Archives: News
Fairmont’s ‘Tour De Chocolate’ Invites People To Shop Local
Fairmont, WV – The beginning of the year can be a slow time for business owners after the rush of Christmas time is over.
Main Street Fairmont has made it an annual tradition to draw customers back into stores around town.
The seventh annual ‘Tour De Chocolate’ went off without a hitch on Saturday, despite the cold temperatures and snow.
More than 20 local businesses participated in the tour this year.
Emery’s 5 & 10 Report Steady Saturday Business
South Knoxville, TN – A day after Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett made Emery’s 5 & 10 the first “Cash Mob Hit”, employees report the success is continuing into the weekend.
In a phone interview with Channel 10, Ron Emery reports that his business has been steady all day on Saturday.
On Friday, the county mayor’s office brought the “Knox Cash Mob” movement to the business on Chapman Highway in South Knoxville. The idea is to help South Knoxville stores that have been affected by the Henley Bridge closure.
It’s Toy Fair Time and Douglas Company Is Rolling Out All Kinds of Fun!
Booth #373 is a must-stop-by booth at this year’s International Toy Fair. The designers at Douglas Company have been creating all types of wonderful new plush and fashion accessory items. Toy Fair visitors be prepared for lots of smiles and tons of joy upon viewing these new releases. From line extensions of their whimsical Fuzzles™ to trying to determine if those cats and dogs are real or not, Douglas has all kinds of fun in store for you.
New Fuzzles™: Twelve brand new Fuzzles™ are making their debut this year.
Dallas Market Center Mourns Loss of Alden Clanahan, VP of Trend Direction & Design
Dallas Market Center’s Alden Clanahan, vice president of trend direction and design, passed away on Sunday, February 5 at his apartment in Dallas, Texas.
“Alden’s untimely passing is a deep loss for our company family, for our city, and for the industries we serve,” said Bill Winsor, president and CEO, Dallas Market Center. “His keen eye and creative vision were an inspiration to every single person who walked through the Dallas marketplace.
Create A Can Gift Shop Reopens Today in Ogdensburg
Ogdensburg, NY – A novelty shop co-owner said Wednesday that a State Street location is sure to mean better visibility for her fledgling business.
“I think traffic flow and parking will be better,” said Donna J. Royce of Create A Can, which will reopen at 10 a.m. today at 637 State St., the site of the former Stewart’s Shop.
The shop features customized gift baskets using empty paint cans decorated for any occasion.
Mrs.
Still Open
Utah – Small businesses are often living on the edge.
They have tighter margins, smaller cash reserves, more to lose in hard times and fewer back-up plans if something goes wrong. So it’s no wonder with all the belt-tightening during the recession, many people expected small, locally owned businesses to take the biggest hit.
Final Report Christmasworld 2012
The trio of consumer-goods fairs in Frankfurt – Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld 2012 – closed their doors on Tuesday, 31 January, after a run distinguished by increased visitor quality and a large number of international orders. Around 87,000 trade visitors (2011: 87,903, FKM certified[1]) from 155 countries contributed to the high level of satisfaction among exhibitors. “Our trio of fairs is a genuine magnet for international buyers. And this is shown by the stable number of visitors.
Aurora World Inks Licensing Deal with Hasbro to Create Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy Plush Doll Line
Aurora World Inc. (http://www.auroragift.com) today announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with Hasbro, Inc. to bring to market a new line of plush dolls based on the iconic RAGGEDY ANN and RAGGEDY ANDY brand. Targeting youngsters and collectors alike, Aurora will produce a range of RAGGEDY ANN and RAGGEDY ANDY dolls from eight to 25 inches. The company will debut the new RAGGEDY ANN and RAGGEDY ANDY plush line at Toy Fair, February 12-15, in New York City (Javits Center, Booth #1803).
Hundreds of New Resources at NYIGF Draw Increased Attendance
With the introduction of 500 new companies – within 2,800 total exhibitors – the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) offered a wealth of new resources for buyers and attracted an increased number of individual retailers, as well as a robust gain in the number of stores attending market. The winter 2012 NYIGF edition ran January 28-February 2, at New York City’s Jacob K.
Bright Starts Announces Winners of Its First National Design Contest For Kids
Bright Starts™, the fun and delightful brand of infant and toddler products, announces the 10 winners of its first-ever Pretty in Pink 2011 PlayPlace™ Design Contest. Calling for entries in October 2011, the contest invited boys and girls from 5 to 11 years old to help inspire and create the next design for the Pretty in Pink Baby’s PlayPlace™, a playgym designed to grow along with baby.
