Jim Shreve made Baccarat hip. Now, he and his longtime partner, Mark Brashear, along with Sally Burnside, the former Baccarat sales V.P., intend to do the same for DeVine Corp., the 32-year-old distributor of elite European brands. You're invited to the opening!
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Congrats to you all. This is very exciting. Tim, we’ve known each other since before you started DeVine Corp., 32 years ago. You’ve been looking for the right opportunity to retire. TIM ...
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How Shop Local helps 3 retailers rank higher than Target on page 1 of Google.
February 28, 2024
Indie stores have the best chance of ranking highly in Google when they use Shop Local. Proof: Our indie shops beat big-box stores in Google search tests.
Example: We recently conducted a Google study for wedding registry purchasing in Alabama. We Googled "wedding registry Alabama."
Search Results
Stores using Shop Local in Alabama ranked on page 1 of Google ahead of national chains and other registry services, which often have larger customer bases and bigger website
A recent study conducted by Jungle Scout reports that many consumers prefer to support small and local businesses for their holiday shopping. 20% reported they will buy holiday gifts from indie stores, up from 10% last year. The report ranks independent retailers in 4th place for in-store shopping, surpassing Costco, Walgreen's Best Buy, Sam's Club, Macy's and Home Depot.
The article shares 53% of consumers bought online from independent stores on Small Business Saturday as reported by ...
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I recently saw a car with the license plate: WHYWRK. I had a sad feeling for the driver, who perhaps wasn’t as lucky as I to have the best job in the world – getting paid to shop for the most beautiful goods in the world – which I am now retiring from. After 40+ years as a buyer of tabletop and gifts in Buffalo, I have the opportunity to put the dishes away, polish the flatware, and store the stemware. As a small specialty store, we’ve been through our share of ups and ...
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It’s a 40th anniversary for the company founded by Colin Riggs (left) and Ned Voelker’s parents, Abigail and Ed Voelker. Over the last four decades, the entire family has created a curated collection of handmade tableware and giftware for the nation’s independent store retailers.
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Congratulations on a milestone 40th year in business. Are you surprised Abigails has endured? Ned Voelker: We are surprised. It’s a tribute to Ed and Abbie ...
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I chuckled when I was asked to author this column, as I have been known to have the last word from time to time. As I prepare to leave the industry that has given me so much (I eagerly accepted the opportunity to work in the gift and home area in 1986), I can vividly recall the excitement I felt when I first entered the creative space that we get to live and work in every day. I have been exposed to scores of creative people; I met and worked with artists and buyers who were inspired and ...
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We are pleased to announce that Kalalou is ready to Sync products with authorized retailers. Syncing products is free for your business. There is no charge. (The brand pays for this service.)
Kalalou joins our stable of 110 premium brands that Sync products with 1,200+ fine indie stores.
View Kalalou's Synced products
View the 1,500+ products you can Sync from Kalalou here: kalalou.myshoplocal.com
View an example of a retailer's Store that is ...
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I am pleased to announce the Nicolette Mayer Collection is ready to sync products with authorized retailers. If this interests you, please continue reading and I'll share how to sync. Syncing products is free for your business. There is no charge. (The brand pays for this service.)
Nicolette Mayer Collection joins our stable of 112 premium brands that sync products with 1,200+ fine indie stores.
About Nicolette Mayer Collection
Produced by dedicated artisans in ...
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About Nicolette Mayer Collection
Produced by dedicated artisans in America, the Nicolette Mayer Collection offers over 1500 Art de la Table items. Nicolette Mayer is a lifestyle brand whose product categories include:
We are pleased to announce the Nicolette Mayer Collection is ready to sync products via Bridge's Product Syncing service.
Produced by dedicated artisans in America, the Nicolette Mayer Collection offers over 1500 Art de la Table items. Nicolette Mayer is a lifestyle brand whose product categories include:
Placemats,
Coasters,
Acrylic trays,
Dinner and Cocktail Napkins,
Murals,
Candles,
Candy Dishes,
Pillows.
Placemats are available in both round and rectangular ...
