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Premier Introduces the Gift Industry’s Most Complete Buying Group
Lititz, PA – With a broad reaching array of benefits geared toward both independent retailers and their vendors, Premier Buying Group is accepting membership applications. Premier Buying Group harnesses the purchasing power of thousands of Independent Retailers in the gift industry to deliver discounts on merchandise and shipping charges from wholesalers and manufacturers.
The objective of Premier is to provide the means to higher margins for independent retailers.
Tweens
IT is 11:15 a.m. The kids have the day off from school and I’m mall crawling The Westchester in White Plains, with my posse: my 11-year-old daughter, Lake, and two of her friends, Annabelle Kirk, 11, and Eve Wulf, 12.
They are identically (though they would say individually) decked out in the suburban tween girl uniform, almost head-to-toe Abercrombie: skin-tight jeans and layered T-shirts, as well as ballet flats, Uggs, or Michael Kors boots.
Hands-on learning Kids, parents fired up over muddy business
Getting dirty while you put a personal touch on kitchenware or make a gift for a friend is worth the price of admission at Muddy Hands the Pottery Place on Center Street in Rutland.
The studio, which is located in the back of the Hands On Minds On space, can be reserved for adults and children alike for a party or a designated class.
Last November, business owner Jen Hogan expanded the artistic space and brought two clay/pottery instructors on board.
Jewelry with a cause
Inside the basement of her Richwood, Ky., home, May Tagher patiently slices delicate slivers of ornately decorated polymer clay. Each sliver with its minuscule image will be wrapped around a clay bead. One by one, she produces up to 300 beads a day.Some of these tiny designs are created by orphans, by foster children, and by youth suffering from spinal cord tumors.Sometimes the art themes are colorful stick figures, sometimes ribbons that proclaim a cause, such as breast cancer awareness. Sometimes the art is of school mascots, logos of nonprofit organizations or primitive self-portraits.
iBerkshires Profiles Michele Gietz: Waking Up Happy Every Day
Florida – It’s a business philosophy and foundation on which to build a life, and it is the essence of Florida resident Michele Gietz.
“You have to be an optimist,” Gietz said during a Saturday afternoon interview. “You have to be able to get through the tough times – and there will be a lot of them – you have to push through it.”
Gietz is well-known to scores of Northern Berkshire and Southern Vermont residents as the cheerful loquacious co-owner of Spring Street’s wildly popular gift, toy and game emporium “Where’d You Get That!?”.
Vinegar Plant Becomes ‘Traders Market’
Rogers — Fresh fruit, coffee, appliances and more under one roof may soon be the newest asset to the Rogers Downtown Historic District.
Developer Moe Torabi is completing renovations to the old vinegar factory at the north end of First Street, where he’s now leasing retail spaces. Torabi said last week that he hopes to have a variety of shops within the building, which will feature a wide walkway, plenty of seating, flat-screen televisions and soft music.
Traders Market will be a unique atmosphere for Rogers that should complement what’s already happening downtown, Torabi said.
Gifts define Goes Soft on Customers with New Plush Collection
Tampa, FL, United States – Gifts define offers collection of accessories and hand-stitched felt “softy” dolls with personality. These dolls aren’t just for kids or for collecting dust on a shelf – these chic, hip little wonders are for fun, appreciation and celebration!.
Gifts define, Inc.
4 women established businesses made to last
The past 20 years have brought tremendous growth in Arizona and with that, endless opportunity.
Success stories can be found in every niche, leaving little doubt about the crucial role women play in our entrepreneurial scene.
Last year, women were the majority owners in more than 133,000 privately held businesses statewide that generated a combined $20 billion in sales, according to projections by the Center for Women’s Business Research in Washington, D.C., based on 2002 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Work Begins on Shops at Tripps
Construction is under way on two sites at U.S. 15-501 and Murray Hill Road that will be called the Shops at Tripps.
The shops, which will be in two retail buildings, are being built to host a wide variety of stores.
“The kinds of tenants we are looking for are ladies boutiques, jewelry stores, bakery, cell phone store, a cafe, a coffee shop, and gift shops,” said Marlene Spritzer of Spritzer Commercial Properties.
Spritzer Commercial Proper-ties is helping to sell the two sites. The first is a 7,070-square-foot building west of Chick-fil-A restaurant.
High rents are forcing us to quit say traders
Royal Mile traders have warned that specialist shops are being squeezed out by high rents, jeopardising the street’s unique character.
