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Gift shop, coffeehouse share downtown Valpo locale
Valparaiso — Opening a coffee shop had been a longtime dream for Karen Scheidenberger.In December, the Valparaiso woman opened Isabella Bean coffeehouse cafe inside Sweet Serenity gift shop downtown.
Scheidenberger worked for Sweet Serenity at its previous location in Chesterton. There, she and store owner Barb Pullins first talked about combining the cafe and gift shop.
“It wasn’t good timing there; it is now,” Scheidenberger said.
Scheidenberger, a hair stylist by trade, had previous coffee-shop experience.
Live from the Atlanta Gift Show with Six New Products
Today is the fourth day of the Temps at the Atlanta Gift Show and it’s been fantastic so far. Show traffic has been wonderful and my show bag is busting at the seams with interesting new products and fresh takes on products you may have seen before.
Over the next week I’ll be showing you some wonderful things I spotted at the show. Here are today’s picks…Read complete article.
Robinson brings ‘New Creations’ to Darlington hospital
Darlington — Brenda Robinson is a woman who turned a rough time in her life into something productive with the success of her business, New Creations.
“New Creations was inspired by my mother, Thomasina Wearing, who died three years ago,” Robinson said.
Local artist Tyus finds niche market
Kofi Tyus could never find a Mother’s Day card with which he was truly satisfied. So one day, more than 30 years ago, he had the idea to create his own Mother’s Day card. Armed with a degree from Howard University’s art program and his passion for art, Tyus realized that there was a whole group of people who were being ignored in the gift card industry.
Kofi Tyus, opened Kofi Tyus Studios with the idea that he could sell his art to African Americans.
The gift-card giveaway
When you buy a gift card, it’s not the retailer who’s supposed to get a present. But that’s how it works out when consumers fail to redeem all or part of gift cards worth billions of dollars every year.
And given the continuing boom in gift card purchases during the all-important holiday retail season, one question stands out: Why do so many people fail to cash in?
“They’re not perceived to be money,” said Kit Yarrow, a professor of psychology and marketing at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. “Partly that’s because it’s a gift that they got for free.
Downtown boosted by niche businesses; Record number of openings
For the first time in 10 years, business is booming in downtown Chatham.
Executive director of the Downtown Chatham BIA, Janice Wieringa, said 2007 was a record year for opening new businesses in the downtown core.
“We had the most businesses (open) in one year, than in the past 10 years,” said Wieringa.
Capitol gift shop set to open doors
State Rep.
Business blooms in Volunteer Building
Mary Gentry got the desire to run her own business honestly — she was born with it.
Her father, Jim Gentry, owns Gentry Chevrolet Pontiac Buick in Marion County. That business passed to him from her grandfather, Abb Hembree Gentry. The family just last month bought a dealership in Dunlap, Tenn., that will be run by her brother, Tom Thomas.
So when Ms.
Weak Holiday Shopping Adds to Economic Fears
With the recent reports of weak retail sales, here’s an argument for why December may not be as important as you think.
Were holiday sales weak this year?
Dogeared Launches New Collections at Winter Trade Shows
Los Angeles, CA – Dogeared, a trendsetting brand that creates handcrafted jewels and gifts in Los Angeles, will preview their latest line at the NY ENK Accessorie Circuit & Intermezzo Show, Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, LA Market, NY International Gift Show, and Project Las Vegas. The line includes new styles, collections and extensions, all featured in the vibrant new wholesale catalog.
Dogeared was founded by designer Marcia Maizel-Clarke 16 years ago.
World Market Center Hosts Panel Discussion on Strengthening U.S. Global Leadership
Las Vegas – World Market Center Las Vegas, the industry’s fastest-growing home furnishings event and soon to be the largest trade complex in the world, today welcomed The Center for U.S. Global Engagement and its state partner, the Nevada Committee on Foreign Relations as they launched the campaign Impact ’08 in Nevada: Building a Better, Safer World.
Dave Palmer, general manager for World Market Center, officially welcomed the bipartisan group of nearly 400 Nevada business, civic, political and academic leaders.
