Archives: News
Form Meets Function with New Scandle Body Candle Packaging
Dallas, TX – Scandle LLC, the leading manufacturer and wholesaler of the finest quality massage candles and complimentary body candle products, today announced their new packaging design – representing a true union of form and function.
The 7.5oz Scandle Body Candle now comes in a beautiful white porcelain container with pour spout and handle for easy, mess-free application.
Las Vegas Market to Highlight Sustainable Products Market with Week Long Educational Series
Las Vegas – World Market Center Las Vegas, the world’s fastest growing home furnishings event, and the Sustainable Furniture Council are partnering on a series of Retailer-focused educational seminars during the Las Vegas Market, to be held January 28 – February 1, 2008.
The Brave New World Environmental Leadership Education Series calls for an “expression of interest” from forward-thinking retailers who are interested in stepping up to take a leadership position in education about sustainable home furnishings to:
- Consumers
- Sales staff
- Existing suppliers
Jumping Jack Press is now award winning!
CHICAGO – Jumping Jack Press, the pop-up book imprint from Up With Paper, was honored with two awards at the First Annual Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, including the Gold Moonbeam Award for the Best Pop-Up or Cut-Out Book published in 2007 for its very first title, Halloween at the Zoo.
The juried Moonbeam Awards honor the year’s best children’s books, authors, and illustrators. A total of 862 book entries were received from authors and publishers in the US and around the world.
San Francisco International Gift Fair Celebrates San Francisco Identity
White Plains, NY – Embracing San Francisco’s unique identity, the upcoming San Francisco International Gift Fair will focus on what sets the city apart as a trailblazer in emerging trends, and as a leading destination.
Martha’s Vineyard’s Black Dog general store coming to Nantucket
Starting this May, there will be a new dog in town. Setting up shop on Straight Wharf will be the Martha’s Vineyard icon The Black Dog, which will open its first Nantucket location with a general store, Black Dog CEO Rob Douglas Jr.
Gift-Buying Expected to Hold Steady in Southern California; Consumers Will Spend Less Overall, Says Deloitte Survey
Los Angeles — While many Americans say they intend to spend less during this year’s holiday season, spending on gifts is expected to hold steady and the number of gifts consumers plan to give is up compared with 2006, according to the 22nd Annual Holiday Survey of retail spending and trends, commissioned by Deloitte.
Nationally, the survey shows that four in 10 consumers (41 percent) expect to reduce their spending this holiday season; in Southern California, 43 percent reported that they will spend less than last year.
St. George Parish opens religious goods store
St. George — Catholics and members of other faiths in southern Utah no longer have to travel all the way to Salt Lake City to shop for religious goods or baptismal gowns. With the Aug. 19 grand opening of the St. Therese of the Little Flower Gift Store at St. George Church in St. George, rosaries, missals, books, statues, religious pictures and more are available a short drive away.
The gift store is, “Father Vidal’s dream” said manager Sharon Rawlins, a 13-year parishioner of St. George Parish.
Dive into holiday discounts
Debbie Thompson of Glen Rose enjoys buying Christmas gifts for her five children and five grandchildren — to the tune of about $2,000 last year.
This year will be different, with Thompson planning to spend about $600.
“It’s going to be a lot less this year because I’m out of a job, and I had to go back to school,” Thompson said. “And on my husband’s income, we’re just getting by.”
Consumers like Thompson, who are being squeezed by higher food, fuel and housing costs, could make the holidays a little less cheery for retailers.
U.S.
Living for the present; New Elgin shop owner gifted in unique finds
One couldn’t easily find a set of flip-flop coasters or ice cream scoop-shaped bath oils at most retail stores. But they can find those and other types of fun and unique gifts at the new Lily Falls.
Specialty shops traditionally provide a quaint setting and hard-to-find goods, which make shopping all the more fun for those who love to browse, said Lily Falls owner, Vicki Zibert.
“We have the cutest things,” Zibert said.
Panel gives you inside track on holiday shopping trends and strategies
Scrooge might spoil this holiday shopping season.
The sluggish housing market, rising insurance costs and high gas prices are taking a toll on consumers. Holiday sales will hit their slowest pace in five years, growing only 4 percent, according to the National Retail Federation.
