Archives: News
World Market Center Las Vegas Offers Stellar Lineup of Educational and Design-centric Seminars at Winter 2012 Las Vegas Market
World Market Center Las Vegas will present an exciting lineup of complimentary educational seminars during the upcoming Winter 2012 Las Vegas Market, Jan. 30 – Feb. 3, 2012.
Winter 2012 Las Vegas Market will feature thought leaders in all corners of the furniture, design and business worlds. Retailers will benefit from new ideas and best practices in powerful selling and marketing techniques and a distinguished panel discussion highlighting the latest in eco-friendly options.
Libertyville Store Donates 1,800 Meals to Food Bank
Libertyville, IL – Kristine Knutson had never heard of Flex Watches until early November 2010.
“My daughter saw this product on MTV and said, ‘Mom, you have to carry this in your shop because it’s right up your alley,” said Knutson, owner of How Impressive!, 326 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville.
Knutson would have ordered the colorful watches for the store sooner but they did not arrive at her store until two days before Christmas.
Main St. Retailers Say People Shopped Local Over Holidays
East Greenwich, RI – Call it a perfect retail storm: good weather, a national “shop local” movement and a hot jewelry store. The combination resulted in better sales, according to several Main Street merchants.
Unlike December 2010, which saw more than one snow storm, December 2011 was mild and dry, making a stroll on Main Street a pleasure rather than a hardship.
And the holiday season kicked off with the American Express Shop Local campaign that returned some money to buyers who used their Amex cards at certain smaller retailers.
Business Spotlight: A Child’s Delight
San Rafael, CA – What Do They Offer?
In a time of big box companies and online mega sites, imagination still reigns at A Child’s Delight. Step inside the cozy boutique, located at the newly renovated Northgate One in Terra Linda, and be transported back to days of yore. They offer classic toys focused on education and creativity instead of electronic gadgets and lights. Simply, mindful play is a top priority.
Who Are They?
This is a local business, through and through. Owners Deborah and Jonathan Meyer are residents of Terra Linda.
Partners Expand Salon, Boutique With Home Furnishings Store
Westport, CT – Two friends who run a hair salon and a clothing boutique under the same roof recently expanded into a space next door to add a home furnishings shop to their offerings.
In November, Maria Casabianca and Jessica Ryan opened Casa Ryan at 24 Railroad Place after knocking down a wall to join the new furnishings store with Soma Boutique, Casabianca’s clothing store, and Jessica Ryan Salon, owned by Ryan.
The duo from Westport decided to become business partners with the opening of the new shop to capitalize on Casabianca’s experience in the fashion world and Ryan’s fla
Buy Michigan Initiative Sparks State’s Economy
Ferndale, MI – Say “bye-bye” to foreign products and buy Michigan!
That’s what the owners of more than 30 Michigan-based companies and non-profits are hoping customers will do. They featured their products at the Great Lakes Showcase at the Southfield Westin Hotel on Monday.
“If Michigan people buy Michigan stuff, the economy will improve for everyone.
Beads, Bags, More Featured at New Mt. Pleasant Shop
Mt. Pleasant, PA – Newly opened “Tina’s Bead Basket,” located at the In-Town Shops in Mt. Pleasant, offers shoppers beads, bags and much more.
Owned and operated by Tina Kelly of Ruffsdale, the new store offers shoppers a boutique-style experience with designer bags, accessories and dozens of European beads to choose from for creating bracelets or necklaces.
“I started with beads, and I got addicted to them,” Kelly said of the bead art design that became her passion.
Uniqe Well Received
Orland, CA – Orland’s newest gift store has a different name and different types of merchandise compared to other places in town.
Uniqe offers knick knacks and wall hangings from Africa, India and Asia, jewelry, clothing, purses, scarves and hats along with motorcycle apparel and accessories.
It also has a smoke shop with a variety of tobacco products and seasonal wares tied to holidays.
There are wooden boxes, wind chimes, Bob Marley T-shirts, bags and scarves — even Australian boomerangs.
Peaceable Kingdom Forecasts 2012 Game Trends – Cooperative Board Games & Preschool Skills-Builder Games
The basic lessons of childhood haven’t changed much over the years. Author Robert Fulghum said it best in his poem All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten — share, play fair, clean up and so on. What has changed over the years are the array of educational toys and games that preschoolers can benefit from — before they enter school. Juvenile product development expert Peaceable Kingdom launches five games in the hot categories of cooperative and preschool skills-builder that makes playtime a time to share, play fair, and have fun.
Final Holiday Numbers Top Expectations
Washington, DC – After a season full of peaks and valleys, final figures for retailers’ 2011 holiday sales beat expectations, rising 4.1% to $471.5 billion year-over year. Earlier forecasts by the National Retail Federation were for a lower 3.8% growth.
