Archives: News
Woodstock Chimes Enhances Popular Environments Collection
(Shokan, N.Y.) — Woodstock Chimes, a leading manufacturer of precision-tuned windchimes, introduces two new bells to its popular Environments Collection as part of the company’s 2008 summer product introduction.
Hartville gift shop offers flowers, wreaths and more
Hartville, Ohio – The Lavender Butterfly is a unique gift shop that opened in Hartville on June 2. The store owner is Carla Holland from North Canton. The Lavender Butterfly is located at 141 S. Prospect Building B in Historic Downtown Hartville.
Holland is very excited about this opportunity to have a business in Hartville. She has been doing crafts and floral arrangements for years and felt that this would be a prime location for her shop. Holland enjoys that her shop is so close to home.
Belmont still thriving in tough economic climate
It isn’t the best of economic times, but Teresa McCarter has decided to open a new business anyway.
Within the next few days, she’ll launch Happy Dog Café & Boutique at 26 N. Main St. Suite 1 in downtown Belmont.
McCarter, 48, gave up her job as operations manager of Charlotte-based Emco Inc., a power transmission distributor, to start a specialty shop for dogs in her hometown.
She’ll stock everything from gourmet health food and supplements to dress-up clothing and life jackets.
Can downtown Brunswick stay in business?
Brunswick — A tough economy, not enough draw to downtown, no major highways nearby and a lack of parking are just some reasons Brunswick store owners are feeling a pinch in their sales.
Julia Saulnier recently moved her gift shop, Treasures to Warm the Heart, to Leesburg, Va., after one year in downtown. Her sales didn’t cover the cost to run the business and for her to commute from her Leesburg home, she said.
But there’s not enough foot traffic to sustain all of the city’s antique shops, said Bill Simms, who, with wife, Edith, own Antiques N’ Ole Stuff at 25 E.
Oil prices, slow economy hurting entrepreneurs
Sharon Roberts spent several sleepless nights this past spring wondering whether or not to close Buffalo’s Southwest Cafe, the business she and her husband, Rick, have operated since 2004.
“We stayed up at night thinking about how do we close the doors,” Roberts said. “We were at the point of considering it.”
A family loan, some budget tightening and a new marketing plan helped them to remain in business, however.
Christian Retail Stores Shelve Old Ideas
At Skia, a new Christian bookstore in Bentonville, Ark., there are comfortable chairs, racks of apparel, a coffee and smoothie bar, and a full corner of the store dedicated to building, of all things, skateboards.
“It takes a little while to put together a skateboard, maybe 15 minutes or so,” said Skia’s co-owner, Bill Beyer.
Lodge Living Introduced at Summer Las Vegas Market
(LAS VEGAS) — From rustic cabin to luxe lodge to mountain modern, the Lodge Living area and complementary programming will be an exciting and inspirational new destination at the Summer 2008 Las Vegas Market, July 28 – Aug. 1.
According to Russell Blair, director of furniture leasing for World Market Center Las Vegas, Lodge Living area will take center stage in a 25,000-square-foot glass enclosed showroom on the thirteenth floor of the new Building C at World Market Center Las Vegas.
“Lodge Living is a natural for us in the West,” he said.
OneCoast.com Increases Sales by 600 percent
(Pittsburgh) – OneCoast, the largest and only national wholesale provider of gift, home, and collegiate products to retailers throughout the United States, announced its Web site, OneCoast.com, posted a sales increase of over 600% in the first six months of 2008 compared to the same period of 2007.
OneCoast.com is the largest wholesale online showroom for products in the gift and home area. More than 30 vendors sell products to independent retailers nationwide through the website. In 2008 alone, 15 vendors have chosen to add their product collections to OneCoast.com.
Ateliers d’Art de France to present at NYIGF
The finest home, gift and lifestyle resources from around the world converge twice a year in New York City at the New York International Gift Fair, to offer an incredible selection of exceptional merchandise in one convenient, well-organized marketplace.
For the August 2008 New York International Gift Fair, Ateliers d’Art de France will support and present a total of 20 French manufacturers, the largest in the federation’s history.
Checks still not in the mail for struggling shops
One year after the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation said it would help small businesses floundering on construction-choked streets, businesses have not yet received any money.
“I will not believe it until I see it,” said Aleks Misyuk, owner of My Optician at 88 Fulton St. He applied for a grant three months ago and heard recently that he would get $12,000, which he would put toward advertising and trying to increase foot traffic to his business. He said his sales are down 30 percent since much of Fulton St.