Shoppers in South Florida and across the nation are expected to cut spending for Christmas and Hanukkah, making it tough for retailers to hit sales goals.
Rider Pharmacy opens B&B Boutique
Fairmont — Rider Pharmacy has expanded its offerings with the creation of a boutique inside the store.
Rider Pharmacy remodeled a section of the store and added new items to establish a boutique atmosphere. Nicknamed the “B&B Boutique,” this new area within the store features perfumes, rings, jewelry, scarves, handbags, clothing and more.
“It’s another way we’re trying to offer diverse inventory in our gift shop,” Jonathan Rider, owner of Rider Pharmacy, said.
Making a holiday list, trimming it twice
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been naughty or nice. You’ll probably receive fewer presents this holiday season – or at least cheaper ones.
New England residents plan to spend an average of $577, or 19 percent less, on gifts this holiday season compared with the $713 they spent last year, according to a survey to be released today by Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.
4 of 10 plan to cut holiday spending
Four out of 10 U.S. shoppers say they’ll spend less this holiday season because of higher food and fuel costs and falling home values, according to an annual survey by Deloitte.
Of more than 14,000 people surveyed, 41 percent said they plan to reduce spending for the three months through January, the highest in at least seven years. Another 52 percent said they’ll spend about the same and the remaining 7 percent plan to boost purchases.
Making treasures
Minnesota — The last of the fall leaves aren’t quite off the trees, but inside The Painted Vine, it’s already a winter wonderland. The little shop in Minneota’s downtown is full of evergreens and snowmen, side-by-side with antiques and handpainted furniture.
The next time you see it, store owners Jean Rehkamp and Carol Herman say, the store might look completely different.
“We have lots of ideas for every month,” Rehkamp said Monday. “We’re going to try to have a different theme each time.
Made in the USA Showcase to Debut at NYIGF
White Plains, NY – In response to increasing requests from retailers seeking American-made products, GLM will introduce a “Made in the USA” showcase within Handmade at the February 2008 New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF). This showcase, which will feature 30+ exhibitors for its inaugural edition, extends GLM’s current exhibitor identification system to include a physical concentration of American-made products on the exhibit floor.
New Products Added to Woodstock Music Collection
Just in time for the 2008 Toy Fair, Woodstock Chimes has added new products to the Woodstock Music Collection, a unique assortment of instruments from around the world that can be played and enjoyed without extensive training or practice. The new Woodstock Conga Drum, Woodstock Band and Jingle Fish all feature the simple and sturdy instrument designs that the company’s retailers have come to appreciate for more than 20 years.
Gig Harbor shops show no fear
A long-awaited Costco in Gig Harbor is scheduled to open on the north end Friday.
On the other side of town, the massive Uptown development opened Thursday with a Borders bookstore.
Halloween good for business
With Halloween now a $5 billion holiday, it’s almost scary how much people spend for one spooky night. According to a National Retail Federation survey, people are expected to spend $5.07 billion this Halloween, up significantly from $4.96 billion last year and $3.29 billion the year before.
The spending increase is largely due to a surge in those who celebrate the holiday.
Holiday becoming big-ticket event
Lockport — The only thing scarier than the severed limbs, deformed faces and gory props on sale at your local big-box store this month might be the credit card bill that arrives in November.
Halloween, once an innocuous excuse for children to beg for candy from their neighbors, has grown into a full-blown, all-ages marketing event, second only to Christmas in per-capita spending for home decorating.
Add in costumes, candy and various impulse purchases, and the average Oct.
How to find safe toys for the holidays
Carla Fischer was on the hunt for toys.
As she roamed the aisles of an Orange County Wal-Mart, Fischer spied a Hot Wheels white monster truck — a must-have Christmas gift for her 6-year-old son, Zeb.
“It’s made in China,” she said after a quick inspection.
“I’m just concerned about that, because lots of things that are being recalled are from China right now.”
Since this summer, millions of Chinese-made toys have been recalled for lead-based paint and other potential dangers — signaling that all may not be well in Santa’s workshop this year.
With recalls expected to continue dee