Archives: News
The West Coast’s Top Professionals in the Contract Furnishings Industry Serve as Keynote Speakers at NeoCon Xpress LA
Chicago – The first-ever NeoCon Xpress L.A., the West-coast architecture, design and facility management community’s premier opportunity to see hundreds of hot new products fresh from the NeoCon World’s Trade Fair, will feature top-name presenters when the show makes its debut at The Los Angeles Convention Center, August 22-23, 2007.
In addition to featuring all the hottest new products and trends from hundreds of manufacturers, NeoCon Xpress will showcase presentations from the industry’s top visionaries.
Manchester shopping season off to hot start
Downtown Manchester was buzzing yesterday at noon as the temperature climbed to nearly 80 degrees.
People walked in and out of the post office, and visitors window-shopped at several small gift stores.
Traffic ran smoothly at the corner of Beach and Summer streets, where a new stop sign was installed last year.
Tourist season revved into high gear over the long Memorial Day weekend as people headed to the beach or just did some gift shopping, according to downtown business owners.
The atmosphere was far removed from the one merchants experienced last year, when the Downtown Improvem
Gift Shop Offers Handcrafted Items
Canyon Offerings, a gift shop in Springdale owned by Dick and Laura Doty, features many handcrafted items. About 14 years ago, the Dotys were running a shop in Sedona, Ariz., but when the lease was up, they moved to Springdale and bought Canyon Offerings.
“People go to Sedona to shop, but they come here to hike,” Laura said. “Shopping is secondary, but what’s been fun is to create a store that people enjoy coming in and looking around and they generally don’t leave without buying at least something.
Local flavor, on the fly
In the last week, I have eaten serious crab cakes from Baltimore, barbecue from Texas, cheesecake from Chicago, chili from Cincinnati and lobsters from Boston. My toast has been topped with marionberry jam from Oregon, my salads dressed with cranberry vinaigrette from Seattle.
Mustardseed & Moonshine announces its Dallas debut in the showroom of William M. Lamont
Great Neck, New York – Mustardseed & Moonshine, the unique floral tabletop line designed by Kate Carlyle and imported from South Africa, will appear for the first time at the International Gift and Home Accessories Market at the DallasMarket Center in the notable showroom of William M. Lamont, at 2400 Trade Mart.
“Texas and the southern states are quickly becoming an enormous market for our amazingly crafted floral earthenware line” notes Diane Seidle, U.S. distributor for Mustardseed & Moonshine.
Consumers Aren’t Out of Gas When it Comes to Dad; Spending Expected to Reach Nearly $10 Billion
Washington – Dad will enjoy more than his share of indulgence this Father’s Day as consumers are expected to dish out $9.9 billion* on dads across the country. According to NRF’s 2007 Father’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, the average person will spend $98.34 on the holiday, up from $88.80 last year.
As in previous years, the most popular gift for dad will be a greeting card (69.9%), but he can also expect to be treated to a special outing such as dinner (42.7%).
Retail-charity ties can cut both ways
Consumers who buy scented pink candles at retailer Pier1 Imports are supporting breast cancer research. Those who purchase bottled Ethos water at Starbucks are funding clean water projects around the globe. The buyers of certain RED products at The Gap are investing in the fight against AIDS in Africa.
Shopping for charity – also known as cause-related marketing – has become an increasingly important way for some philanthropies to raise funds.
Cobb opens doors to floral, design shop
GREENVILLE – A life-long interest has now become a career in flowers for two budding entrepreneurs in the Port City.
In February, Miles Cobb and his wife, Donna Dotson Cobb opened a floral and gift shop, Flowers for You and Gifts at 1447 Martin Luther King South.
“We are full line florist. We do fresh arrangements, silk arrangements, funeral pieces,” Cobb said. “We deal with peoples’ joys and their sorrows.
Cyber crafters help one another make and market homemade items
Who knew there was a market for “iPoo”?
Kimberly Smith of Kent was looking for a creative outlet and maybe a little extra cash when she quit her job as a clothing designer at Nordstrom to stay home with her two young boys.
She took her computer, a heat press and “a pretty sarcastic sense of humor” into her basement office and started cranking out T-shirts and baby onesies after her kids were asleep each night, stamped with phrases like:
La Encantada would like more; While larger stores are doing well, smaller ones seek added traffic
Signs at the store say “down to nothing,” and inside, customers paw through a dwindling selection of clearance-priced designer clothes.
