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Retailers embrace Earth Day
To mark Earth Day today, Macy’s will hand out Florida pine saplings to the first 100 customers at local department stores. Home Depot is offering 10 percent off energy-efficient appliances. Whole Foods will cease to give out disposable plastic bags. And Wal-Mart Stores will promote its natural cleaning products and organic-cotton T-shirts.
While environmentalists have been honoring Earth Day for more than 35 years by planting trees and cleaning up parks, retailers have recently embraced the event as a chance to market themselves as eco-friendly.
New store offers ‘a little bit of heaven’; The Suds and Scent Company now open downtown
A new store in the heart of Lindsay’s downtown is offering products that will help its customers make the most out of some of life’s most relaxing moments.
The Suds and Scent Company opened at 132 Kent Street West on April 15 and a grand opening was held on Saturday.
The idea was to bring something completely unique to the area, said store owner Melody Popovic, who also owns and operates Galaxy Picture Framing right next door.
Tipp Florist Shop Blooms into Spring
Since 1940, the spirit of spring has blossomed with the products from Tipp Florist and their presence through the city and the world is far from withering.
The shops inventory supplies the flowers needed for any occasion and the design team will assemble a bouquet to fit any order.
Floral designer June Hines has been at Tipp Florist for 25 years and still loves her work.
Port Lavaca is booming with new businesses
Port Lavaca – Robin Kacir slipped on the sparkly crystal bracelet she found at the newest shop downtown. “Honey, it’s purple,” the owner of Randy’s Floor Co. said, shaking her wrist. She smiled at the women and strutted out the Iguana Way entrance, passing by several pink flamingoes.
Flamingoes gave gift shop owners both the idea for a sign and the name – The Funky Divas.
“She’s more diva,” Robin Sikes said about co-owner Melissa Crowley.
Wedding Favor Retailer Makes It Easy to be Green in 2008
Boston – Boston-based FavorCreative.com announced it will seek to continue to expand its product line of eco-friendly “green” favors for parties and events.
Favor Creative carries an inventory of environmentally friendly favors, packaging, and gift tags printed on 100% recycled paper. Their packaging options range from recycled gift boxes to paper bags to biodegradable ribbon in various colors. The company helps encourage earth-conscious customers to give back to the earth and reduce their impact while still honoring their guests with thank you gifts.
City Sales Tax Income Up
Total revenue from the city’s share of the 1.25 percent countywide sales tax showed even more growth.
From it, Fort Smith took in $1.23 million, a 4.38 percent rise from a year-earlier $1.18 million.
The city collected another $1.52 million from a 1 percent tax to pay off the bonded debt funding of the Lake Fort Smith water project.
Ray Gosack, acting co-administrator of the city of Fort Smith, said he would attribute at least some of the increase in revenues from the 1 percent taxes to the Jan.
Mother, daughters build business to keep family close
Bonners Ferry – Soon after her family moved across the border from Montana, Shelly Yount peeped through the windows of Lindsay-Helmer Hardware and got hooked on the downtown building.
Just a girl at the time, she found everything about the place captivating.
The Country Chick opens in old Spark’s Grocery
Cookeville — Cookeville residents driving down Hudgens Street near Capshaw Elementary School will notice a new business is a historic location. The Country Chick opened at 618 E. Hudgens Street in the old Spark’s Grocery store in mid-February.
Heather Bean and her mother, Bonnie Bowman, opened the Country Chick two months ago as an antique and cookie shop. The family business quickly expanded to include antiques, gifts and a menu featuring soups, sandwiches, casseroles and a large variety of desserts.
Webkinz: Interactive toys featured in celebration of their creation
Young fans of the plush Webkinz animals will be able to play some of their favorite online games at Rosenkrans Gift Shop & Pharmacy this weekend.
Webkinz Extravaganza will feature games, prizes, snacks and a free Webkinz with any $10 purchase. The event will be held at the store from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
“We thought it would be a great opportunity to get out there and do something fun for the kids,” said Gift Shop Manager Barb Kujawa. “Nobody is going to be turned away. … Everything is on Rosenkrans.
Toys go green: Eco-friendly playthings are fun for kids, reassuring for parents
Athena Brocus loves her pink Rattle Ring Girly – maybe because it’s soft and cuddly, maybe because it has big, floppy ears, maybe just because it’s there.
The 9-month-old has no idea that the toy from Keptin-Jr. is made in Europe from organic cotton or that it has a wooden teether instead of a plastic one. But her Mom, Nadja, does, and that’s why she bought it.
