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Local chocolatier wows Seattle trade show
Deadwood — People in the Seattle area liked what they tasted when they experienced Chubby Chipmunk truffles for the first time during a July 12 show.
The Deadwood chocolate shop, owned by Mary “Chip” Tautkus, brought home some awards and new customers in its first out-of-state competition.
The Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon held its second annual tasting awards and Tautkus decided to take an entry and join the two dozen other chocolate makers involved. Chubby Chipmunk won first prize for top toffee and second place in best truffle, best gift set and best overall.
A post-recession prosperity plan
Americans have put themselves on a budget. In the first quarter of 2009, the personal savings rate hit to 5.2 percent.
#1 Wall Street Journal and New York Times Bestseller to Present Keynote at GHTA Conference
Grand Rapids, Mich.: The Gift and Home Trade Association (GHTA), the industry’s non-profit professional trade association, announced that #1 Wall Street Journal and New York Times Bestseller, Keith McFarland will present the keynote address at its 7th Annual Conference to be held in Scottsdale/Chandler, Arizona, on November 19-21, 2009. McFarland will speak to companies about strategic growth, despite a challenging economy.
Where lefties are always right
New York — President Obama and his fellow southpaws have cause for celebration this week: Thursday marks the 18th annual International Left-Handers Day. But for entrepreneur Margaret Majua, founder of Lefty’s San Francisco, every day is an occasion to give thanks for lefties.
Majua spotted an ad two years ago for a strange-looking writing instrument called the Yoropen.
Ateliers d’Art de France brings French talents to Accent on Design® at the New York International Gift Fair
Paris – Ateliers d’Art de France, the French federation for craft professionals, unites six design-driven French manufacturers to showcase their collections at the CreatedinFrance® pavilion in the Accent on Design® division of the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF).
Bringing French craftsmanship to New York through fine design, high quality manufacture and unmatched style at the CreatedinFrance® pavilion will provide event visitors with exclusive ideas for gifts, fashion accessories and home deco items.
The Accent on Design® division features collections from indu
Touching the five senses
The aromas of olive oil and herbs greet customers first as they step into the culinary gift shop in The Woodlands.
Then they might notice the glass vessels filled with lime green, amber and red shades of olive oils and vinegars, lining the backlit walls of this Oil & Vinegar store. World music like the Gipsy Kings’ Bem, Bem Maria and Il Divo’s Ave Maria play over the music system.
Coffee shop sells more than hot drinks
Dayton, OH — People come for the coffee, and stay to browse the collectibles.
A new coffee shop called Coffee Beans and Collectible Things opened in early July at 631 Watervliet Ave. in Belmont’s business district. The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
The shop also sells hundreds of collectible items, many of which were gathered by shop owner Charles Leonhardt over the years. All of the items in the shop are for sale, he said.
Leonhardt has collected NFL jerseys, MAD magazines and vintage toys.
Store centers on family, faith
Teresa Haney and her daughters are a close-knit bunch. They shop together, hang out together – do pretty much everything together. So it makes perfect sense that they have started a business together.
Haney and her daughter Emily Sneed opened the doors of Creative Treasures, on Main Street across from Town Hall, on July 3, selling gift baskets and religious supplies in what they describe as a homey and family-friendly atmosphere.
“We have gift baskets for pretty much any occasion,” Haney said.
The Gourmet Housewares Show® Takes San Francisco By Storm!
White Plains, NY — The August 8 -10 Gourmet Housewares Show® held at the Moscone Center, took the Bay area by storm and brought the gourmet industry’s finest to the city of San Francisco featuring a comprehensive mix of innovative new products, leading resources, and industry trends.
Mainstream Green… New Directions in Organic Beauty by HollyBeth Anderson at the NYIGF
Creator of the organic beauty line, HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury, will join Organic Beauty editor-in-chief & founding editor Rona Berg and a panel of retail and manufacturing experts as they discuss organic personal care and the recent developments in organic certification within the beauty industry. HollyBeth herself is currently undergoing the involved process of becoming USDA certified and will offer insight to the challenges small beauty companies face and the confusion among consumers and manufacturers regarding the numerous third party certifiers.
How to sell successfully online
The way people buy online is very different to how they buy in a store. Typically only 2 per cent of people browsing on a website will end up buying something. Compare this to 25 per cent for shops. Retailers who understand the differences in buying behaviour will be able to convert more online sales. This article looks at the main stages of online shopping and offers hints and tips to deliver the very best buying experience for your customers.
