Archives: News
Retired gift shop owner to reopen
So much for retirement.
Whickerbill Contemporary Gifts, a part of downtown Colorado Springs for nearly 50 years, closed last summer. “I’m just retiring, purely and simply,” owner John Eastham said then.
Now Eastham, 75, is going back into business with a new shop in Manitou Springs. Like his old shop, it will sell items such as glassware, china and pottery.
Retirement, he said Friday, didn’t agree with him.
Bridging the Gap: Innovative Bilingual Greeting Card Company Provides the Best of Both Worlds, Sealed in an Envelope
Nos VemosTM Greetings (“See you later” Greetings) introduces a new generation of all occasion greeting cards that combines Hispanic values with American aspirations. Fresh and innovative, these greetings provide images that speak to the heart with charm and simplicity.
The line is unique in that it conveys the sentiment in Spanish and English on the front of the card.
Candy store opens, pizza eatery sold
Jessica Drew likes to shop at the newly opened Reebe’s Store.
“I love to shop there because the prices are good, the people are nice and there is a large variety of items to choose from,” Drew said of the store that opened March 26 at 223 N. Sandusky Ave.
Husband and wife Reba and Steve Witten decided to open the store because of Reba’s love of making homemade candies and crafts.
“Struble’s went out of business, so I bought a lot of their items.
Green Trailblazers: Turning the Sustainable Apparel World on Its Ear
According to Consumer Reports, “Nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers bought organic foods and beverages in 2005.” It’s easy to see what’s driving that statistic: Interest in a healthier approach to living is at an all time-high.
With approximately one-third of a pound of harmful chemicals used in the farming processing of the average cotton tee shirt, it’s hardly surprising that organic cotton is quickly becoming the fastest-growing slice of the non-foods organic pie.
Together, infant and women’s clothing represents more than 60 percent of the total sales of organic cotton.
Eye candy: the Flower Alley
It isn’t by accident walking into the Flower Depot is like experiencing a feast for they eyes.
The owners, Jeff and Lee Ann Bowman-Adam, recently relocated to Novi from Orlando where they grew creatively doing work for Walt Disney World.
Retailers and FBI Join to Fight Organized Retail Crime
Washington, April 5, 2007 – In response to an alarming rise in organized retail crime, the National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, have teamed up to launch the Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Network (LERPnet), a secure national database that will allow retailers to share information through its unique web-based design.
Farcountries.com Introduces Children’s Book Line
New York – “If you go into Barnes & Noble or Borders, no one tells you what’s a great children’s book. You buy what your kid pulls off the shelf-usually whatever is face out or on the table. That means someone’s paid a lot of money to get that real estate, but it doesn’t mean it’s the best book,” said Nancy Traversy, founder and CEO of Barefoot Books.
“Our books sell best in independent retail stores where the staff can tell kids or their Mom agreat story about what makes our books different,” continued Traversy.
Cookware store opens downtown on N. High
It’s been a long time since the terms “shopping” and “downtown Akron” have been in the same sentence.
Matt Reeder hopes to change that with Nothing But Cooking, a specialty cookware store he has opened on North High Street.
“We’re a pioneer right now,” he said.
The store opened a few weeks ago with little fanfare. Reeder plans a grand opening later this month.
It’s perhaps a testament to the era that the storefront was an afterthought to what was intended to be an online cookware business.
Reeder, 35, of Plain Township in Stark County has worked in software for years.
Mother and daughter rule the roost at shop
KEYPORT – They’ve been living in the Keyport area their whole lives, but it took a simple twist of fate to land them right smack in the middle of downtown, with their own retail business and a group of loyal customers. Now, locals and tourists alike flock like birds of a feather to share in The Clever Hen’s cozy, social atmosphere.
“My daughter and I had always talked about opening some kind of store in town,” said Teresa Bolte, who co-owns her West Front Street shop with daughter, Keyport Councilwoman Christian Bolte.
The Baby Bunch Delivers New Organic Bunch
New York, NY – The Baby Bunch is proud to announce the arrival of their new Organic Bunch. The unique Baby Bunch line consists of beautiful, yet practical gift sets for new parents that feature a blossoming selection of useful infant clothing presented as a bouquet of flowers.
