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Owner to close yarn shop; Bonnie Kotary cites high taxes, competition from big-box stores as factors
Schenectady — The owner of an Upper Union Street yarn shop says she is closing because of high taxes.
“Our payouts are more than our income. Times have changed,” says Bonnie Kotary, 70.
Kotary’s Ye Olde Yarn & Gift Shoppe has served customers for 30 years but will close this summer.
Big things come in small packages
The undeniable smell of soy candles wafts out the door when you pull up to Kathy’s Little Reminders gift shop. But there’s much more inside than just can-dles.
“The handbags are so cute they are really popular,” Kathy Hutton said. “I just love my soy candles so much.”
Linens, jewelry, handbags, clothing, shoes, cosmetics, skin care products, rosary beads – you might be surprised how much variety is packed into this little shop. And I mean little.
The one room store is right next door to the Richmond An-tique Center, in a small unat-tached building.
CraZy LadyZ come to town; Women’s clothing store opens second location
West Ocean City — Crazy ladies have come to town. The shop, that is, although, as owner Jan Parks likes to say, “There’s a little crazy in all of us.”
Crazy Ladyz, a women’s clothing store, opened in the Ocean Gateway Center on Route 50 June 22. It is the second Crazy Ladyz for owners Parks and Louise Reardon, who already own a store in Chincoteague, Va.
“We had so much fun working in the store in Chincoteague,” Reardon said.
SKB Buys San Francisco Giftcenter & Jewelrymart for $94.8 Million
Portland, Ore. – ScanlanKemperBard Companies has acquired the San Francisco Giftcenter and Jewelrymart for $94,750,000. The Portland, Ore.-based real estate merchant banking firm plans to invest an additional $8,650,000 to reposition and stabilize the 388,324-sf, two-building property in the rapidly gentrifying South of Market (SOMA) area of Downtown San Francisco.
The San Francisco Giftcenter and Jewelrymart are housed in 888 Brannan St., an architecturally noteworthy five-story building developed in 1918, and 850 Brannan St., a three-story building developed in 1987.
Family business expands – Spa services, more gifts part of growth
Asheville — After leaving Atlanta three years ago, Marcy and Hunter Lanier rented an old house on Merrimon Avenue and opened Willow’s Dream, a hair salon and gift boutique, named for their 12-year-old daughter.
Marcy Lanier, a stylist for 25 years, wanted to “keep my fingers in hair, but learn a new avenue.” So she opened a gift shop in the front of the house and set up the hair salon in a large room in the back.
Penny Lane offers something special
Bisbee — Like an old fiddle, vintage stores have a spirit about them.
That’s something Jessica Lavish knows a lot about.
“I had my first yard sale when I was 12. I’ve always had a passion for this,” she said.
Lavish owns Penny Lane Thrift and Gift, a shop in Bisbee’s Warren District that contains anything from trinkets to furniture.
The 1,700-square-foot Spanish-style villa has been nicknamed Bisbee’s department store by Lavish’s faithful customers, who are always eager to see what’s new.
“Each room is a different entity, and it’s really organized.
Gourmet baker tastes success at Sylvania site
If not for a worn-out fuel pump on a Chevrolet Corsica, Country Bread & Grains Co. might be selling bread and cookies to customers in North Carolina instead of suburban Toledo.
The Sylvania business owned by Kelly and Albert Hewitt has been baking gourmet-style breads and sweets made with only natural ingredients since 1996.
The store at 6808 Sylvania Ave. attracts customers from throughout the Toledo area.
Supreme Court Hands Manufacturers Increased Leverage Over Retail Pricing
Washington, D.C.–The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last week to allow manufacturers and distributors to more effectively set and enforce minimum prices at retail overturns almost 100 years of pricing policy and could have some impact on the industry.
The decision could change the current relationship between suppliers and retailers.
KK’s is stocked up for summer, 4th of July; come shop for gifts
KK’s Craft & Gift Mall has been serving Lubbock since 1992. It is a locally-owned and operated family business. Many of their grandchildren are employed at the store, and the rest of the employees feel like family, too. For a special treat, visit KK’s today and see what is new. KK’s is bursting at the seams with new summer merchandise just right for 4th of July!
