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Create your own stimulus for the local economy
An individual’s $20 expenditure at a neighborhood hardware store can translate into twice that amount from the ripple effect the purchase creates in the local economy.
Ripples from thousands of people – each spending $20 on the same day – could provide a significant financial stimulus to a town, economic experts say.
That’s the premise behind a “$20 on the 20th” campaign the Athens Banner-Herald is promoting to encourage people in the Athens area to each spend $20 at local businesses on Wednesday.
Cyan Design Makes Americasmart Home Debut This July
Atlanta, GA—The momentum of AmericasMart’s HOME expansion continues with the debut of Cyan Design, poised to unveil its new Atlanta showroom this July. A renowned industry resource for unique decorative home accents, Cyan Design will find a fitting home on the13th floor of AmericasMart Building 1, which showcases home furnishings and accessories.
To highlight its grand opening, Cyan Design is giving away a new, energy-efficient Smart Car to one lucky buyer in its showroom during the July Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market.
New York bookstore offers personalized service for travelers
New York — What kind of dreamer opens a bookstore in a recession, gives it a nostalgic name that means nothing to most people under 40, and stocks it with travel guides and obscure foreign novels?
Meet David Del Vecchio, owner of Idlewild Books, who says business is thriving despite the odds against independent bookstores, the travel downturn and an economy that was already heading south when Idlewild opened in May 2008.
“Since January, we’ve recorded double-digit growth every month,” he said.
But Del Vecchio admits that many customers have no idea what Idlewild means: It
Friends open Freckled Frog
Buying clothes for kids is like playing catch-up.
A new-bought item is worn once. Then there’s the inevitable growth spurt. The new becomes obsolete.
Hakes Appointed AMC, Inc. Chief Marketing Officer in Senior Leadership Team Expansion
Atlanta, GA – William Hakes, Ph.D., has been appointed to the newly established position of chief marketing officer at AMC, Inc., leading all marketing initiatives, according to Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., president and chief operating officer.
“This is another critical step in the expansion of our senior leadership team, and it fits well with our global growth strategy,” notes Portman.
Hakes joins AMC from the presidency of the Aspen Analytics division of Aspen Marketing Services, an international marketing services firm.
Twitter Proves Its Worth as a Killer App for Local Businesses
New York — All those brands trying to figure the ROI of Twitter? They might do well to follow the lead of the local pizza joint.
Naked Pizza, a New Orleans healthful-pizza shop that’s hoping to go national — Mark Cuban is a backer — has been marketing itself via the microblogging service. And recently it has started to track Twitter-spurred sales at the register.
Picture-frame maker hopes to revive landmark Gloucester country store
The first time John Warren walked into the old Pointer Brothers store in the Guinea section of Gloucester, he felt like he’d stumbled into something special.
Though the original sales and display area on the first floor had been cut up by a maze of later walls — and the large opening in the center of second-floor mezzanine had been boarded shut — he still saw such evocative signs of the landmark building’s 105-year past that he couldn’t help thinking about its potential.
Less than half a year later, Warren and his wife, Heidi, have set up shop in a largely reborn, architectu
Small businesses caught in a financial meltdown squeeze
Portsmouth — Ken and Deborah Smith were caught in a classic business squeeze — they needed to expand their Maine-ly New Hampshire retail shop in downtown Portsmouth but the economic downturn last fall made credit to fund the expansion almost impossible to find.
“We had a chance to move across the street and triple the space we had from the 700-square-foot location we had,” Ken Smith said. “We needed an inflow of cash to expand our stock and bring on more vendors.
Nonprofit opens Farmingdale store to train disabled
Carolann Lyons eagerly pointed out some of the choice items displayed prominently on shelves and tables, meticulously straightening handbags and glasses as cameras followed her about the store. She took a moment to tell Nassau County Legis. David Mejias (D-Farmingdale) that the watch set he was holding cost $24 but she could offer him a discount. And did he know that they also do gift wrapping?
“How am I doing?” she whispered discreetly to a staff person.
Accent on Design Celebrates 25th Year with New Exhibitors
White Plains, NY – Companies from Europe and five different U.S. states will debut at the summer 2009 Accent on Design®, bringing a fresh infusion of home and office accessories to the 25th anniversary edition of New York International Gift Fair’s® (NYIGF®) contemporary design-driven division, August 15-20, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
“Accent on Design has become the standard-bearer for design-driven gift, home and lifestyle products,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president.
cinda b Collection Accessorizes Jillian Harris on ABC’s The Bachelorette
Atlanta, GA – cinda b, maker of contemporary quilted handbags and totes, travel bags and accessories, is pleased to announce that the collection was chosen to be featured as a fashionable accessory adorning this season’s “Bachelorette” star, Jillian Harris in the highly popular program “The Bachelorette”, set to air May 18th, 2009.