Seasonally adjusted, December retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) decreased 0.06% from November.
Omni Celebrates its 30th Birthday with 30% off Wholesale
“30% off wholesale! It’s the ultimate way to celebrate 30 years of partnerships with great vendors and great customers”, exclaims Jim Berk, President of the Omni Sales and Marketing Group headquartered in Dallas’ World Trade Center.
SnapRetail Joins Forces With Parable
At CBA’s Next 2012 event in Atlanta, The Parable Group, Inc. announced a strategic partnership with SnapRetail to offer unique, innovative and simple digital marketing solutions to all independent CBA retailers.
The ink has just dried on the agreement between Parable and SnapRetail. The joining of these two forces provides new and easy-to-use digital marketing services to any Christian retailer.
Urban Expositions Blazes New Trail for March 2012 Portland Gift & Accessories Show
Now owned and managed by Urban Expositions, the Portland Gift & Accessories Show will return to the Oregon Convention Center March 3-5, 2012 with an earlier spring date pattern offering retailers the ideal opportunity to get a jump start on the busy Easter, Mother’s Day and summer buying seasons.
G. De Brekht Unveils 2012 Line at Winter Markets
The 2012 line from G. DeBrekht Artistic Studios includes two unique programs that will set it apart within the gift industry.
The first is that G. DeBrekht is bringing the majority of its Old World folk art line to its California studios, where for the past 10 years have been creating the first original artwork for reproduction and in 2010 started a new experience using American painters.
Prinz Premieres 2012 Wedding/Anniversary Collection
A wedding is the most cherished day in a couple’s life, and the memories surrounding it deserve to be elegantly displayed so they can be fondly remembered for years to come. For 2012, Northbrook-based Prinz is pleased to present an extensive bridal collection, featuring a new selection of frames and coordinating albums to commemorate the beauty and love of this milestone occasion.
The new additions to the 2012 wedding collection feature a variety of formats, styles and price points.
AmericasMart Celebrates Outstanding Visual Creativity With Visual Display Awards
With The Visual Display Award, AmericasMart celebrated visual excellence in both permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits at the nation’s only global wholesale trade event of 2012: The Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market Jan. 11-18 (Temporaries: Jan. 13-17), with the Atlanta International Area Rug Market featuring the National Oriental Rug Show taking place Jan. 12-15 (Temporaries: Jan.
MFA Captures Festive “Time” Of Season!
A Christmas clock not only tells time, it can also tell a story about the holidays. The Keith Kimberlin Puppy and Kitty Christmas Carol Clocks from Mark Feldstein & Associates, inc. (MFA), a Product Development Company and Importer of unique housewares and gifts, capture the unique personalities of these precious animals and their holiday spirit.
These 8-inch clock dials feature adorable puppy and kitten images, by world-renowned animal photographer Keith Kimberlin, as they dress up for the holidays.
New Flower and Jewelry Shop Opening in Maplewood
Maplewood, MO – Local artists Kate Vallaroy and Allyson Wilmowski know that two heads are better than one, and two people with creative minds are even better.
The entrepreneurs are opening a new store called Screaming Mimi at 2718 Sutton Boulevard—the former location for O’Malley’s Irish Gift Shop—early next month, specializing in unique jewelry, accessories and flower arrangements.
Vallaroy currently owns and operates Red Anvil, a jewelry and flower arrangement company. She sells her wares at St. Louis-area craft shows and teaches jewelry-making workshops out of her home.
Holiday Shopping: Merchants Ring up Robust Sales
Wilton, CT – Drawn by the mild weather and a national small business promotion, shoppers helped boost holiday sales in local stores this season, with most merchants in an informal survey reporting better results than last year.
“We did very well, better than last season,” said Isabelle G. Bell, owner of Bella & Co. in Cannondale, which sells “locally made, globally inspired jewelry, fine gifts and accessories.” Ms. Bell attributed some of the boost in sales to Small Business Saturday, a national promotion by American Express that took place on Nov.
Former Downtown Clothing Store Manager Branches Out
Royal Oak, MI – Starting a women’s clothing and accessories boutique certainly wasn’t a “walk in the park” for life-long Royal Oak resident Sandra Rome, but she credits part of the decor inside Studio Sandra to a stroll through Wagner Park on the city’s north side.
Most of the items Rome sells are on hangars or folded on shelves. She decided to take creative liberty with handbag displays, hanging them on long tree branches she picked up off the ground at Wagner Park and secured by rope to an unfinished ceiling.
“At Christmas, (the branches) held chimes,” she said.