Archives: News
Local Art Made to Wear
Bowling Green, KY – Supporting local artist in Bowling Green is something we should all strive to do. Marsch Inspirations is a new gift shop in Bowling Green that is offering a variety of handmade garments that will have you standing out from the crowd.
Owner, Melissa Marsch-Walblay creates a wide variety of hand painted silk garments that are unlike anything you will see in any other store. From tunics to men shirts, Melissa hand stretches raw silk and mixes colors to create unique designs and patterns.
Bentley’s Offers Wide Selection of Unique Gifts
Wauwatosa, WI – When Dale Dehmlow and Jenni Guse were looking to name their new store, which specializes in unique gifts, they looked no further her dog. They view Bentley, a Boston terrier and pug mix, as truly one of a kind, so they named the store after him.
Bentley’s One of a Kind opened its doors at 8816 W. North Ave. in November, with Bentley himself greeting customers that first day.
Top Ranking Sustainable Design Honored at NYIGF
New York, NY – In the week before the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF), August 13-18, a team of expert judges has awarded seven participating exhibitors “SustainAbility 3” status – the highest ranking in the show’s Degrees of SustainAbility initiative.
Two editions of the NYIGF are held each year, with products on display ranging from home furnishings to fashion accessories and pet products.
Shopfront: How to Lift Your Average Sale Value
Ever wondered just how much more you could get from your existing customer base? It’s easy – by simply focusing on boosting the average sale value in every transaction.
Measuring this key performance indicator is the fastest way to both grow revenue and build staff engagement.
Retailers the world over use average sale as the measure to determine skill but there’s much more to achieving sustained growth and benefit to the business.
Gift Shop Features Free-trade Products
Visalia, CA – Set in what was formerly an insurance office on Mooney Boulevard, and before that the Chelsea Street Boutique, Visalia’s newest gift shop, The Greatest Gift Boutique, is a small maze of little rooms filled with gifts galore.
Chartreuse-colored walls pop against black-and-white fleur-de-lis, complementing the bright smile with which shop owner and operator Amy Raymond greets her customers.
One room features tiny infant clothes and other children’s items, another boasts a unique selection of specialty books from Bargain Books, while yet another has an array of Raymon
SnapRetail & OneCoast Launch Summer Version of Industry’s Only eShow
Technology Leader SnapRetail and leading National Sales and Marketing Company OneCoast launch their Summer eShow 2011 today, running through August 12, 2011. The eShow is the only multi-line virtual trade show for the gift, home decor and accessory industries and is presented on OneCoast.com and SnapRetail.com.
This summer eShow features top sellers from market and makes it easy for retailers to shop by most popular categories including gift, fashion, baby, holiday and more.
Dallas Market Center Announces Second Annual The Next Big Give Contest
Dallas Market Center, the world’s most complete wholesale resource, today launched the second annual The Next Big Give contest, a national search for specialty retailers that are giving back in their communities through volunteering, raising funds or donating goods.
Whether spending time serving at a local food bank, holding a fundraising event to benefit a worthy cause, or collecting goods for an organization in need – retailers generously help improve their communities.
Wine & Cheese Tasting Event to Benefit Gift For Life
Gift For Life, the gift, stationery and home décor industries’ sole charitable organization, today announced it will serve as the beneficiary of a special Wine & Cheese Tasting event being held during the Summer Gift and Home Accessories Show in Seattle, August 10 – 16, 2011.
The event will be held on Monday, August 15th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Market Center.
Buyers are invited to sample wines and cheeses from Washington and Oregon’s premier vineyards and cheesemakers while enjoying live Latin jazz by the Fred Hoadley Trio.
Hospitality Boutiques
New York, NY – The hotel shop, with its practical mix of sundries, souvenirs and candy bars, has been a predictable if uninspired lobby fixture for years. But as hotels scramble to distinguish themselves, many are rethinking their shops, upgrading and expanding merchandise and fashioning shops as destinations for both guests and local residents, much as they did with restaurants a decade ago.
More Barneys than Walgreens, shops at many upscale hotels in the United States and abroad are increasingly flaunting the trappings of high-style boutiques.
Retailers Rely On Facebook To Sell Back To School Deals
Retailers are increasingly moving their back-to-school promotions to Facebook this year, leaving expensive TV ads and newspaper circulars in the dust.
The brands have their eyes on statistics saying Facebook shopping will grow, like the data point we’ve previously covered to the effect that sales on the social network could reach $30 billion 2015
Here’s a look at what some of the nation’s top stores are putting on Facebook for the back-to-school shopping season.
