Archives: News
American Greetings sells retail business
Card company American Greetings Corp. on Friday said it has agreed to sell its retail business and buy a wholesale business unit in a deal with privately held card company and retailer Schurman Fine Papers.
American Greetings is selling its retail store operations to Schurman, which operates Papyrus card and gift retail stores. Schurman will operate stores under the American Greetings, Carlton Cards and Papyrus brands.
New Ecommerce Site Sells Earth-Friendly, Sustainable Products
Louisville, KY — Green products are typically associated with being pricey, but in many cases they’re cheaper than their conventional counterparts in the long-run.
SerendipiTea debuts Biodegradable Single Serve T-Sachets
SerendipiTea, an artisanal NY-based operation established in 1995, is known for its wide assortment of Premium Loose Leaf Tea & Tisane, including an extensive variety of Organic & Fair Trade Certified, traditional & “creatively blended” options.
SerendipiTea is now offering a line of Biodegradable Single Serve T-Sachets which contain the very same premium quality tea & blends as its loose Tea & Tisane!
The initial line includes the following:
- Organic China Green
- Organic Fiji (Green Tea with Pineapple & Papaya)
- Organic Darjeeling (Makaibari Estate)
Mall Titan Enters Chapter 11
Mall owner General Growth Properties Inc. sought bankruptcy protection early Thursday in one of the largest real-estate failures in U.S. history, capping a precarious, months-long effort to juggle the crushing $27 billion debt load it shouldered in past acquisition sprees.
The long-anticipated Chapter 11 filing might wipe out what remains of the Chicago company’s stock, but it won’t result in mall closures. Many analysts suspect General Growth will survive a lengthy bankruptcy intact, but perhaps smaller after selling properties, without resorting to liquidation.
Mom seen taking a hit on Mother’s Day
Chicago, IL – The economy is still in a recession and for the second consecutive year, Mom is taking a hit on Mother’s Day.
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NYIGF Creates Exciting New Synergies Between Trend and Design Resources
White Plains, NY — Exciting new synergies between on-trend and contemporary design resources will be created at the summer 2009 New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) through the repositioning of the STUDIO™ division alongside Accent on Design® at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
STUDIO, a lifestyle division which debuted at NYIGF in 2008, showcases a variety of fashion-forward and on-trend cross-category merchandise combining fresh and sophisticated aesthetics with practical functionality.
Expo for $12 Billion Cart and Kiosk Industry Set for Las Vegas
Hanover, MA – The Specialty Retail Entrepreneur Expo & Conference (SPREE) is all set to kick into high gear in Las Vegas on April 21. The three-day conference produced by Specialty Retail Report—the only magazine for retail entrepreneurs and managers of mall carts, kiosks and temporary in-line stores—will take place April 21-23 at the Venetian Hotel.
New gift shop opens in Henley
A new gift shop has opened in Henley.
Temptation Gifts launched last week in the former Silvers menswear shop in Bell Street, which closed in February.
The family owned business, which offers gifts ranging from teddy bears to fly swatters, was voted UK gift retailer of the year in 2008.
Refurbishment of the premises took just five weeks.
Owner Mike Adams said: “My team has been fantastic. I’m really proud of the work they have done — I think the shop looks amazing. It is almost 2,000 sq ft and we had to knock down an interior wall and do major restructuring.
Niche retailers stay creative to keep local shops going
It’s been a long, torturous end to the winter doldrums, and Beverly Bates is eager to see some fresh green. Money that is.
On this warm, breezy Good Friday morning, the owner of Beverly’s Fine Fashions was in the parking lot at Hilltop North Shopping Center in Virginia Beach handling business with a vendor.
Tendence 2009: Personal Shopper 2009 is confirmed
When you see VIPs and celebrities, who are stylistically confident and have a feel for the latest trends, personal shoppers have generally had a hand in it. Using a targeted selection of fashions and accessories, personal shoppers make sure that outfits cleverly reflect the latest trends but also that the personal style of the wearer is clearly identifiable. Messe Frankfurt has been applying this concept to consumer goods since 2006. Studio Doshi / Levien from London and Studio Polka from Vienna have been recruited as personal shoppers for Tendence (July 3 – 7, 2009).
Retail sales drop 1.3% in March
After two encouraging months of small increases, retail sales declined nationally in March, indicating many consumers are still not willing to shop for substantial purchases.