“We are so thrilled to have collaborated with ‘The Bachelorette’,” said Cinda Boomershine, Founder and Designer of cinda b.
Tea parlor with a twist is welcome ‘estrogen zone’ in Beaverton
Claire Seidler has established a unique haven for women in the heart of downtown Beaverton.
You might even call it a treasure.
Tea Thyme & Lavender is a quaint tea parlor with an old-world twist located at 12675 S.W. First St.
It’s a place for women of all ages to gather, enjoy a lovely visit with friends over a cup of black lavender tea and a light meal, while surrounded by a charming collection of antiques and collectables.
“There’s a longing in women for days when life was calmer, when there was less stress and less responsibilities,” Claire said.
Shop at Jake for less
Since the Esquire movie theater on Oak Street closed down a few years ago, there hasn’t been much reason for me to visit the Gold Coast area. I never enjoyed being taunted by the smug (and dare I say slightly evil-looking) mannequins in their gorgeous $2,000 Prada dresses I’ll never be able to afford.
But I can start exiting my CTA bus there again, because I might be able to start shopping on the Gold Coast.
Jake, 939 N.
Outdoor-gear store in Beaverdale has kept its footing as terrain changed
Lexi Wornson’s pink Gore-Tex vest is too small to fit her anymore, but she keeps it to remind her of the family history and how their Beaverdale store, Back Country Outfitters, has been on the cutting edge of outdoor gear since she was a child.
Wornson, 28, received the vest when she was 3 or 4. It was a one-of-a-kind creation by an early pioneer of outdoor clothing for a fashion show in New York. At the time, Gore-Tex was new, and no one was making outdoor gear for women, let alone children.
Artists have new venues to show works
Atlanta is fast becoming a haven for artists. With three new retail venues opening in the past year, artists across the state and the region have several new opportunities for showing their wares.
There’s a quarterly market, a retail store and an artists’ collective, all of which aim to bring an eclectic mix of art and gifts to consumers at affordable prices, but each has its own distinct flavor.
Paper Mill Market is a three-day European-style bazaar that takes place quarterly at Paper Mill Square in Marietta.
Retailers tag-team against shoplifting rings
Professional shoplifting rings are making partners of fierce retail competitors that previously kept embarrassing losses to themselves.J.C. Penney and Target, Tom Thumb and Kroger, Gap and Pacific Sunwear, Wal-Mart and Home Depot share information and team up on stakeouts. Loss prevention investigative teams from Walgreen and CVS use the same radio frequencies and stay at the same hotels.
Annapolis cupcake shop full of sweet creations
Punctuated by teasingly warm, bright and spectacular breaks, the cold, wet days of March and April were tiresome at best this year. Just when the sun would appear, just as it would begin to warm the bones and anticipation for a Chesapeake summer would bloom, a seemingly never-ending parade of rain clouds would reappear.
A drop of the barometer seemed to bring a corresponding drop in mood.
Neighbour snaps up shop that folded
A music shop which went into liquidation is to reopen in Lincoln after being taken over by the neighbouring retailer.
Gift shop owner Linda Wood bought a “large chunk” of the goods from collapsed firm Music Makers, in Melville Street, at auction.
The Echo reported the shop – which is next door to Mrs Wood’s gift store Bonggo – was forced into liquidation last month after sales fell to a record low.
Now it will reopen next week under Mrs Wood’s management.
She says she is taking the chance with the retail outlet because so many customers have been coming by Music
Chair of Brown Rudnick’s Retail and Shopping Center Group is Appointed to Leadership Position
Boston, MA – Brown Rudnick, an international law firm, today announced that Thomas J. Phillips, Chair of the firm’s Retail & Shopping Centers Practice Group, was selected by the Chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) to serve as State Director for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. His term will begin on May 17, 2009.
As State Director, Mr.
A great day to shop in Gibson County
Humboldt, Milan and Trenton have been aggressive in their pursuit of specialty retail shops. Retail recruitment is a priority of the chambers in each town.
In Humboldt the Chamber of Commerce has initiated a campaign called “Shop Humboldt First!,” which is stressing the importance of businesses promoting signature merchandise.
Crooked Tree is one such example in Humboldt. Rita and Larry Shelton moved to Humboldt, Rita’s hometown, from Oklahoma a short time ago.