Turning Hobbies Into Money-Making Opportunities
Southington, CT – With the cost of living rising on a daily basis, many people in Connecticut are turning to their creative sides to put some extra cash in their pockets.
It is not uncommon for people to find emotional and financial fulfillment through a hobby or past-time, Karen Senteio, a life coach in Hartford, said.
She encourages her clients to do a little self-discovery.
Award-Winning Books Make Great Gifts
Rosen Publishing is pleased to announce that many of its titles are appropriate for the Gift Shop market. Written specifically for children and young adults, these books sensitively explain tough subjects with age-appropriate text, or simply entertain young readers. Other books aim to just entertain this audience and are perfect gifts to entertain children and young adults. Some examples include:
Hospital Market:
-“What’s Up with Bill? Medikidz Explain Epilepsy
-“What’s Up with Ella?
Espresso Bar, Niche Gift Shop to Open in Clinton
Clinton, MA – High Street may have a future as a gift shop niche.
Theresa E. Kane, chief operating officer of the Polus Center for Social and Economic Development, 134 High St., will soon open a fair trade gift shop and espresso bar at 46 High St.
The new shop, in a former salad restaurant next to the Tinker’s Cart, and down the street from Sunrise Boutique, will sell handmade items from around the world, including pocketbooks, jewelry, dolls, pottery and clothing.
Eyeing a Portion of the Proceeds, Museums Welcome New Experiments in Retail
La Jolla, CA – In an effort to en (rich) museum-going experiences, something new is popping up. Pop-up shops are being added to exhibitions, pairing show themes with related products to give visitors more to peruse and to provide museums and merchants with profit-sharing perks. Note: These are not your average gift shops.
Erica Ashley Hecht of E.A. Vintage operates a pop-up shop at San Diego Museum of Art. Photo Susan DeMaggio It’s a win-win for all concerned, according to Erica Ashley Hecht of E.A.
Tax-free Holiday Drives Brisk Sales in Area
Blue Ridge, NC – Other than maybe a swimming pool or a cool mountain stream, residents apparently are finding the best way to spend a hot, muggy weekend is inside an air-conditioned store … saving money.
So far, local retail businesses are deeming this year’s tax-free holiday a rousing success.
“(Friday) was awesome,” A.J. Pyatt, a sales associate at the Mast General Store in downtown Hendersonville, said Saturday morning. “We sold a lot of backpacks, shoes — a little bit of everything. I’m looking forward to today.”
Kids Still Crazy About Coonskin Caps
Sioux City, IA – Back in the Fabulous Fifties, young’uns loved their Davy Crockett coonskin caps more than they loved Lucy. The coonskin cap was so cool, in fact, Jack, that it gave birth to the whole concept of products being sold to capitalize on the popularity of a movie or TV show, of which “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier” was both, the first 3 episodes of the “Disneyland” TV series eventually hitting the big screen as a movie.
It’s a merchandising move that predated the “Star Wars” product blitz by a couple of decades.
Gourmet and Organic Edibles for Pets Take Off
Los Angeles, CA – When Gabriel, a 10-year-old rescue cat, tucks into his morning meal, you won’t see any Friskies or Meow Mix in his bowl. Ahi tuna and duck are more the ticket.
“I think there’s more than enough pesticides and chemicals and that kind of stuff in human food,” says Gabriel’s owner, Jason Lanum, on a recent expedition to Urban Pet, a Los Angeles specialty pet store. “I eat natural food, and I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t give it to my cat.”
These days, our pets may be eating better than we are.
Stores Looking for edge on Tax-free Weekend
Boston, MA – The Massachusetts sales tax holiday isn’t until next weekend, but retailers are already gearing up for one of their busiest days of the year.
Local businesses are launching advertising campaigns, beefing up staff, ordering more merchandise, and offering additional discounts to capitalize on an influx of shoppers on Aug.
Eleanor’s Byre Gift Shop and Dewar’s Lane Granary Share Award
Northumberland, UK – A FARM byre which is now a magnet for buyers landed an award for its successful trading last night.
Eleanor’s Byre at Embleton Mill Farm in Northumberland was converted into a high-quality gift shop last year.
Last night, at the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership awards, the byre was joint winner in the Building Design category with Dewar’s Lane Granary in Berwick.
The awards event, held at the Sun Hotel, Warkworth, acknowledges, promotes and celebrates excellence in the care, management and development of the