Planet Dog Introduces Tiny Tug
Portland, Maine – For energetic and compact tug-loving dogs, Planet Dog has created Tiny TUG, a smaller version of its award-winning Orbee-Tuff TUG. Just after its introduction to the market in 2006, TUG received a “Retailer Select” Award for Product Excellence at the H.H. Backer Pet Industry Trade Show. The award, determined by votes cast by pet product buyers at the show, reflects the buyers’ responses to potential sales performance, packaging and design, quality and price, and what they deem to be the next new “must-have” product.
Pacific Market Center Abuzz with new trends for Winter Gift & Home Accessories Show
Seattle – Pacific Market Center, the leading destination market for home, lifestyle and giftware products on the west coast, creates a unique opportunity for buyers to browse the latest industry trends and up-in-coming new product lines at the Winter Gift & Home Accessories Show on January 30-February 5, 2008.
Ireland Show, in Secaucus NJ, April 19-22; Merchandise, Events and Prizes Featured!
Here come the Celtics!
Inland retailers report mixed holiday-sales season
Visions of financial sugarplums for Inland retailers dissolved into a bad dream of shoppers without a lot of discretionary cash in December, as housing, energy and job worries cut into holiday spending.
Many store owners were disappointed during the season they hoped would produce as much as half of the year’s revenue. Some said sales were no better than the holidays in 2006, while others were happy if business was only slightly worse.
Across the country, few retailers expected strong sales, but many reported weaker-than-expected numbers.
Ahead of the Bell: Retail Sales
Wall Street on Tuesday will get an assessment of post-holiday shopping with the release of two sets of weekly retail sales reports.
The International Council of Shopping Centers-UBS Index and the Johnson Redbook Retail Sales Index release data at 7:45 a.m. and 8:55 a.m. EST, respectively. There are no consensus estimates available.
The Johnson Redbook Retail Sales Index, which monitors 9,000 retail units, showed same-store sales edged up 1.6 percent for the week ended Dec. 29, compared with the year-ago period.
Antique and Historic Maps Come to Life
North Vancouver giftware designer and manufacturer Mum’s Creations will unveil new serving trays and coaster sets depicting old and seldom seen images from the past this January.
Antique and historic maps of the United States and the world have been reproduced on ceramic tiles to create mosaic images. The serving trays are wooden, generously sized at 19″ x 13″. The coasters are 4 inches each, sold in a set of four that fit together like puzzle pieces. The serving trays also feature glass antique-look handles.
Sparkle Designs Brings Innovative Cards to Atlanta
January 2008 – Eloyce Newman, founder of Sparkle Designs, brings her unique line of greeting cards to Atlanta’s AmericasMart for the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market Temporary Exhibits. The exhibit runs from January 11 – 15, and Newman will showcase her cards on the fourth floor at booth 518.
New ideas flow consistently out of Newman’s studios.
Sellers Publishing Titles Tally Over $40,000 For Charities
Portland, Maine – Sellers Publishing is proud to announce that it has donated more than $40,000 to non-profit organizations dedicated to preventing and curing cancer. The money was generated through royalties from three of its book titles, Forty Things To Do When You Turn Forty, Fifty Things To Do When You Turn Fifty, and Sixty Things To Do When You Turn Sixty.
All contributing authors for these three titles provided essays on a pro-bono basis, allowing the royalties produced, $40,421, to go directly to charity.
OneCoast Hosts Ribbon Cutting in Expanded Atlanta Showroom
Join OneCoast as it celebrates a 9,000 square foot expansion of its Atlanta showroom. Enjoy sweet treats & champagne immediately following the ribbon cutting.
All retailers are invited.
When: Thursday, January 10 4:00 PM
Where: OneCoast showrooms AmericasMart Atlanta, Building 2, Showroom 1801
Background:OneCoast is expanding its home decor product offering to Southeastern retailers. To support the new lines, OneCoast has increased the size of its Atlanta showroom by over 9,000 square feet.