Archives: News
Local retailers seek holiday sales jump
With all the talk of an economic slowdown, retailers are hoping that Easter will help to get their sales hopping again.
Some consumers, however, say they plan on cutting back on their spending because they’re worried about the economy.
The National Retail Federation estimates U.S. consumers will spend $14.44 billion on Easter, which is Sunday, up just a half-percent from the estimated $14.37 billion spent in 2007.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Mall Retailers
Whilst the number of shoppers visiting malls in small groups as a pure leisure outing is increasing, the majority of shopper trips to the mall are still destination based. That is, the shopper is going for a specific purpose or item, or set of purposes and items.
However, they’re also open to influence – nearly 90% of shoppers deviate (add to) their shopping list, regardless of whether the list is on paper on in their heads.
Retail study urges linking Main, Lady streets
Lady Street and Main Street are best suited to become downtown Columbia’s shopping destinations, according to a study to be released today by a Washington, D.C., consulting firm.
To help make that happen, the city should join the two streets by connecting their recently completed streetscaping projects and improving the Lady Street crossing at Assembly Street, the study by ERA consultants said.
“There’s a psychological barrier running through downtown, and that barrier is called Assembly Street,” said Economics Research Associates principal Midge McCauley.
Patience Brewster Will Depart Dept. 56, Start Her Own Manufacturing Company
Designer Patience Brewster has announced that PATIENCE BREWSTER, INC. will begin manufacturing her ornaments, enamel boxes and gift items in 2009.
Since 2000, Department 56, the Minneapolis-based manufacturer of gift and specialty items, has produced the “Krinkles” line, designed by Ms. Brewster. The partnership generated more than $90 million in revenues for Dept. 56.
The licensing agreement between PATIENCE BREWSTER, INC. and Dept. 56 expired in December, 2007, but Dept. 56 will continue to sell Brewster’s “Krinkles” line until January 1, 2009.
“My creative partnership with Dept.
Planet Dog Receives 2008 Maine Governor’s Award for Business Excellence
Portland, ME – Planet Dog is proud to announce that it is a recipient of the 2008 Maine Governor’s Award for Business Excellence.
GHTA Announces 2008 Dates for Sales Associate Training
The Gift and Home Trade Association (GHTA) announces new dates and locations for its popular two-day training course for sales associates – Selling in the Gift and Home Industry. Courses are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
- Minneapolis, March 5-6
- Boston, March 14-15
- Dallas, March 25-26
- San Francisco, April 3-4
- Los Angeles, April 7-8
- New York, May 1-2
GHTA has elevated the curriculum to a higher level of professional, consultative selling.
Savory Spice Shop about the customer
Janet Johnston says that you can smell her store from half a block away.
Although most people wouldn’t admit that to their customers, it is a point of pride for her.
Janet, along with her husband Mike Johnston, own and operate the Savory Spice Shop, 2650 W. Main St., Littleton. The shop, open since September 2006, is their second – the first one opened in September 2004 in Denver.
Janet and Mike moved to Denver 4 ½ years ago from Chicago, opening their first shop two months after arriving.
“Denver just seemed like it needed something like this,” Janet said.
Buying power of women on display
More women are making household buying decisions across the country and business owners and marketers are tailoring services to reflect the shift.
“There is a pretty huge, emerging trend,” said Ruth Winig, senior vice president at Frank About Women, a marketing-to-women company in Winston-Salem, N.C.
But reaching women isn’t easy.
“Targeting and predicting female consumer behavior has never been more complicated than it is today,” she said.
Women are busier today — often juggling a job, a home and family — significantly reducing the amount of time they have to shop and be enticed
Mom, daughter keep boutique going strong
In the world of superstores, running a small, self-owned retail store isn’t easy.
But Samantha Stokes and her mother, Susan Stokes, are fighting the odds with an Indian Trail boutique, One Sassy Chic, that celebrated its two-year anniversary this month.
“There was nothing like this in the area when we started our store.
Sweetness always for sale here
I ran into Peter Cottontail the other day. He’s about 36 inches tall, weighs 22 pounds and is made of dreamy chocolate. He’s also being raffled off at Kilwin’s over in Ballantyne Village.
What is Kilwin’s?
Busy lifestyles shift leisure shopping time
Family calendars fill up quickly with the hustle of organized activities and bustle of responsibilities that have resulted in a change in the way we shop.
