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Gift shop opens branch
Customers peered through windows on a recent morning before Mary Beth Babcock opened the doors to her store early.
Such curiosity has helped Babcock open another Dwelling Spaces, a funky and eccentric gift shop featuring art, music and clothes. Babcock now operates stores in the Blue Dome district and at the Philcade Building.
She recently won an inaugural Tulsey award in the “Emerging Entrepreneur” division.
Babcock said she was reluctant at first about opening a new store in the Philcade, just a few blocks from her other store at 309 S. Detroit Ave.
A talent that sticks
Linda Lee Alley, a native Islander, has been making and selling her New Lane Sundries for 20 years. The business was born in August of 1988 after she had been working at the Homeport Restaurant for two decades. “I had never gone to the Farmer’s Market and it’s a minute from my house,” she remembers. “One Saturday I went and thought that everyone looked like they were having fun. I said to myself ‘I can do this. I’m tired of being a waitress.’ I whipped up some jelly and I did pretty well the next week. I only had a few recipes at the time, but I just kept adding on.
Our Name is Mud Joins in Reindeer Games
New York, NY — Our Name is Mud®, a division of Enesco, LLC., is pleased to announce the introduction of a new line of ceramics based on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer®. Our Name is Mud will debut their new Rudolph® line at the Winter 2009 gift shows beginning this January. The line includes mugs, platters, plaques and ornaments.
Our Name is Mud designer Lorrie Veasey says “It has been exciting to take a classic, feel-good brand like Rudolph and put a whimsical and contemporary spin on it.
National Product Search Contest Judges Announced
Dallas — Dallas Market Center, the world’s largest wholesale merchandise resource, today announced “The Next Big Thing” contest judges. “The Next Big Thing” is a national search for the best new products. The distinguished judges will select the winner of the contest from among three finalists during the upcoming Total Home & Gift Market (January 14–20, 2009) on Saturday, January 17, 2009.
This year’s four judges are:
Rob Brinkley is the Dallas co-editor and national design editor at PaperCity magazine.
Something Different gift shop specializes in the unusual
Perhaps you’ve noticed that shopkeepers have different ways of treating customers.
7 W New York Shows Its Appreciation For International Buyers During New York Gift & Home Textiles Market Week
New York, NY — New York City is the world’s buying hub, attracting thousands of local retailers and an ever-increasing roster of international buyers seeking the latest offerings in giftware, tabletop, decorative accessories and home textiles products. Following the success of last summer’s event during the New York Gift and Home Textiles Market Weeks, 7 W New York is pleased to announce the return of its International Buyer Appreciation Day this winter.
Blue Ridge Florist Garners Top Nod For Holiday Decor
Harrisonburg, VA – The owners of Blue Ridge Florist & Gift Shop say the key to an attractive window display is a lot of planning and coordination.
The shop, at 165 N. Main St., won first place in this year’s Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance holiday window decorating contest. The store won for its display of columns, a Christmas tree and a snowman.
Second place went to Laughing Dog Productions, 82 S. Main St., and third to James McHone Jewelry, 75 S. Court Square.
The most creative window award went to Salon 11, 115 W.
Study: Holiday Shopping Habits Become Greener
Consumers are increasingly putting plastic shopping bags and nongreen wrapping items on their naughty list, according to Deloitte’s 2008 Annual Holiday Survey.
Nearly half of the 13,000 consumers polled said they’d be willing to pay more for green gifts. This was up from 17 percent last year.
“A significant number of people are willing to pay more for green gifts or supplies, which tells us that this issue is on shoppers’ minds and is becoming more central to consumers’ purchasing decisions,” said Stacy Janiak, Deloitte’s U.S.
Average Person Has Completed Far Less Holiday Shopping Than in Previous Years, According to NRF
Washington, DC – With five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, the holidays are sneaking up on shoppers more than usual.
Specialty stores get holiday gift: Sales aren’t that bad
Christmas is a big deal for Lin Hanzelko, who owns a specialty toy shop in Lake Mary. But this year, she stocked fewer items at her store, Timmy’s Toy Chest, not knowing if the jittery economy would scare away some of her usual holiday shoppers.
To her surprise, Hanzelko has already placed reorders for high-ticket items such as Playmobil play sets, which can retail for more than $100.
Chalkboard China Holiday Trunk Show
Dallas, TX — Chalkboard China, a new product line designed by Candace Neff Randolph and the creative design team at Cooper & Brinkley’s will be featured at a holiday trunk show in Snider Plaza, Dallas, Texas on December 22, 2008. Flavors from Afar customers will meet Candace Randolph and have a sneak peek at the Chalkboard China 2009 collection.