March Blooms With Fresh Product In Atlanta
Buyer momentum and optimism continue to be powerful driving forces in retail as AmericasMart, fresh off a record-breaking January Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, readies for The Atlanta Spring Gift, Home Furnishings & Holiday Market, March 16-18. Demand for innovative products, more new lines and fresh designs remains high as retailers stay positive.
The March Market provides the opportunity to spend quality time in the showrooms.
Leanin’ Tree Donates to Children and Conservation Funds
Leanin’ Tree, Inc. is pleased to support The Children’s Health Fund and The Conservation Fund with donations totaling $24,716. Donations were based on a portion of wholesale greeting card sales from two card lines introduced in 2011.
Ripple Junction to Debut ‘Ohiya’ Brand of Pop Culture Character Merchandise at Hastings Stores Nationwide
Ripple Junction (www.ripplejunction.com), a Top 100 global apparel licensee and pop culture product powerhouse, today announced that it has partnered with Hastings, a leading multimedia entertainment retailer, to launch its highly anticipated new “Ohiya” line of character-driven merchandise to include t-shirts, toys, plushies, purses and keychains. Hastings will initially debut the line in February 2012 in 54 of its retail locations throughout the United States and also in its highly trafficked online storefront www.GoHastings.com.
Stepping Into The Past, Filberg Gift Shop Supports the Future
Vancouver, BC – Filberg Gift Shop has had a banner year! In 2010 Filberg volunteer Val Graham envisioned a re-thinking and re-opening of the Filberg Gift Shop, proposing a formal business plan for the Gift Shop to be self-sufficient, guided and operated by a volunteer committee.
Fresh-Cut Flowers Coming to A Gift to Gab
Spring Grove, MN – Attention guys! Feb. 14 is coming, and if you’re anything like me, you need all the help you can get when it comes to a Valentine’s gift for your wife or girlfriend.
Cristi and Sandy can help.
Nearly two years ago, Cristi Schulte and her aunt, Sandy Tollefsrud, opened “A Gift to Gab” in downtown Spring Grove. This week, they’re adding a whole new line to their store… fresh-cut flowers.
“We try to be unique and different,” Tollefsrud said recently. “I haven’t seen anybody do this around here. We custom-make a lot of gifts.
New Flower Shop Blooms on Madison Avenue in Sturgeon Bay
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Flowers popped up on the west side of Sturgeon Bay Jan. 9 when Door County Floral opened its doors at 60 S. Madison Ave.
Owner Jeremy Stichman and manager Kyle Hogarty were formerly designing weddings and arranging floral bouquets with Sturgeon Bay Florist on the city’s east side.
Sweets for the Sweet
Concord, NH – When you walk into Granite State Candy Shoppe on Warren Street this week, you’ll notice right away that there is a holiday coming up. It’s almost Valentine’s Day and many things in the store right now are red – boxes, bows, and candies – all ready for the celebrating.
“Soon, it will be all bunnies,” noted Jeff Bart, whose family has owned and operated the story for nearly 90 years.
Valentine’s Day is probably the busiest single day for sales with the Christmas season being the busiest season.
FundHub Partners With Faber-Castell
FundHub, the first sales agency focused on the fundraising channel announced their new partnerships with Faber-Castell. Faber-Castell is the latest addition to a line package that includes Mud Pie, Wellspring, Greenleaf Gifts, Bridgewater Candle and Boston International and is limited to 12 vendors exclusively. In addition to its sales force, FundHub will be leveraging their state of the art website that will debut February 13 to allow even the most remote of schools opportunity to participate in an exciting fundraising campaign.
Strong Demand for Local Art
Warwick, AU – COLOURFULLY dyed material, handcrafted quilts and placemats, and intricate oil paintings hang on the walls at Just Because – but those wanting to purchase the locally made items had better be quick.
The coffee lounge at the local gift shop was packed last Wednesday when the art exhibition From the Past to the Present was opened.
Local artists Sue Johnson, Nicolette Dixon, Ann Hayward and Dorothy Devine have come together to showcase their talents in their individual styles.
Gift for Life’s 20th Anniversary Party for Life Raises Record Funds
Gift for Life, the gift, stationery and home decor industries’ sole charitable organization, announced today that its Party for Life event raised $208,000. The 20th Annual event was held on Sunday, January 29, at the Central Park Boathouse and welcomed hundreds of industry attendees.
“A generous industry truly delivered dramatic results as we combined fun with fundraising,” said Leslie Nathan-Street, Gift for Life chairperson. “To date we have raised nearly $5 million for HIV/AIDS research and assistance through the generous help of sponsors and party attendees.