“When she was born, a bunch of her toys had recalls,” said Mrs. Brocus, 27.
More U.S. retailers give BPA the boot
Canada’s proposed ban on a hormone-like chemical in baby bottles has spurred U.S. retailers and legislators to try to phase out use of the ingredient, called bisphenol A, or BPA.
Canada’s announcement Friday came just days after the National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S.
Stores await consumers’ tax rebates
Sony wants to turn your tax rebate into a high-definition television. Home Depot has other plans for your check from Uncle Sam: help the Earth by spending it on energy-efficient appliances. And Sears is offering a gift card to customers for the amount of their rebate checks, plus a 10 percent bonus.
Merchants struggling with the slowdown in spending are stepping up promotions to court consumers who are expecting a cash infusion from federal rebate checks.
High gas prices take toll locally
As fuel prices rise, the pinch on motorists and businesses alike grows stronger each day.
“Obviously, it’s affecting everybody,” John Hill, director of transportation for Garrett County Community Action’s Garrett Transit Service, said. “It’s affecting our budget. We only have a certain amount to work within each year. We’re on efficiency mode, but not cutting back any services.
Retailer crafts outlet for her creativity
Middlebury— Usually when Nancie Dunn attends the National Stationery Show in New York City she goes as a buyer for her Middlebury country gift store, Sweet Cecily. This year she’ll be on the other side of an exhibit booth, selling her handmade greeting cards.
Dunn started making her own cards about three years ago when her store was low on Easter cards. She took up marker and paintbrush and whipped out a small series of colorful cards to fill the racks. The first batch sold so well, she followed up with another.”It just took off,” she said.
Stores to shoppers: Spend your tax rebate here, get a bonus
Can’t wait for that economic-stimulus check from the IRS?
Neither can Sears, Kmart and Fry’s Food Stores.
Starting next month, they will give shoppers a bonus to spend the bucks in their stores.
Sears Holdings Corp., which owns Sears and Kmart, and the Kroger Co., Fry’s parent, this week announced national campaigns that will allow shoppers to exchange their stimulus checks for store gift cards worth the amount plus an additional 10 percent.
“The average family of four spends between $105 and $235 per week on food purchased at a store and prepared at home,” Jon Flora, president of F
Opponents tee off on proposed Scotts Valley Target
Target critics offered up a litany of reasons Wednesday on why the big-box retailer would be a “nightmare” for Scotts Valley, while store officials said they wouldn’t back away from opening the store in face of opposition.
A 155,000-square-foot store proposed for a vacant lot on La Madrona Drive next to the Hilton could put the hotel out of business, impede a fire station slated to be built across the street, lead to homeless people using the parking lot to car camp, harm wildlife, increase crime, bring unwanted traffic, tarnish the city’s reputation and lower values of nearby homes, Targ
Polishing the boot
Burkburnett — There’s more than just boot-making going on at the Burk Boot Shop.
Owners Armando and Patricia Dominguez are in the midst of a major renovation of their longtime family business, including everything from a paint job and new flooring to the installation of a retail sales area in front.
Armando said he’s undertaking the project in hopes of kick-starting his business, even though he’s already got a steady clientele.
“I’ve got plenty of work. That’s not the problem,” he said. “The problem is that the trade hasn’t kept up with the economy.
Shop local, shop Wellesley
Wellesley – Whether you’re shopping for a greeting card, a child’s birthday gift, a book, an outfit for a wedding, a rake, house insurance, an appliance or just about anything else, “Shop Wellesley First.”
That’s the message local business leaders are hoping to get across.
Elaine Bannigan, co-owner of Pinnacle Residential Properties and chairman of the board of directors of the Wellesley Chamber of Commerce, said by doing so, shoppers are preserving the economic health and the vitality of the community.
As chairman, she said that she had been talking a lot to another board member, Rob
Macy’s will begin using recycled paper bags, offer totes
New York – Department-store operator Macy’s Inc. said Thursday it will begin using partly recycled paper shopping bags at its Macy’s stores and biodegradable packaging for its online shipments.
The changes start this month.
The new store bags will be made from paper with 30 percent recycled material and will be 100 percent recyclable. Its previous bag was laminated and not recyclable.
Design-Driven Product Takes Center Stage at Summer NYIGF
White Plains, NY – Offering both quality and quantity in equal measure, the 155th semi-annual New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) returns to New York City, running Saturday, August 16, through Thursday, August 21, 2008, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Metropolitan Pavilion and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 & 94.