Archives: News
Twinkle in Grandma’s eye inspires book series
Fairfax, VA – Stories passed one from generation to generation are treasured by a few lucky souls. In Virginia, two granddaughters decided to bring their Nana’s charming story character, Nana Star, to life with a picture book series lovingly illustrated, written and published by three generations.
Grandmother Elizabeth Owens, matriarch of the family, created the character Nana Star out of a great love for her little grandson, Vance, with a desire to give him sense of home wherever he was.
National Stationery Show names Best New Product Award winners
New York, NY – The addition of “Think Green” categories to the Best New Product Awards competition at the National Stationery Show propelled the contest to a new level, as judges reviewed a record-breaking 375 new products to select 13 winners, Sunday, May 18, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The coveted Awards are presented in 12 categories and are considered a top honor within the social stationery industry.
Winners of the 12th annual Best New Product Awards are:
Portico Spa Scheduled to Re-Launch in 2009
New York, NY – Portico Home + Spa announces its re-emergence in early 2009 redefining the brand in an eco-conscious direction. Portico Spa will offer a reformulated bath and body collection developed to help integrate green concepts into a daily grooming routine, while Portico Home will offer products including home textiles and furnishings that are environmentally sustainable and of the highest quality.
Combining science with social responsibility, the Portico Spa collection has been developed to both pamper and protect.
Tax Rebate Checks Going Towards Necessities
About $42 billion in tax rebate checks should start hitting the mail this week. The checks are intended to stimulate the economy. Whether they do that or not remains to be seen; many families say the checks will go toward paying for such basic necessities as groceries and gas, both setting new price records almost daily.
The tax rebates — ranging from $300 to $600, or up to $1,200 for married couples who file jointly — will be available to some direct-deposit taxpayers as early as today, though checks by mail will take longer.
New reason to shop until you drop — updated plaza
After nearly two years of demolition, construction and soft store openings, Orlando’s Prime Outlets-International is finally ready for prime time.
The outlet center on the north end of International Drive will officially unveil itself to the public Memorial Day weekend.
North Aire Market wins Best New Food for Bananas Foster Mix
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A flavored mix developed to be added to cream cheese and served in a variety of unique ways was selected as the Best New Food Product at the 20th Annual Specialty Coffee Association show in Minneapolis in May. The winning mix, which takes it’s name and flavor profile from the beloved supper club dessert created in New Orleans, is a blend of banana, butter, brown sugar, warm spices and rum flavorings.
In these difficult economic times, North Aire Market has been able to increase revenues through the introduction of innovative products.
Gift bags for out-of-town wedding guests have local favor
Brides and their families who are too overwhelmed with wedding planning to even focus on making up those cute welcome bags left for guests at the host hotel, have a friend in Jane Van Eaton.
Van Eaton creates “hospitality” or “welcome” bags full of snacks, cookies, chips, bottled water, maps and wedding event itineraries for out-of-town wedding guests through her company, Bags by Janie Girl. Bags are customized to the bride’s specifications, including color and size, and items for the bags.
Power Shopping: Lunch hour retail therapy
Visit any mall or boutique around noon — in the city or suburbs — and you will see determined people who shop during their lunch hours.
It’s a 60-minute drill perfected after years of practice. They know where to park, what coupons to bring and exactly what they must buy to earn another cosmetic gift bag despite their overflowing makeup drawers.
“Location, price and convenience are important factors,” said lunchtime shopper Koreen Wood, 35. “How quickly you can get in and out. The store can’t be too busy.
Unflagging whimsy
For more than 26 years, Poppy has been providing its customers with unique, contemporary fine art.
The specialty fine arts shop at 920 E. Broadway showcases the handmade creations of more than 200 artists from all over the country.
Stores hope stimulus sparks spending spree
Enticing shoppers to stimulate sales figures, some businesses are offering promotions for people cashing in their federal income tax rebates, while others are just hoping that some of that cash might end up in their registers.
In Danville and across the nation, many large chain stores are offering to cash the economic stimulus checks — the first round of which went out this month — and are throwing in a little extra.
Checks are being issued based on the filer’s last two digits in their Social Security number.
Silver anniversary for Log Cabin
The Log Cabin gift store, a Fonthill landmark on Regional Road 20, celebrates its 25th anniversary with a sale and party this holiday weekend.
It will also mark a change of ownership that began April 1 when in-laws Scott and Ursula Penner and Les and Eva Ross bought the building.
Former owners Lois and Harry Schonewille continue to operate The Log Cabin Art Gallery in the building as a semiretirement project.
