Archives: News
Café d’Vine Wine-Infused Gourmet Coffee Launches in the USA
Imagine the rich flavors of estate-grown Arabica and Tipica coffee infused with the aromatics and smooth, round flavors from vintage red wines – this is Café d’Vine. This unique line of wine-infused coffee has re-energized the specialty coffee category, marrying two luxurious, well-loved flavors into one perfectly balanced cup of coffee.
Aurora Launches Interactive Website Based on Characters from its Top Selling Line YooHoo & Friends
Pico Rivera, CA – Aurora World Inc. announced today that it has launched an online virtual world inspired by Aurora’s best selling plush line of YooHoo & Friends geared to kids from five to 12 years old. The website’s characters resemble real animals in their natural habitats from all over the world and will educate children about them. The website is free and does not require activation codes for entry.
Area business dresses for success
Want Cinderella or Snow White as guests for your child’s party? It’s possible with themed parties for children, such as those offered by Next Generation Children’s Store in Brighton.
The boutique clothing and gift store at 209 W. Main St. that caters to children from infants through teens has expanded on the success that started with Webkinz parties.
Now, customers can also schedule a Princess Tea, Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Tinker Bell, Glamour Girl or Furry Friends party.
“We started out with Webkinz parties,” said sales associate Sandi Denhoff.
Pies and Plates owner winner of retail award
Pies and Plates is a gourmet specialty store/restaurant. On Thursday, owner Cindee Murphy will receive the Florida Retail Federation’s 2009 Retailer of the Year Award in Leadership.
“Every year they give three awards. We’re in the small-business category. We’ve been in business for six years and from day one we’ve been evolving,” Murphy said.
“One of the reasons I got the award is that I do a good job of promoting Punta Gorda. We have seven museums, 12 art galleries, 40 specialty stores and 60 restaurants. Punta Gorda is a really fun place.
North End businesses go fashion forward
While some retail districts are increasingly dotted with empty storefronts, the North End is seeing a burgeoning number of boutiques that sell everything from designer dresses to high-end handbags.
Four Companies Form New Independent Sales Organization
In an effort to achieve product line sales focus and enhance in-field customer service, four separate gift companies have joined forces to develop and maintain a national independent sales organization.
Historic Village Park gets gift shop
Fans of Westland Historic Village Park can show their support with shirts, mugs and other items at the new gift shop inside the Octagon House.
The commemorative items are all contained in a glass display case but it’s a start and only part of the efforts at the park on Wayne Road which has six buildings on site.
There are T-shirts, sweat shirts and polo shirts, tote bags, post cards, mugs and a book on Eloise, later the Wayne County General Hospital.
Downtowns spruce up to boost business
Main Streets in Morris County are innovating behind the scenes to retain the businesses they have and recruit new ones as the recession plays out in reduced store sales and rising office vacancy rates.
An informal survey of Morris county towns conducted by the Daily Record found sales down 10 to 50 percent and office vacancy rates of 6 to 20 percent.
Sports gear, gift cards popular presents for local dads
Father’s Day for 19-year-old Stephen Brown is important because it allows him and his siblings to show why Dad is one of the people he admires.
“We get to celebrate the person we all look up to,” Brown said. “He’s one of our heroes. We get to celebrate Mother’s Day, then this right after.
Small businesses struggle in downturn
Although the fate of certain large industries such as banking and automotive has drawn much attention over the course of the recession so far, about half of all private sector employees in the nation work for small businesses, according the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Small businesses, in this case defined as having fewer than 500 employees, pay nearly 45 percent of the total U.S.
Man has business nailed as boot maker
Wichita Falls — The Burk Boot Shop is a really good fit for this Wichita County town.
The shop, owned by Armando and Patricia Dominguez, is a place where customers can get their shoes repaired, buy a gift, have custom-boots made or just stop by for a chat to get to know the couple. After all, they have a story to tell.
Noah’s Naturals restructures and repositions brand to answer consumer demand
Los Angeles, Calif. — With the increasing focus on health and wellbeing, Noah’s Naturals is making it easier than ever for consumers to find natural and organic personal care products that fit into their lifestyles by restructuring and repositioning its three existing brands: It’s All Good, Honest to Goodness and Heal Thyself.
Beginning in March, Honest to Goodness will be repackaged and rebranded as Noah’s Naturals, making the line easy for consumers to recognize.
Hotel shop offers environmental bent
Mammoth, Montana – Shoppers may be more educated when buying these days, but how many are enlightened in the same place that they ponder their purchase?
Offering interpretation along with an eco-friendly line of products, the gift shop at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, called For Future Generations, is merging education and commerce.
“This is pretty unprecedented,” said Beth Pratt, director of environmental affairs for Xanterra Parks and Resorts in Yellowstone. “We’re really using the products to educate people.
Soul proprietor: Afro-centric gallery developing broad appeal
Winston-Salem — Race can be a touchy subject, and as a rule retailers don’t like touchy subjects. Rather, they like as many customers as they can get. Sometimes, though, the issue is there anyway.
Dana Suggs has been aware of the challenges of racial sensitivity since well before she opened her Afro-centric gallery Body and Soul in the Trade Street Arts District in 2003.
Splurge owner honored by chamber
Greenwich, CT — Sonia Sotire Malloy remembers when she was a child eating pizza by the slice at Davinci’s pizza shop and hunting for treasures at Baubles in downtown Greenwich.
The Stamford native said she enjoyed the area’s shops so much that she opened Splurge, a gift shop on East Putnam Avenue in December 2007.
“When I decided to pursue my lifelong dream of opening a gift store, my fond memories of the locally owned businesses of Greenwich contributed to my selection of Greenwich as my location of choice,” she said Thursday in front of about 100 people at the Greenwich Chamber
Perfumers Breathe in Sales Data, and Strategize
Long after most other consumer goods companies were getting detailed reports on how their products were selling, giant perfume makers like Estée Lauder, l’Oréal and Coty operated mostly by intuition.
While they might know that orders from a retailer were down, they could not track what was selling and what was not.
Merchants expand, despite slow economy
Birmingham — At a time when many local business owners are exhausting all their energy just keeping one store open, several savvy merchants are setting their sites on expansion.
Rather than riding out the recession, Stacie Maier and Bridget Sagmani — seven-year co-owners of Birmingham’s 110 Couture — saw the current economic climate as a time of opportunity. Last year, Maier and Sagmani opened a fashionable children’s clothing boutique called Sam and Lola at 580 N.
Buttercup saves by sharing with similar stores
As The Buttercup stationery and gift shop celebrates its 34th anniversary this month, its owners are taking steps to ensure they can mark many more milestones.
In February, for instance, the store ended its Monday hours and remains open Tuesdays through Saturdays, said Stewart Gordon, who owns the store – located on Providence Road near Charlotte’s Eastover neighborhood – with Judy Woodard.
They have avoided layoffs for their 25 full- and part-time employees, Gordon said, although people’s hours have been cut.
Sales are off by 18 percent this year, said Gordon, who cal
The Flower Shop Offers Warmth, Variety, Gifts
Bethlehem – The world according to Julie Clifford and Kelly Kennedy is one filled with chrysanthemums and candles.
The two women, who have worked together for approximately 20 years, own The Flower Shop at 151 Main St. North. The shop opened in May.
Ms. Clifford has more than 30 years of experience in the floral business. She previously owned a local garden center that also served as a floral and gift shop. Ms. Kennedy has 20 years of experience in the business.
“We always worked together,” Ms.
Green’s the new black at eco-friendly shop
If you green it and mean it, Ekotik boutique is for you.