Archives: News
Wal-Mart Raises Bar on Toy-Safety Standards
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest toy seller, has ordered its suppliers to meet a new set of children’s-product safety requirements by this fall that goes far beyond existing government regulations.
The standards include strict limits for lead and a broad array of other heavy metals and chemicals that have been linked to various medical and developmental problems in children.
The initiative also encourages suppliers to mark children’s products with “traceability information,” including the factory in which the goods were made.
Record Number of International Buyers to Attend June Markets
Dallas, TX – Dallas Market Center, the world’s largest wholesale merchandise resource, announced a record number of international buyers will attend the upcoming June Markets, including the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market (June 18-24), Dallas International Lighting Market (June 19-23), F!NDS Dallas Temp Show (June 20-23), and Dallas Holiday & Home Expo (June 18-24, temps June 19-23).
Deb & Co. Helps Wish Newlyweds a Happily Ever After
Wedding season is just around the corner, and what better way for the lucky-in-love couple to commemorate their special day than with a personalized wedding ornament from Deb & Co.
The assorted handmade ornaments feature Deb & Co.’s signature Belly Bears as an intricately designed bride and groom, bridesmaid, groomsman, ringbearer and flower girl to celebrate the special day year-round. Additional wedding-themed personalization ornaments can be found in the company’s Petey Penguin collection, featuring a whimsical penguin bride and groom adorned with flower ear muffs and snow.
Burnes Doubles Showroom Size in Atlanta
Round Rock, Texas – Burnes Home Accents will debut a new, permanent showroom at the Atlanta Gift Show, July 8-16, 2008: Atlanta Gift Mart, Building 2, Suite 1529.
“Right now, Atlanta is the most important market for us,” said Mike Kirkland, Burnes vice president, marketing. “We need a space that can showcase the breadth of our line, while also helping buyers understand where we’re headed as a company.”
In the new display area, Burnes will exhibit its complete assortment, featuring new products, strong seasonal presentations, and merchandising ideas.
WMC Las Vegas Announces plans for Year-Round Hospitality Marketplace
Las Vegas, Nev. – — World Market Center Las Vegas is announcing expansion plans for the Las Vegas Design Center in which an entire floor in Building C will be dedicated to hospitality manufacturers. The introduction of Hospitality at Las Vegas Design Center, set to open in 2009, is part of World Market Center’s long term growth strategy to create the world’s largest integrated and international showcase for home and hospitality furnishings.
“Las Vegas represents the recognized epicenter of the hospitality industry.
Retail Sales Show Resiliency in April, According to NRF
Washington – After several months of lackluster sales, retailers finally have a reason to cheer. According to the National Retail Federation, retail industry sales for April (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) rose 2.3 percent unadjusted over last year and 0.6 percent seasonally adjusted month-to-month.
April retail sales released today by the U.S.
Habits change as gas soars
State College — As gasoline prices shot up to $3.75.9 a gallon Monday, nearing a new threshold of $4, Centre County residents were driving less and turning more to public transit, fuel-efficient cars and bicycles.
“Ridership is certainly up,” said Hugh Mose, general manager of the Centre Area Transportation Authority, where CATA buses in the past 30 days carried nearly 10 percent more passengers than in the same 30-day period last year.
Interest in carpooling has also increased.
Expansion of At Home yields NYIGF
White Plains, NY – Through strategic expansion of home furnishings and related products, the Summer 2008 New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) will present more than 600 suppliers of hard lines and soft goods – from traditional to contemporary and indoor to outdoor, August 16-21, in New York City.
At Home’s comprehensive collection of products for the home, including furniture, floor coverings, wall art, lighting, home textiles, decorative accessories and more, will be presented at three New York City locations: Level One of the Jacob K.
Hampton Paper Designs Makes Debut at 2008 NYC Stationery Show
Oak Hill, Virginia – After a successful selling season in the fall focusing in the mid-Atlantic area, Hampton Paper Designs (http://www.hamptonpaperdesigns.com) will be making its national debut at the National Stationery Show, May 18-21, 2008 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, enabling it to reach a larger and more diverse audience. Hampton Paper Designs will showcase the entire line of social stationery.
