Archives: News
The Buzz: Retailers hope season bright
In all of the dour retail and economic news, there are glimmers of cheer.
But you need to look for them.
As retailers prepare for the start of the Christmas shopping season, there are glass-half-full types charging ahead and hoping the season still will shine.
“Christmas is not canceled, knock on wood,” said Lori Dudley, co-owner of the Grand Chute gift shop Scatter Joy at 1869 N. Casaloma Drive. “We’re optimistic.
Union Hospital gift shop teams with toy business to benefit others
Terre Haute — The Union Hospital gift shop’s new partnership means that more than just the customer benefits from a purchase.
The shop kicked off its partnership with Wonfurwons, a stuffed toy business based in Fort Wayne that gives a smaller stuffed toy to hospitals and other not-for-profit organizations.
Wonfurwons are sold in the gift shop for $12.99 each.
Seda France Home Fragrances Expands Operations, Bucks Economic Downturn
(AUSTIN, TX) – Seda France Home Fragrances of Austin is expanding its operations with a 5% increase in workforce and the addition of 18,000 square feet of office, warehouse and production space to create and ship even more of their candles, diffusers and other fragrance products known for their lavish “no wrapping paper needed” gift packaging.
CEO and founder, Robert Hernandez, says, “We have been really fortunate to see continued growth and demand from both retailers and consumers – despite any economic naysaying – and that, of course, is fueling this expansion in our operations.
Two Leading Gift Companies Merge
(Bloomingdale, IL, Bainbridge, IN) — Roman, Inc. and Cottage Garden Collections, two award-winning, family-run gift companies well known in the industry for their inspiration and sentiment product lines, have announced a merger effective October 15, 2008.
Mastering the art of Boredom
(NEW YORK) — Of all the rooms in a home, the bedroom commands the deepest sense of mystery; it can be functional and practical, as well as a singular private sanctuary. Often a shared space of silent communication, it speaks in color and form.
Miles of style at your fingertips
(SADDLE BROOK, NJ) — See it. Touch it. Buy it. World renowned textile manufacturer Nourison Industries, Inc. introduces a new retail phenomenon, The Rug Boutique, now appearing in major retail stores across the country. The innovative self-service shopping display addresses the top three retailer concerns as they relate to consumer textile displays: cost, space, and efficiency.
DMC welcomes Jill Robinson as VP Retail Development
(DALLAS) –– Dallas Market Center, the world’s largest wholesale merchandise resource, today announced that Jill Robinson has joined the company as vice president of retail development. In her position, Robinson will oversee all specialty and major store buyer recruitment and retention programs for hardgoods and softgoods and will report to Jane R. Robertson, executive vice president, marketing.
Robinson comes to Dallas Market Center after more than 20 years with major retailers Bag ‘n’ Baggage and JCPenney.
Seda France Home Fragrances Promotes Clinton Hamann to Company President
(AUSTIN, TX) –– After more than two years as Operations Director for Seda France Home Fragrances of Austin, Clinton Hamann has been promoted to the position of President. Hamann has successfully combined his education and background in the artswith operations management expertise to bring a new level of performance and efficiency to the day-to-day operations of Seda France, and his duties will now include overseeing all departments from a process and improvement standpoint.
Make it a Happy Holiday Selling Season
As a continuation of the August cover story in Picture Business magazine, we wanted to provide imaging retailers with additional perspective on the holiday selling season. In the coming weeks we’ll offer up several pieces that detail steps retailers can take to make their all-important holiday Q4 the best it can be.
We’ll play a little Blackjack for openers as Doug Fleener has provided us with “21 Tips to Brighten the Holiday Selling Season” for retailers.
21 Holiday Selling Tips for Imaging Retail
1.
US retailer creates female-friendly store
With input from 40 local female customers, Best Buy Co. has opened a new store in a southeast Denver suburb that it hopes better caters to women without alienating men.
Monrovia’s ‘Main Street’ copes with tough times
Monrovia, CA — There are no palm trees on Myrtle Avenue. This pleases Hollywood location scouts, who frequently dispatch film crews here when they need a backdrop that suggests a town in the American heartland. Indeed, in look and feel, particularly the five blocks that run through Monrovia’s Old Town district, Myrtle seems more representative of rural Iowa than metropolitan Los Angeles.
The street constitutes the center of this San Gabriel Valley town of nearly 40,000.