“It was a wonderful opportunity,” said Scott Penner, who owns Fonthill Pharmacy in a neighbouring health services plaza.
“The Log Cabin is still going strong,” he said, to ease
Renowned Lighting Designer Brian Orter Featured Speaker at LVDC
Las Vegas – Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center Las Vegas is welcoming well-known lighting designer Brian Orter on Friday, June 6. Orter’s presentation, “Waking Up Architecture,” will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. during the monthly First Friday event on the 16th Floor of World Market Center’s Building B, 475 South Grand Central Parkway in Las Vegas.
Brian Orter is the design director of Johnson Light Studio, a high-end architectural lighting design firm based in Manhattan. Orter first became interested in lighting design while studying theatrical design at Edward R.
Food, fun, friends at Girls’ Night Out
Morris – Flowers, flip-flops and a night of shopping dedicated to the girls, what else could a girl ask for?
The Retail and Restaurant Committee hosted its annual Girls’ Night Out in downtown Morris on May 8. This was the fourth year for the event and as in years past, Liberty Street was filled with girls and women of all ages shopping with mothers, sisters, cousins and friends.
About 20 stores and restaurants participated offering refreshments, giveaways and discounts for the girl’s night.
GIFT SHOP Magazine invites entries for 2008 ‘Ultimate Makeover Contest’
Hanover, Mass. – GIFT SHOP magazine invites entries for its 2008 ‘Ultimate Makeover Contest.’ Gift shop owners and managers across the country are invited to participate for a chance to win a makeover for their store.
GIFT SHOP’s advisory board will pick the winner from all entries received and OneCoast’s vice president of creative, Paul Thompson, will execute the makeover. The winner will be announced online at giftshopmag.com and on GIFT SHOP’s Retail Forum, the end of June.
Patricia Norins, publisher of GIFT SHOP, encourages all gift retailers to participate.
Distribution & Wholesale Industry Small Business Confidence Increases Nine Points Says SBRB Report
Buffalo Grove, IL- An increased confidence during the first quarter of 2008 replaced last quarter’s concerns about the economy when a significant drop in plans for hiring led to a steep decline in the confidence of distribution and wholesale companies during the fourth quarter of 2007, according to the latest Small Business Research Board (SBRB) report issued today.
The SBRB study indicated the Distribution & Wholesale Industry Small Business Confidence Index (D-SBCI) increased to 40 during the first quarter of 2008, or by nine points (29%), from the 31 recorded during the prior quarter.
Re-gifting takes on new identity
Scrap fabrics from producing modular office panels that make up cubicle walls go to make gift bags. The leftover leather from an office furniture maker is reused for small toy bears, tote bags and pouches. And the blueprints a construction company once used on a job are cut up and reused to make notebooks.
Each of the products comes from Promotional Impact, a Grand Rapids company that custom designs corporate gift products from used materials. As the sustainability movement progresses, it’s driving new business opportunities for Promotional Impact.
New shop premises would be perfect gift
The owner of an established online gift shop is looking to expand the business by moving to a premises in Daventry.
Laura Connolly set up www.amysgifts.co.uk in 2005, after asking her husband – a web designer – to create an online site for her.
KidsWorld Offers Buyers Thousands of Products During June Market
Texas – Dallas Market Center, the world’s largest wholesale merchandise resource, announced KidsWorld, a comprehensive 200,000-square-foot marketplace for children’s products on the 8th floor of the World Trade Center, will offer buyers thousands of products during the upcoming Dallas Total Home & Gift Market (June 18 – 24) featuring even more leading manufacturers of gifts, home decor, toys, furniture and related merchandise. The complete floor devoted to products for infants, children, tweens and expectant mothers debuted in January.
Franz Collection Announces Grand Opening, Summer 2008 Introductions
San Francisco, CA – Nature’s beauty perfected in porcelain will be showcased, as Franz Collection, Inc. celebrates an important company milestone with a Monday, July 28th ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the firm’s new corporate showroom at the Las Vegas Market. The grand opening will include a champagne reception in the showroom, located at C601 in the Center’s newly-completed Building C. Items from the Franz Collection of exquisite porcelain tabletop, home decor and jewelry items, as well as trend forward home decor accessories from the Jean Boggio Collection, will be showcased.
Homefires Extends Holiday Book through June
Homefires continues to enjoy great success with its beautiful line of wool look-a-like Carefree machine washable accent rugs. In order to accommodate holiday orders, Homefires has instituted a Holiday PreBook program which extends through June, 2008.
The Holiday PreBook program offers retailers an early look at new Christmas designs, along with free merchandise incentives to order early. Most styles are size 22″ x 34″ and wholesale for $19.50.