POS solutions from QuickStore software give mom-and-pop shops high-tech advantages
PLANO, Texas – In response to demand from smaller retailers, Wasp Barcode Technologies has updated its complete family of Wasp QuickStore point of sale (POS) solutions. Upgraded Wasp QuickStore POS retail software now offers specialty retailers new opportunities for improved operations, customer service and profitability, while the new Wasp POS hardware system is now USB-based and has been made compliant with OPOS standards.
Designed especially for specialty retailers with one store location, the software can grow to support multi-store locations.
Stores vie to offer best bang for your rebate
Stephanie Hinshaw wasted no time last week spending her $600 economic stimulus check.
The 28-year-old college admissions director bought perfume, three pairs of shoes and new clothes for work.
Spending Appears to be Down On Mother’s Day
It seems the number one gift for Mother’s Day in Fresno, was flowers.
The National Retail Federation estimated $2.7 billion would be spent on major gifts but that wasn’t the consensus on Sunday.
Men and women took to the streets in search of the perfect gift that wouldn’t hurt their wallets but still show appreciation for their moms.
Strong family ties in Halcyon
The historic Halcyon Store and Post Office—a South County spiritual and business hub — is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
And as it does, 25-year owner Susie Clark will hand over the reins to her daughter, Jennie Foremaster.
The shop, at 936 S. Halcyon Road, is based near the town of Halcyon, where many of the 100 residents share a philosophical, religious and ethical belief system as members of The Temple of the People.
The town was founded in 1903. The store and post office opened five years later.
High-end shopping goes to the dogs at Newport Beach’s Fashion Island mall
Through the sickly sweet fog of designer fragrances, past gleaming cosmetics counters, the giant, furry critter pads across the polished tile. The prim sales clerks don’t even bat an eye. They might even reach behind cases of creams and powders to pull out a treat.
Welcome to Orange County’s unofficial dog mall, otherwise known as Fashion Island — an upscale collection of shops and restaurants in the even more upscale enclave of Newport Beach.
Mothers and daughters team up for business
Autumn Hill’s business plan got a jumpstart the day her mother was downsized.
Not letting her mom, Yvonne Kehl, feel sorry for herself for even a minute, Hill explained her idea for starting an advertising, graphic design and marketing agency.
“Autumn said, ‘This is fabulous because now you can work with me,'” Kehl said of the day in 2003 when Autumn Hill Creative started to come together.
Now, black cat running underfoot at their Kimberly office inside Hill’s home, the firm is one of the estimated 10.4 million women-owned businesses in the United States, according to the Center for W
Many wait till last minute to buy Mother’s Day gift
Corpus Christi — My mama told me, “You better shop around.”
And with Mother’s Day rounding the bend, now is the time to put the lovely lady’s advice to good use.
Town and country gifts at the gallery
Combining town and country can be quite difficult but the Gregson family seem to have cracked it.
Driving past this shop on a busy Cardiff street, it is hard to imagine it is there as a result of farm diversification.
It is now a gallery and framing shop on the bustling Whitchurch Road that sells modern and more traditional prints and original pictures, as well as jewellery and pottery.
But it started out very differently.
In fact, it began life in one of the barns on David and Penny Gregson’s family farm, in Cefn Mably.
Naturally maternal gifts found at Dandelion Mud Pie
If you’ve left it to the last minute to get your maternal parental unit something for tomorrow that doesn’t involve tulips or chocolate and that’s also a gift to Mother Earth, get on over to eco-friendly Dandelion Mud Pie at 6 Fairlawn Ave., five blocks north of Lawrence Ave. on the west side of Yonge St.
There is even a tiny plot of green grass out front that owner Helen Nestor is trying to cultivate, with organic seeds ($3.99 a pack), soil and fertilizer.
Nestor was formerly the public relations manager of the Hummingbird Centre, now the Sony Centre.
National Stationery Show to present largest product showcase in 62-year history
White Plains, NY – The National Stationery Show (NSS) will solidify its position as North America’s largest discovery zone for social stationery products, May 18-21, 2008, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, as nearly 400 cutting-edge new products are introduced to some 15,000 attendees within the New Product Display.
Gift Cards and Cash Most Popular Graduation Gifts, According to NRF Survey
Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to gift giving, especially as graduation season approaches. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2008 Graduation Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, small-in-size items like gift cards (35.6%) and cash (56.8%) will remain the most popular graduation gifts, while traditional favorites like apparel (10.8%) and electronics (11.6%) will be given by fewer. In addition to gifts, many consumers also plan to give a greeting card (35.6%) to graduates.