Fourteen shops and businesses are up for rent or sale, with small traders who have been there for decades deciding to call it a day.
Shopkeepers and community leaders say the Royal Mile is in danger of becoming swamped with “tartan tat” stores, coffee and pub chains and charity shops. Geraldine’s Teddy Bear and Dolls Hospital became the latest shop to put up a “to let” sign this week.
Plastic clogs disrupt machinery in Swedish hospital
A Swedish hospital wants to ban its staff from wearing Crocs plastic clogs, saying they generate static electricity that can knock out medical equipment.
Blekinge hospital in southern Sweden suspects the slip-on shoes, made by US firm Crocs Inc, are to blame for at least three incidents in which respirators and other machines malfunctioned.
New concourse adds capacity at Blue Grass Airport
Blue Grass Airport is now able to handle a lot more planes and people, thanks to a $16.9 million addition to the terminal.
The airport’s new Concourse B — which features six additional passenger boarding gates, jet bridges for three of those gates and a lot of seating for waiting passengers — officially opens today.
And airport Executive Director Michael Gobb couldn’t be more excited.
Adora, Inc. Introduces Exclusive, Limited Edition Dolls for Epcot Teddy Bear and Doll Weekend at Walt Disney World
Adora, Inc., one of the leading designers and crafters of fine limited edition and collectible dolls, is proud to introduce two limited edition dolls and a one-of-kind doll set designed for the Epcot Teddy Bear and Doll Weekend at Walt Disney World, held May 18-20. These exclusive dolls are inspired by well-known Disney films and will be available for purchase at the event.
Ahoy Matey is inspired by Captain Jack Sparrow from the film Pirates of the Caribbean and is limited to just 15 pieces.
Nobleworks Licenses Wry Baby For a New Line of Cards and Button Cards
Hoboken, NJ – Nobleworks has announced a partnership with Wry Baby (wrybaby.com.) and has released several new card lines incorporating Wry Baby’s successful design sensibility.
Wry Baby is the creator of humorous baby products with a modern, edgy feel. Wry Baby is responsible for the popular Mysterio baby T-Shirts (a packaged T-shirt that depicts a random occupation) and the “Wheel of Responsibility”, which parents spin to determine who will comfort the crying baby in the middle of the night.
Burning Bright: Local candle shop expands selection to welcome spring
“People who like to dine out and buy music at Bull Moose or get a book also like to buy candles,” Yaun said. “Especially in summer, people like to browse around the shops before dinner or afterwards.”
When she first opened on Congress Street, Yaun put up a big sign so that people could see her new location from Market Square. To her surprise, she found that more and more of her customers were coming from the other end of Congress Street.
Ballpoint pens, and so much more; Promotional Products help drive sales
The Internet may be all the buzz in the marketing world, but traditional advertising methods — even the time-honoured coffee mugs and ballpoint pens bearing company logos — are far from obsolete, says the promotional products industry.
And some of these handout goods, says Kurt Reckziegel, chief executive of the Professional Products Association of Canada, can even help companies bridge the gap between traditional advertising and new media.
“People have to have some physical feely-touchy.” Mr.
Where are the Webkinz? Toy craze hits Asheville
Asheville — If you haven’t heard of Webkinz, you probably don’t hang with many 6- to 13-year-olds. Webkinz are the hottest toy no one can find, making these plush stuffed animals worth more than a cheap tank of gas, and just as rare.
Last week’s hot tip on the local mommy network was that a few Webkinz were left at the St. Joseph’s gift shop at Mission Hospitals. Because of the shop’s not-for-profit status, media liaison Merrell Gregory was “unable to confirm or deny” whether or not the store sells Webkinz.
Small town nurtures crop of new businesses
Pine Island — When Helen Distad launched her chocolate business two years ago, she wanted to base it in her hometown of Pine Island.
But the owner of My Heart’s Design found it was more economical to rent commercial kitchen space from Rochester’s Kahler Grand Hotel.
Now her dream of a retail shop in Pine Island is about to come true. Distad plans to expand her business and open a retail store Wednesday in a shop on Main Street.
Mom to Enjoy Royal Treatment This Year, According to NRF; Consumers are Expected to Spend Almost $16 Billion
Washington – This Mother’s Day, consumers plan to spend $15.73 billion as they shower the women in their lives with jewelry, flowers, clothing, and even trips to the spa. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2007 Mother’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, consumers are expected to spend an average of $139.14 on the holiday compared to last year’s $122.16.
The study found that the majority of consumers plan to celebrate (84.5%) this year.