“Research shows that time is the most precious commodity,” says retail analyst Anne Brouwer.
The busy family lifestyle and the fact about 75 percent of women now work outside the home has shifted our shopping patterns, she and other experts say.
Leisure shopping has become a trend of the past.
Mall of America: Miles and smiles
Bloomington, Minn. — Minnesota isn’t known for moderate weather. But blizzardlike winters, blinding rainstorms or muggy summers don’t deter shoppers at the Mall of America, where it’s always a dry, comfortable 70 degrees.
In fact, you can catch the light-rail transit from downtown Minneapolis on one end, or the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on the other end, and ride it right inside the mall’s parking garage, missing any bad weather.
That’s exactly what my 17-year-old daughter, Amy, and I did on a rainy day several months ago.
Downtown merchants form business alliance
Before the modern-day malls and shopping strips, people had only one place to shop — downtown.
Some got all dressed up in their Sunday best, while others simply wore their everyday attire as they shopped for clothes, hardware, groceries and more.
Today, most consumers don’t go to one central location to do all of their shopping.
Tenn. artist’s custom creations finding national acclaim
Lisa Norris finds her bliss in decorative papers, discarded photographs, spare buttons and fanciful fabrics.
Random doodads make her happy when she uses them to create bound books, albums, stationery and collages.
Vintage fashions, patterns, fabrics and illustrations are what mostly inspire Norris’ projects.
Her creations come to life in her 1954 Chattanooga rancher, where her business, Made by One Girl, is housed.
The Southern belle is gaining national attention with an excerpt of how she turned her joy into a business in the book “Country Living Crafting a Business: Make Money Doi
Downtown merchants to stay open later on 2nd Friday every month
In a group push to get more people into their stores, many downtown Ypsilanti merchants will stay open until 9 p.m. and offer special events and incentives on the second Friday of every month. The effort is right in line with one of the recommendations of a downtown consultant.
“I would say it’s to lure people to downtown Ypsilanti,” said Paul Balcom, co-owner of The Rocket, one of the participating businesses, and to “let the residents and consumers know that there are businesses within their downtown district that offer affordable merchandise. …
Pampering and alpacas amid history
The stately historic home with welcoming porch and shaded courtyard at the top of the gently inclining drive is completely expected; the alpacas, however, are a surprise – and something of a novelty in these parts.
Here in Springfield, Ky., home of the Maple Hill Manor, an 1851 Greek Revival Plantation home listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 30 Suri alpacas roam the nearly 15 softly rolling acres, protected by six formidable llamas, their jaws made for crushing foolhardy coyotes.
“We were looking for a small farm to raise alpacas after seeing them at a state fair and do
HOM relocating to Town Square
Sioux City — A group of investors has purchased the Town Square retail mall and has leased the former Younkers portion of the downtown Sioux City building to HOM Furniture.
Coon Rapids, Minn.-based HOM plans to relocate its Sioux City store to the two-story building at Fourth and Pierce streets, tripling its showroom space.
Raking in the green at Irish shop
Boardman — Colleen Cecil couldn’t celebrate March 17 without wearing green, attending a parade and shopping at House of Erin.
“I come here relatively often but always before St. Patrick’s Day,” said the 44-year-old Canfield resident, who visited the store at 5136 Southern Blvd. last week.
She was looking for inexpensive trinkets to pass out to children at today’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boardman. She is part of a group of 25 friends who attend the parade every year.
“My grandpa owned an Irish pub” in Milwaukee, she said.
Cocopah Museum’s gift shop specializes in tribal tradition of beauty
Sometimes the best teacher for a cultural lesson is a beautiful piece of art.
That’s a secret proved true every day at the Cocopah Indian Tribe’s museum gift shop. That’s where jewelry, pottery, blankets and beadwork don’t just look pretty – they tell stories, too.
“Art is something tangible people can take home with them, other than just a mental imprint they get from our museum,” said Joe Rodriguez, a member of the museum staff.
Lavender Lime featured in Stitches-in-Time exhibit
The quilts of Lavender Lime Quilting and Creative Sewing Center in Chattanooga will be featured as part of the Stitches-in-Time exhibit at the Museum Center at Five Points March 18 to 22.
The quilts displayed are made by different quilters, but each was created with a pattern from “Sweet and Simple With a Lime Twist” or “And the Greatest of These is Love.” The first book was written by shop owner Kathy Skomp.