They will have the opportunity to purchase some of the new collection to help ring in 2009 this New Year’s Eve.
Ganz World Premiers… Only Here: Americasmart January 2009
Atlanta — The newest much-anticipated collection from one of the world’s most experienced and largest gift, collectible and home décor manufacturers makes its exclusive debut in January 2009 at AmericasMart Atlanta, when GANZ unveils its latest creation at the incomparable Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market.
The collection premieres with an exclusive launch to be revealed only at Market in a rollout event scheduled for Tuesday, January 6, 2009 in the GANZ showroom on floor 15 of AmericasMart Building.
The new line will join GANZ’s growing offering of some of
Peking Handicraft Debuts New Licensed Designs by Trina Turk
(San Francisco, Calif.) — Peking Handicraft, Inc., an international manufacturer and wholesaler of high quality home decor, tabletop and giftware items, introduces Trina Turk Residential, a new licensed textile collection featuring the signature clothing prints of one of America’s most loved fashion designers, Trina Turk. Turk’s designs, inspired by the multicultural mix, architecture and landscape of Los Angeles and California, add style and class to any interior home décor.
Greater awareness of how we live and consume – Talents bring value to the table
Eating is a basic human need, just like drinking and sleeping, but the tabletop has always mirrored social values, which the young design avant-garde are rediscovering. Participants in the Talents sponsorship programme for young designers will be presenting these values at the next Ambiente in Frankfurt am Main. From 13 to 17 February, these design scene newcomers will be presenting their work in Hall 6.0, at the world’s biggest consumer-goods fair.
Deb & Co. Celebrates Its 30th “Birthday” with New Product Line
Buena Vista, VA – Entering the New Year, Deb & Co. celebrates a milestone anniversary — 30 exciting years of artistic creation — with its new line of party-themed ornaments, the Party Collection! Crafted by Deb Allison, creative designer and owner of Deb & Co., the Party Collection features Binkey, the original Belly Bear, and friends, including Petey Penguin and Clarence the Clown, in various whimsical birthday and party celebration scenes, with fully detailed, colorful birthday cakes and decorated numbers to represent ages of those celebrating a birthday.
All Roads Lead to “Northwest Directions” at Seattle Gift Show
Seattle, Washington — It’s North-by-Northwest to Seattle, one of the country’s most magnetic cities and home to the Northwest Directions division of the Seattle Gift Show (seattlegift.com). This spectacular showcase of product is a major attraction for buyers from the Pacific Northwest and surrounding states, as well as Alaska and Canada, seeking trend-defining, resort-driven product.
Analysts Expect More Discounts as Christmas Nears
Milwaukee (AP) — The clock is winding down on what could be one of the worst holiday shopping seasons in decades and recession-hit shoppers are finally starting to feel some pressure to spend.
But toy stores, electronic outlets and clothing boutiques are also under pressure to get shoppers to loosen their purse strings by offering steep discounts, analysts and retailers say.
There is now just one full shopping weekend left before Christmas in a holiday season marked by recession and consumers worried about their slumping investments, dire economic news and fragile job security.
Blissliving Home and Chesapeake Bay Candle Announce Showroom Opening Showroom at Las Vegas World Market Center to Open on February 9, 2009
Rockville, MD (December 15, 2008) – Interior lifestyle brand Blissliving Home and candle- and home fragrance brand Chesapeake Bay Candle have joined forces and announce the opening of a showroom in the Las Vegas World Market Center.
The showroom will be located in Building C, Level 6, Suite C-0676M inside the World Market Center building.
During the Winter Las Vegas Market from February 9 through 13, 2009, Blissliving Home will unveil the new spring and summer collection, and Chesapeake Bay Candle will showcase the Signature collection.
February Las Vegas Market Attendees Will Discover Extensive, New Resources within WMCLV’s Building B
Las Vegas — Retailers and interior designers looking to maximize their experience at 2009 Winter Las Vegas Market, February 9 – 13, will find the latest and greatest conveniently located under one roof—Building B at World Market Center Las Vegas.
National Stationery Show Launches New Marketing Campaign to Spark Fresh Vibe for 2009
White Plains, NY — The National Stationery Show® (NSS), North America’s leading marketplace for the social stationery industry, has launched a vibrant new marketing campaign reflective of the creative, high design atmosphere anticipated at the 2009 market, taking place May 17-20, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.