weekend.
Treasures is in the building once occupied by Trader’s, Lewes’ decades-old jewelry and gift shop that closed this spring.
Seto said in one week, the shop’s interior was repainted and new floor coverings were installed.
Join the Party on Event Avenue at The Hobby Shop
Aberdeen, NJ – The Hobby Shop pulsed with excitement as children jumped up and down and shouted out answers to pop culture questions during an intense round of Five Second Rule.
All twenty kids were participating in the summer camp program, inside the store’s new activity area: Event Avenue.
Event Avenue was created as a designated space for events, programs, classes and birthday parties hosted by the Hobby Shop, explained employee Cathy Zavoskas. The shop celebrated Event Avenue’s grand opening in June.
It’s a Shop-Within-a-Shop Solution: Artists Team up to Sell Their Wares From Shared Space
St. Paul, MN – Angela White Smith wanted to open a bricks-and-mortar shop in downtown St. Paul, but it seemed too risky in this down economy.
So Smith and others are hedging their bets on a new idea — opening a larger retail space and sharing it with other aspiring shop owners.
“I know there are small-business owners like myself who could never afford a space of their own but want to be in a retail environment,” said Smith, who last month opened Uniquely Attainable and Friends with about a dozen others in St. Paul Lowertown’s Jax Building.
PMI/Ne’Qwa Art Announce Fall Retailer Artist Events
The remarkable centuries-old tradition of painting scenes and images inside glass ornaments will be demonstrated for consumers during a series of in-store events hosted by retailers coast-to-coast. Ne’Qwa artist Trieste will intricately paint in reverse, demonstrating the ancient Asian technique known as Ne’Qwa.
Each year, Trieste shares her artistic talents with Ne’Qwa enthusiasts as she travels to gift retailers across the country.
In New Mexico, A Brittle Treat That Smolders
Las Cruces, NM – In Las Cruces, a candy shop whips up nut brittle made with red and green chili powder almost daily. Luis Flores’ parents started in the candy business four decades ago. Today, you’ll find his spicy brittle in farmer’s markets and gift shops across the Southwest.
New Mexicans can get a little carried away with their chile peppers. There’s chile beer, chile pizza, chile ice cream — you can find the smoldering flavors of chile peppers in just about anything.
And then there’s chile brittle.
Cash Mob Descends on Ladybug Boutique in Middletown
Middletown, CT – The Downtown Business District organized its first ever “cash mob” Friday afternoon to benefit Ladybug Boutique at 122 College St.
“Cash mobs” are a recent trend among small businesses, where a group of people are assembled and descend on a pre-selected business to make purchases to help support the business and generate regular customers.
“It’s our first one,” said Quentin Phipps, executive director of the Middletown Downtown Business District. “We’ll see how it goes. We’re just learning.”
Exploring Downtown Truro
Truro, NS – Have you ever heard the expression, ‘life is what happens while you’re making other plans?’
That’s how Danielle Sawada and Jeff Benetti, owners of Thrown Together Pottery, ended up in Nova Scotia with a pottery business in Truro that developed more or less by accident. Sawada and Benetti moved here from Toronto in 1997.
Why?
“Partly for the adventure of it and partly because we had two small children and Toronto was not where we wanted to raise them,” said Jeff. “Admittedly, we were somewhat reckless.”
Bella Pilar added to Santa Barbara’s Stellar Licensing Gallery
Santa Barbara Design Studio, a leading resource for design-driven, hand-finished tabletop, and home décor accessories, proudly introduces Bella Pilar to their spectacular lineup of artists for July 2012.
Santa Barbara Design Studio is known for product quality and attention to detail. “At Santa Barbara Design Studio, we have a passion for finding what’s next.
A Unique Mission
Kearney, NE – Pots and figurines made from recycled newspaper line the shelves. Thumb pianos made from recycled cans are displayed along with intricately crafted drums and pan flutes.
These unique items are just a few that fill the Ten Thousand Villages store in downtown Kearney.
Ten Thousand Villages began in 1946 when Edna Ruth Byler, a volunteer for Mennonite Central Committee, visited a sewing class in Puerto Rico where she discovered a group of women creating hand-sewn textiles.
Cinnamon Bun Flavored Hot Chocolate
Gourmet du Village’s latest addition to their line of hot chocolates is a new Cinnamon Bun flavor; sweet cinnamon and chocolate with mini-marshmallows. Gourmet du Village is the premier hot chocolate supplier in North America with 25 different flavors including Dessert flavors, No Sugar Added flavors and rich Dark Chocolate flavors. Gourmet du Village offers over 50 different packaging designs including single serve, mug gifts, cones, stockings and more.
Two NYIGF Initiatives Recognize Exemplary “Green” Products
Two New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) initiatives connected with NYIGF’s SustainAbility: design for a better world® exhibit will recognize exemplary eco-friendly and socially responsible products connected with the summer 2012 market: Twenty-four products have been selected as finalists in the 6th semi-annual Eco Choice Awards; and seven products have been designated as achieving NYIGF’s highest “Degrees of SustainAbility” status. NYIGF runs August 18-22, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 & 94.
Leading Gift and Home Sales Agencies to Implement VMi iPad Sales App
More than twenty leading sales agencies throughout the gift and home industry have signed with Brandwise to incorporate its newVisual Merchandiser for iPad (VMi) application into their showroom and road sales process.