Student thrilled to join inventors
Adrian Lindsey is used to getting phone calls.
”It’s great getting calls when you’re in business,” said the 18-year-old Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy senior who works hard to promote and sell his product, the All Net Sak.
But he was taken aback by the call he received one afternoon in mid-August.
It was from the National Museum of Education in downtown Akron.
”I was a little bit overwhelmed when they told me why they were calling,” he said.
Lindsey, who lives in West Akron, learned that he was going to be honored Oct.
Coming to fruition
After many stops and starts, the Blue Willow Village in Social Circle has finally opened its doors — well, almost.
Two shops are now open in the Village — The Gallery of Creation and Georgia Originals.
When fully built out the Village will include an 11,000-square-foot creationist and natural history museum and nine shops.
Chapters CEO unveils eco-gift store Pistachio
Toronto, Canada — Opening an eco-gift store at which one can spend $30 on beeswax kids’ crayons in the midst of an historic economic crisis might deter some retailers, but not Heather Reisman.
The chief executive of Indigo Books and Music Inc. on Tuesday launched her latest store concept, Pistachio, in a tony north Toronto neighbourhood and plans to roll it out nationally.
“The [target consumers] are the people who shop at Whole Foods and are getting on Bullfrog Power,” she said. “It’s an early and growing segment.
Shoppers glimpse nirvana at Unique Boutique
Hampshire, IL — Shoppers in town have a new place to where they can find a gift for themselves or someone else: Unique Boutique.
Until owner Tammy Wheeler opened Unique Boutique in September, Hampshire’s biggest retailers offered more function than frills. Not Unique Boutique.
From textile designer to candle maker
Westport, MA — While the rest of Quaker Fabric’s employees were stricken by its closure in 2005, Lynn McCarthy was more optimistic. This was her opportunity, after working there 17 years as a textile designer (right out of college ), to start her own business.
She had already begun development on a line of soy-based candles and all-natural room and linen sprays and had been testing them on her co-workers at Quaker. With the boot from Quaker Fabrics — one of Fall River’s last major manufacturing facilities — Ms. McCarthy became her own boss.
Feedback for the Boss From All Sides
The theory behind 360-degree feedback is simple: By having supervisors, subordinates, co-workers and even customers comment about their performance, bosses can learn what they are doing effectively, and what needs improving.
If the theory is right, then having employees give you feedback should make you a better boss.
What follows are some tips that could make that theory a reality:
HOW TO TAKE IT “We’re all a little sensitive when it comes to receiving feedback, particularly when it’s not all positive, and even more so when the feedback provider is relatively unskil
Alexa’s Angels Offers Great Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day
(Windsor, CO) — Alexa’s Angels, a leading inspirational gift jewelry manufacturer dedicated to providing high quality, original designs, encourages you to show your affection this Valentine’s Day with one of their great gift ideas. Whether you’re looking for something with a “bling” factor or a lower key way to say “I Love You”, Alexa’s Angels is sure to have right design for the occasion.
Beautiful Silk Cord and Rhinestone Initial Necklaces: This beautiful new design from Alexa’s Angels combines a pink silk cord and a rhinestone initial for a necklace that is Letter Perfect!
Half of Americans Plan to Shop “Green” This Holiday Season, Survey Says
Madison, VA — Call it a “Green Christmas.” A recent national survey commissioned by Plow & Hearth, one of the country’s leading retailers, found that half of Americans plan to purchase an environmentally friendly gift this holiday season.
Among those going green this year, two-thirds (66%) say they are willing to spend between 10 and 25 percent or more of their own green on holiday green gifts.
“It’s heartening to know that even during a period of financial uncertainty, Americans will still go the extra mile to protect the environment,” said Plow & Hearth president
Alexa’s Angels Offers Great Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day
(Windsor, CO) — Alexa’s Angels, a leading inspirational gift jewelry manufacturer dedicated to providing high quality, original designs, encourages you to show your affection this Valentine’s Day with one of their great gift ideas. Whether you’re looking for something with a “bling” factor or a lower key way to say “I Love You”, Alexa’s Angels is sure to have right design for the occasion.
Beautiful Silk Cord and Rhinestone Initial Necklaces: This beautiful new design from Alexa’s Angels combines a pink silk cord and a rhinestone initial for a necklace that is Letter Perfect!