The U.S. Commerce Department reported Tuesday that retail sales declined 1.3 percent from February, considerably worse than the 0.3 percent economists had anticipated.
Cupcakes and Cattle Breeding: Teens Turn to Summer Start-Ups
Lexie Oliver, 16, has been trying for weeks to get a summer job, to earn spending money and to feel productive. But the search has proven “really difficult,” says the Gainesville, Fla., high-school sophomore.
After applying at numerous retailers and getting turned down, Ms. Oliver has made a decision: If she wants a job this summer, she figures she’ll have to create her own.
Closings Aside, Branford Merchants Stay Upbeat
Branford entrepreneur Daniela Fenton has no qualms about the economy, despite some nearby stores closing in the Town Center.
“I haven’t even thought about the economy,” said Fenton, the owner of Blend at 1120 Main St. “I would prefer to be hopeful.”
Fenton opened Blend, a creative center, about a year ago and recently doubled the size of her business by expanding into an adjacent building when the occupant moved to another location in town. “When I opened, I had a much bigger vision than my space allowed for,” she explained.
Zak Launching New Line Inspired by Disney*Pixar’s Toy Story
Spokane, WA – In 1995 Toy Story, the classic Disney∙Pixar computer-generated animated feature, broke new ground in the field of animation and introduced the world to a group of characters that have captured the imagination of a generation. This Fall, Toy Story is coming back to theatres in Disney 3D and Zak Designs is celebrating the release with a new line of mealtime products.
Buzz, Woody and the rest of the cast have become household names since they first appeared on the screen, and will be featured on a selection of plates, bowls and drinkware from Zak.
Downtown chocolatier breaks mould
Mention the word chocolate in Calgary and chances are images of delectable orbs fashioned from world-famous Belgian chocolate leap to mind.
But who knew that same level of chocolatey goodness could also be savoured in unusual forms, such as a beer bottle, a lady bug, curling rocks, a ballerina, a casino set, or even a beauty kit–all neat ways to personalize a gift of chocolate.
“We just sell so many of these things that we have to keep them in store year round,” Brady Lewis, owner of Lewis Chocolates & Candies, said of the vast selection of moulded items offered in his shop.
Small independent stores counting on the personal touch
With pens costing as much as £1,200, it would be easy to assume that business was struggling at The Pen Shop in Birmingham’s Great Western Arcade as the recession bites.
But manager David Hardy remains upbeat.
“Fortunately we are a specialist shop and you don’t get much specialists around like us these days,” he says.
Meet Your Merchant: The Gray Goose
Stuey Weills’ Nevada City roots run deep. There are traces of them just across the street from her Broad Street business and others etched in stone at the grave sites of her great- grandparents, buried at the North Bloomfield cemetery.
“I have a very special relationship with this town,” said Weills.
Industry Leaders Support Americasmart Home Expansion
Atlanta, GA— Newly expanded exhibitors anchoring AmericasMart Home’s new 14th floor, which opens in July 2009, include four signature showrooms showcasing more than 20,000 square feet of premium furniture, lighting and accessories.
Joining 14th-floor flagship exhibitor Century Furniture and its new 3,200-square foot showroom are:
Ambella Home Collection, Inc., newly located and expanded to 8,200 square feet of uniquely designed, handcrafted furniture.
Woodstock Chimes Products Donated as Part of Home Renovation by ABC-TV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
Shokan, N.Y. – Woodstock Chimes®, a leading manufacturer of precision-tuned windchimes and specialty musical instruments for children, is proud to announce its recent product inclusion in an episode of ABC-TV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The episode focused on a family of nine, including their hurricane-damaged home, a father with cancer and five disabled children adopted from China. The significant language barriers prevented family members from effectively communicating, which lead to their discovery of communication through the universal language of music.
Sparklehearts Introduces Girl-Friendly Line of Natural Beauty Products
Los Angeles, CA — Most girls would wince in disgust if you told them their favorite body wash contained a chemical that is produced by boiling bugs (called carmine.) And, most parents would wince in disgust if you told them their daughter’s body lotion contained sulfates, phthalates and dozens of toxins and chemicals. Enter Sparklehearts, a line of natural, safe and fun beauty products that are girl- and parent-approved.
Sparklehearts products are made from 99.6% natural ingredients that are completely “skinemy”-free, that means no harmful toxins or unpleasant ingredients.