The new Organic Bunch features super-soft 100% unbleached organic cotton baby garments that are made with naturally processed material grown without pesticides.
2007 Comes Alive at Zutano!
Zutano’s 2007 collections are the most diverse and plentiful to date. With brilliant new baby patterns and prints, unique toddler fashions and vivd, colorful new plush toys and accessories – no matter what season you’re covering, Zutano has a bright and stylish new product to enhance your editorial. Please contact Mary Admasian for product images, press releases and sample requests.
Bright Baby Basics Prints & Matching Tees
For Every Body Launches New Line of Candle-like Air Fresheners
Lindon, Utah – For Every Body, a premium fragrance product company, introduced a new line of water based air fresheners for consumers who love candles, but are able not able to burn them.
For Every Body’s new Minus Wicks were designed to sit on a candle warmer and release fragrance for up to 60 hours as water evaporates. Each Minus Wicks is water based, and does not contain any wax, which allows it to evaporate and release the fragrance.
“Our new line is unique,” said Ben Wall director of marketing.
Gift shop opens in Arcade building
HUNTINGTON — So you work downtown, or maybe you head downtown often to run errands, eat or catch a matinee.
Maybe you need a quick, creative gift for your sister, girlfriend, mother or daughter. Or maybe you just want to nose around for some items to liven up your house or take your mind off work for a while.
There’s a new shop in the old Arcade building that just might do the trick.
Laine’s Eclectic Boutique and Gifts opened at 945 4th Ave. last month, and the “eclectic” part of the name is perfect.
Hitting your target
When Doris Fry, owner of Grand Interiors … Simply Grand!!
Consumers expect to spend 11 percent more on Easter
Easter spending is expected to increase across the board this year with shoppers spending $135 on average, up 11 percent from nearly $122 in 2006.
The new survey by the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C. indicated consumers will spend the most on meals and outfits, but other items include candy, gifts, flowers and decorations.
“Easter is a critical time for apparel retailers,” said Tracy Mullin, president and chief executive officer of the National Retail Federation.
Gift shop expands, more on the way
CLEONA — Just four months after moving into a new home, Stewart’s Gift Peddler has already expanded.
Previously located next to the business’s greenhouse at 1724 N. Seventh St., where the business opened in 1991, the gift shop moved to the Cleona Square shopping center in November.
Happy family says life is sweet at Nona’s; 3 women find joy in creating confections that make customers smile
Celebrate Family, Friends and Traditions, read the words painted above a photo display at Nona’s Sweets.
Those words capture the spirit that motivates Jo-Ann “Nona” Morlando and her family.
“Money keeps the door open,” says daughter Dominica Clementi, “but the joy we get is from baking every day and being friends with our customers.”
This week before Easter is a particularly busy time at Nona’s Sweets. The small shop on North Tryon Street is packed with scores of traditional holiday pastries, cookies and candies.
Companies discover MySpace marketing
Jeff Nielsen, owner of Island Bicycle Co., has 936 friends.
That number is not a reflection of his personal popularity but of his marketing savvy. Not all of his friends are customers, but they might be, something Nielsen plans gradually to take to the bank.
The island cycle shop is one of dozens of local businesses taking advantage of the social networking site MySpace to promote products and services and reach out to potential customers.
“It’s an enormous marketing tool,” Nielsen said. “It’s not just for kids.
Get Your Goat
It’s not every day that you meet someone who owns a goat farm. It’s even less frequently that you meet someone who not only raises goats, but milks them and hand-crafts goat milk products.
Yet that’s exactly what Kim Mash, of Chickenmash Farm, does. And her gift shop in Grove City is the perfect place to display her wares.
Mash hand-milks the goats twice a day and makes the goat-milk soap sold in the store from scratch. But it’s not just your run-of-the-mill soap.
Gladys Wise back with Skipper’s, a Whitemarsh landmark
Skipper’s is making a comeback.
Actually, the retail business owned by Gladys Wise that was a landmark on Whitemarsh Island for a couple decades has been back since late last fall, but its grand reopening is scheduled for mid-April.