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With our retail members in the throes of the holiday season, it was nice to read an article by Retail Dive providing some insight into Q4 2022. Retail Dive, a retail industry publication, informs readers that big-box stores share much of the same friction as our indie retailers do. I appreciated the acknowledgement that independent stores may feel disruptions quicker and may even have an edge on providing a more superior customer experience to gaining loyalty. The good news is that there are ...
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I spotted this tequila advertisement today in New York City. The first thing that came to mind was not spring break, but rather a riff on the ad’s tagline. I thought, “ ‘Independent store’ does not mean selling alone.” Bridge helps more than 800 independent stores team up to share products and resources. We make running an online business easier. We give them a ‘shot’ at winning online. That’s something we can drink to.
Today’s WSJ shares that independent stores, including hardware stores, book shops, and pharmacies, have teamed up to stop Amazon’s bad practices. The group, called Small Business Rising, seeks to use anti-trust laws to prevent Amazon marketplace from selling its own goods—which compete with retailers using the platform. Amazon has been shown to use a retailer’s customer and sales data and bypass the retailer (it’s own customer) in order to make a bigger profit. ...
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The health of our communities and even ourselves may depend on whether indie stores like Powell's succeeds.
Powell's Books, one of the nation's largest and best-known book retailers, has stopped selling on Amazon after 20+ years, shares RetailDive. The store cited how bad Amazon is long-term for itself and communities. The store realized it was sharpening its executioner’s sword, as Scott Galloway has said ruefully.
I found this quote from the owner insightful:...
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VIETRI AND BRIDGE PARTNER TO HELP INDEPENDENT STORES
Retailers Can Receive $150 For Joining Bridge Network
July 15, 2020
NEW YORK, NY – VIETRI, known as the premium importer of luxury tabletop goods from Italy, has launched a new program to help its independent specialty retailers online and in-store. VIETRI has agreed to offer its authorized retailers a credit of $150 towards future purchases by opening a free account with the e-commerce community ...
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Atlanta Seminar Offers Selling Strategies for Independent Stores Casafina and Vietri will host Bridge’s Jason Solarek in their respective showrooms
Allison Zisko // Editor in Chief
January 15, 2020
Jason Solarek, Bridge CEO, and Matt Hullfish, Casafina’s national sales manager, at a seminar last year.
ATLANTA—Tabletop brands Casafina and Vietri are collaborating with e-commerce platform provider Bridge on two training sessions at the International Gift & Home ...
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October 19, 2018
October 19, 2018
Beyond honored to be recognized by Arch Digest as most beautiful independent store in South Carolina.
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December 26, 2017
December 26, 2017
PRESS RELEASE / For Immediate Release
Indie Stores Report Double-Digit Growth in 2017 by Sharing Products
Forty-two brick and mortar Main Street retailers that participated in Bridge’s annual survey said their sales grew up to 50% for a brand by using Bridge’s product-syncing service.
"I do about 20% more business a year by being a part of the Bridge network,” said Mary Beth Wood, owner of the Crystal Plate in Gainesville, Georgia, and a user of the Bridge software. "It gives me more time to sell ...
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August 28, 2017
August 28, 2017
Did you miss our seminar in NYC? Here's our press release below for the event:
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Press Release August 28, 2017
Bridge Helps Indie Stores Fight Amazon at NY NOW
New York, NY – On August 21st, 2017 Bridge hosted its ‘Your Store vs. Amazon’ seminar at the NY NOW show in New York City. Bridge, an e-commerce platform for businesses in the retail industry, hosted indie store owners from across the Northeast.
"Retailers are under the gun to compete against Amazon and ...
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May 22, 2017
May 22, 2017
Thank you for joining us last Thursday for the first annual brand conference. Here is our press release on the event. And thanks to Diane Seidle for helping. ;)
Bridge Creates a Stronger Community in First-Time Conference
New York, NY – On May 18th, 2017 Bridge hosted its first annual Bridge Brand Conference at the 41 Madison Merchandise Mart in New York City. Bridge, an e-commerce platform connecting 100's of brands, ...
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