Parachute, a clothing boutique that opened more than three years ago in La Encantada, is saying goodbye to the high-end shopping center.
Co-owner Marc Lucas, who also owns boutiques in Scottsdale, said Parachute will likely close once the inventory has sold out.
Parachute is the second of two stores Lucas opened in La Encantada that failed to attract a strong enough customer base.
The latest fuzzy fad at home on Web, too
Another toy craze has hit the Rochester area. Merchants can’t keep up with consumers’ demand for Webkinz — stuffed animals with secret codes that allow access to a virtual world online.
Introduced in 2005 by Ganz gift company, the Webkinz animals resemble Ty Inc.’s Beanie Babies and are sold at gift shops and specialty retailers.
“It swept the country in different phases,” said Lisa Filice, co-owner of Lisa’s Hallmark stores at Eastview Mall, The Marketplace and The Mall at Greece Ridge.
Woman turns craft hobby into Stony Point business
Heather Hughes began dabbling in making jewelry and hand-painted picture frames at home a few years ago. She sold those items to her friends, and eventually set up a booth at craft and home shows as well as at the Bizarre Bazaar, a shopping extravaganza with about 300 exhibitors that is held twice annually at the Richmond Raceway Complex. Over the years, she diversified her products, selling a variety of tabletop home furnishings and fashion accessories.
Knick-knacks aplenty at Kaatskill Gifts; Delhi store thrives on its desire to be different
Delhi — The long and narrow building at 95 Main Street has hosted many ventures over the decades.
Milford stores build downtown traffic
Milford’s downtown business district has been called many things over the years, but until recently “hip” and “trendy” were not among them.
But the city’s suddenly chic center has more retail shops selling quirky and unique items, the kinds of things that business leaders say can get shoppers out of large regional malls and onto the sidewalks.
At the same time, new leadership for the Downtown Milford Business Association has brought new energy and marketing ideas, and a philosophy of “we’re all in this together,” DMBA President Susan Shaw said.
“It doesn’t do me any good to be the onl
Hanna’s Handiworks Announces New Product
Summer 2007 – Hanna’s Handiworks, LLC announces the debut of five new everyday lines at summer shows. The popular Americana line has made a comeback, featuring Uncle Sam, Raggedy Ann and Andy, and Patriotic Angels.
EK Success Launches Overton House Designs
Clifton, NJ – EK Success, the country’s leading scrapbooking, paper crafts and creative consumer products company, launches the Overton House Designs Pre-Finished Albums and its new Holiday Collection at the 2007 National Stationery Show.
Consumers to Spend $50 on Each Graduation Gift, According to NRF Survey
Washington—Good things will come in small packages for millions of high school and college graduates this year. According to the National Retail Federation’s inaugural Graduation survey, conducted by BIGresearch, gift cards (31.3%) and cash (58.8%) will be the most popular graduation gifts, while tangible favorites like apparel (9.1%) and electronics (11.5%) will take a backseat. In addition to gifts, many consumers also plan to give a greeting card (35.7%).
According to the survey, one-third of Americans will purchase at least one graduation gift this year.
Mud Pie Introduces 2007 Holiday Cheer Collection
The award-winning international gift company, Mud Pie, introduces Holiday Cheer, a light-hearted collection of festive, party-friendly gifts and tableware. Make your tablescape jolly with this collection’s adorable party accessories. Featuring Ho ornament-shaped tableware, embellished with festive red and green bows, party friendly melamine cheese trays with ceramic spreaders and cocktail picks, and Santa as you’ve never seen him before – bottom’s up!
Midwest Rewards Customers, Helps Retailers
Cannon Falls, MN – Midwest, leading designer and manufacturer of the Seasons of Cannon Falls brand of holiday and seasonal home decor and premium Colonial Candle brand of candles, introduces Midwest Advantage, a new customer rewards program that gives customers valuable tools, benefits and discounts.
The Art of Recycling: Beachcombing basket weaver coils new life into old line
When Penelope Cyr-Lorenson began constructing baskets with discarded rope from Kodiak’s fishing fleet last year, the long-time basket weaver thought the technique would be easy: spiral the line into a base, basket or lid; weld the rope’s polypropylene fibers together with a woodburning tool; ornament with a sea glass bead or seashell; and voila!