Frankfort boutique offers fashion with a personal touch
Girlfriend’s Closet in Frankfort offers exactly what its name implies.
Repeat customers are known by their first names, and the 1,200-square-foot boutique resembles an oversized walk-in closet.
Owner Denise Strait said the intimate atmosphere is one of the reasons clients return.
“New customers love the environment because it’s warm and inviting and there’s no pressure,” she said.
“We greet them and let them be, and most become customers.”
Another key to the shop’s success is the merchandise, which includes such top-selling lines as Bejeweled, Betsey Johnson, Sky, Marlow, 1060 She
‘Cozy’ country gift shop reopens in Fairdale
Tucked away on a country road in Fairdale, the small red building located just beside Meta Jo Henderson’s house looks, from the outside, like a typical storage building.
Boston Gift Show Seminars to Shed Light on E-Commerce and Effective Web Strategies
White Plains, NY Independent retailers will walk away from the upcoming Boston Gift Show with fresh ideas for online marketing, as the Show presents a series of web-focused seminars during the September 15-18, 2007, market, taking place at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC). The 159th semi-annual edition will showcase the latest products and trends on the Show floor, while offering professional development opportunities in the classroom.
L.A. Mart and L.A. Mart Gift Association to Present “Takin’ it to the Sea,” Sixth Annual Gift For Life amFAR Benefit Gala
LA – Demonstrating its ongoing commitment and support to amfAR, the L.A. Mart and many of the finest gift, decorative accessory and furniture showrooms on the West Coast will come together on Saturday, July 21, from 6-10 p.m., to present “Takin’ It To The Sea,” the sixth annual fundraising event for Gift for Life (GFL) benefiting the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).
The after-hours highlight of L.A.
Summer Las Vegas Market Lineup Features 50 Options for Seminars and Events
Las Vegas – Attendees to the Summer Las Vegas Market will have more options than ever before with stimulating educational seminars and entertaining social gatherings that enhance their Market experience. Almost 50 different free events will be offered in addition to the Market’s wealth of home furnishings manufacturers and their new products.
Bronnley Introduces Gardeners’ Skin Therapy
The British found a way to keep hard working skin looking its best without having to gear up in a suit of armour!
San Francisco Giftcenter & Jewelrymart goes green for July Market
With low-impact living and conscious consumerism in mind, the San Francisco Giftcenter & Jewelrymart is showcasing new design directions in sustainable gifts and home furnishings for the first time, in select showrooms at both dates the PreFair and the San Francisco International Gift Fair, July 25 – August 1, 2007.
The Baby Bunch is Blooming This Holiday Season
New York, NY – In celebration of the holiday season, The Baby Bunch has expanded its award-winning collection with the Winter Bunch. Its spectacular red and green “floral” presentation of useful infant clothing is a joyful present for Moms as well as a practical gift for a baby’s first year.
Like all of the Baby Bunch gift sets, the Winter Bunch is designed to provide babies with essential clothing to help them enjoy their first twelve months in comfort and style.
Precious Stone Collection from Woodstock Chimes add Charm to Homes and Gardens
In 2007, the success of Woodstock Chimes’ best-selling Turquoise Chime prompted the company to expand the single item into an entire Precious Stone Collection, using faux lapis, amber and turquoise stones, which are all considered to have magical powers. The original Turquoise Chime is tuned using the Golden ratio, which was discovered by ancient Greeks and is found throughout nature. The turquoise stone itself has been used throughout the ages to ward off evil and to ensure faithful, reliable relationships.
Magnetic north; New boutiques help make the North End a fashion hub
Call it the long-awaited marriage of style and sustenance. The North End, long known as the place for al dente pasta and aromatic barolos, has suddenly become the city’s newest fashion hub. In just the past few months, three new boutiques — Twilight, Casa di Stile, and A Matter of Face — have opened their doors. A fourth, Velvet Fly, opens tomorrow . They join several other hip shops that have popped up in the past couple of years.
Why the boom?
Is it too early to worry about a mall? Downtown business owners get ready for the possibility
Can downtown retail survive in Andover if Main Street is flanked by shopping centers in North Andover and Tewksbury?
With new retail development under construction along nearby Route 114 in North Andover and talks of a shopping center coming to Tewksbury as part of an Interstate 93 interchange project, some business owners are getting worried.