Woolrich Home Furnishings to Participate in WMC Las Vegas
(Las Vegas, NV)—Woolrich, Inc., the brand inspired by nature for people who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle, will display the Woolrich “lifestyle” in the new “Lodge Living” area during the upcoming Las Vegas Market held July 28 to August 1.
“Lodge Living” is located in the World Market Center’s recently completed Building “C” on the 13th floor. Each of Woolrich’s 11 home furnishings Brand Partners will be well represented in a 1000 square-foot space within the highly visible, glass-fronted pavilion.
Spark new business growth at PMC’s summer show
SEATTLE – Pacific Market Center, the leading destination market on the west coast, will host the Summer Gift & Home Accessories Show, the Pacific Northwest’s premier seven-day market event, on Aug. 13-19.
Known as a leading and innovative resource for home, lifestyle and giftware, Pacific Market Center will offer buyers a multitude of business building opportunities including educational seminars designed to provide fresh ideas and social networking functions in a one-of-a-kind marketplace experience.
Kids Preferred says Bon Jour to Madeline
East Windsor, N.J. – American girls will be heard saying merci beaucoup this autumn as they wrap their arms around that precocious Parisian redhead, Madeline, the newest literary license awarded to Kids Preferred.
Kids Preferred, one of the leading U.S. plush manufacturers, will initially develop three plush models of Madeline and her dog, Genevieve. The spunky literary character, beloved for seven decades on both sides of the Atlantic, is the star of books, a television series and a feature film.
Eromax Little Princess Enchants Creative Child Awards Panel
Lake Barrington, IL – Dressing up as a princess, pirate and knight captured the imagination of this year’s Creative Child Magazine Awards earning Aeromax, maker of children’s and adult’s costumes, three top honors in the 2008 competition.
National Retail Federation: Sales remain soft despite stimulus checks
Despite the millions of tax rebate checks that were delivered in June, consumer spending remained soft last month, according to National Retail Federation statistics released Tuesday.
The trade group reported retail industry sales for June (which exclude automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) rose 1.3 percent unadjusted over last year and increased 0.2 percent seasonally adjusted month-to-month.
Gift cards: 5-year limit, expiration dates help consumers
Michigan – It’s almost become a holiday tradition: You receive a gift card, toss it in a drawer and forget about it for awhile – maybe a long while. Then when you finally go to redeem it, the retail clerk tells you the card has expired. There is nothing on the card indicating an expiration date, only the clerk’s explanation that it is “store policy.” Sorry.
Such scenarios should become a thing of the past for anyone purchasing a gift card or gift certificate in Michigan after Nov. 1.
Little shop of ‘this & that’ open
Illinois – Karen Luevano walked past a vacant shop in Cave Junction’s Western Plaza, and impulsively rented the space previously occupied by Daddy & Me Locksmith.
Karen; her husband, Fred; her son, Eric, from Luevano’s Painting; and her grandson, Joey, from California painted the inside of the store next to True Value Hardware.
Grandsons Nick Luevano and Mike Luevano also pitched in during the redecoration, and will continue to help with Lue-van-o’s, a “This & That” gift shop, which opened on July 4.
WMC Las Vegas Launches Focused ‘Designer Days’ Series
(LAS VEGAS) — Designers attending the Summer 2008 Las Vegas Market July 28 through August 1 are invited to experience a robust, high-end series of events planned especially for them.
From architecture and lighting to new shades of green—to talks by such trend-setters as Larry Laslo and Roger Thomas—the new Las Vegas Market “Designer Days” series is an educational, entertaining and focused series of events catering to the design community.
Not only can attending designers see what’s new in the latest products and trends during Las Vegas Market, but they can get educat
Friendship Bracelets Trend Continues into Fall
Remember friendship bracelets? We used to sit on the porch and make them for hours … and there is still no better way. We don’t all have that kind of DYI time, but we love the chic combination of retro and tribal, which is even better when you share it with a friend.
Dogeared has re-introducing friendship bracelets with charms, faceted gems and brass beads on brand new colors … and they are all still hand knotted right here in Southern California, just the way they should be.
Layer them on, mix and match and add the season’s all important vibrant color palette!
La Cienega brings collaboration to California Gift Show
Los Angeles, CA – Call it a gift show within a gift show: this year marks the first time that a local collaborative of Los Angeles neighborhood businesses will participate in the California Gift Show.
The recently formed La Cienega South Design and Art District (LSDAD) is a group of companies that complement one another in the design and art world that are based in and around La Cienega Boulevard South in Culver City.
LSDAD will set up shop along side over 1,000 other exhibitors that will attract over 2,500 product lines for an anticipated 20,000 attendees at this year’s show.