1. First impressions (should I stay or should I go?)
Back-To-Basics Seen For Sluggish Back-To-School Retail Sales
New York, NY–It’s going to be pretty bare bones when it comes to back-to-school shopping, with sales this year shaping up to be even worse than 2008.
“Necessities,” “value” and “basics” were the words most used by Citigroup’s retail analysts on a conference call Monday to describe how consumers will approach what is traditionally the biggest buying period of the year after the Christmas holiday.
The National Retail Federation has already predicted that back-to-school spending per household will fall over 7% from last year’s dismal season.
Consumers will be shopping with s
Wholesalecrafts.com Reports 2009 2nd Quarter Sales Results
Mooresville, NC — After sluggish first quarter online sales, Wholesalecrafts.com, the premier web service for sourcing American and Canadian made crafts, reports a small second quarter increase over 2008 second quarter, but a significant increase between first and second quarters, 2009. Total online sales for April, May and June 2009 were $705, 576 – a 1% increase over 2008 second quarter results. 3,365 orders were placed online – an 8.58% increase over 2008 second quarter orders.
F.S. Chocolatiers: Sweet treats keeping sisters busy
Mansfield — The owners of F.S. Chocolatiers love making, selling and eating chocolate.
Co-owner Amy Murray said despite the troubled economy, a lot of local people are buying their chocolate products.
“Business is good,” she told the News Journal in a recent interview.
Aurora Wins AmericasMart’s Visual Display Award at Atlanta Gift Show
Pico Rivera, CA – On the heels of last month’s International Gift & Home Furnishings Show in Atlanta, plush manufacturer Aurora World Inc. received AmericasMart’s 2009 Visual Display Award (VDA) for outstanding layout in its permanent showroom (Floor Seven, Building 2 WestWing). Awards were presented to companies on each floor that demonstrated exceptional and creative visual display efforts, including use of space, product placement, signage, flooring and lighting.
“Only a handful of more than 3,000 competing companies received this prestigious award.
Award-Winning Andrew Morgan Collection Introduces New Eco-Alpaca Collection and Rolls Out English Eccentrics, Mod Pod and Raw Earth Lines At NYIGF
Mount Vernon NY – A past two-time “Best in Show” winner, Andrew Morgan Collection announced today that the textile designer will be introducing a brand new eco-alpaca line called Purity and will be rolling out three other new collections called English Eccentrics, Mod Pod and Raw Earth, at the 2009 NY International Gift Fair (NYIGF), scheduled August 15-20. Additionally, a throw and pillow from the Purity collection in Eco-Seersucker and Ikat Tapestry patterns have been accepted for inclusion in the show’s SustainAbility Design for a Better World display.
Shirley Pewter Selects Danforth to Continue Shirley Tradition
Shirley Pewter of Williamsburg, VA, and Danforth Pewter of Middlebury, VT, have announced that as of August 10th, Danforth has become the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of Shirley Pewter. Danforth will operate the Shirley Pewter Shop on Merchant’s Square in Colonial Williamsburg and the Shirley website at ShirleyPewterShop.com, and has become the exclusive importer and marketer of the Four Points Pewter wholesale brand.
Shirley Robertson founded Shirley Pewter in 1952 and, with his children and grandchildren, built it into one of America’s premier pewter brands.
Women in Business: Erica Clark and Earline Clark
The mother-and-daughter team who runs a floral and gift shop on Forest Avenue know one sure way to keep family relations in harmony. Like good role players on a championship squad, each remains in her respective field of expertise.
Earline Clark, the mother and a retired educator, is the veteran floral designer and arranger.
Decor store Panache Home exudes easy-going lakeshore lifestyle
Grand Haven — Panache Home, downtown Grand Haven’s newest store, breathes the refreshing, easy-going lakeshore lifestyle. A peek through the classic exterior windows of the home decor store at 218 Washington reveals what owner Susan Westgate describes as coastal elegance.
Walking inside, one can almost feel the lake’s breeze upon your face and hear the old cottage porch door creak closed. Whimsical woven throw pillows, bright with lobsters or a vintage diver, sit beside a contemporary horsehair bench and cowhide footstool.
Famous athletes’ entrepreneurial spirit continues in their daughters
Ann Kohlmeyer of Jupiter, the former owner of Writes & Invites in North Palm Beach, said she and her best friend, Nan Nicklaus O’Leary of North Palm Beach were talking about opening a fine gift and accessories shop when all their kids were in college.
But when Ashley Frederickson of Jupiter began talking to the two friends, they decided to forge ahead and open The Back Porch last December on U. S. 1 in North Palm Beach.
“We were really excited.