Home > News & Events

News from Shop Local & Bridge

  1. News from Us
  2. News from Members
  3. Events
  4. Press
  5. Strategy: Dollars & Sense
  6. Profile Stories
  7. New Software Features & Updates
  8. Training Calendar
  9. Training Videos
  10. Jobs
  1. News from Us
  2. News from Members
  3. Events
  4. Press
  5. Dollars & Sense
  6. Profile Stories
  7. Updates
  8. Training Calendar
  9. Training Videos
  10. Jobs
+ Bridge in the News - Bridge in the News

751 Results:

June 19, 2023 Stores are important, confess Nike and brands
Chalk 22803 picture
Stores are important, confess Nike and brands
June 19, 2023
Here at Shop Local, we’ve seen brands try to cut out indie stores.  We’ve seen big-name companies close accounts in good standing and raise minimum annual purchase amounts in the toughest of times in order to cut out indie stores.  Well, now some of these brands are back with hat in hand.

Excerpt:
“The miscalculation was the rising expense of acquiring customers online, they said. A flood of startups all buying Facebook ads and other digital ...
Read More
June 8, 2023 Give Me a Goodbye Kiss 💋
How businesses keep customers coming back after they make a purchase.
Chalk 22770 picture
Give Me a Goodbye Kiss 💋
How businesses keep customers coming back after they make a purchase.
June 8, 2023
Six Flags is updating its theme parks to encourage families to spend more time there and visit more often, according to this past weekend’s The Wall St. Journal. The theme park's president, Jeffrey Siebert, says that the nightly fireworks show is what the industry calls a “kiss good night.” After park-goers have spent the day spending, they perceive the show as a free, post-purchase gift with no strings attached.  The fireworks thereby help the customer leave fulfilled and...
Read More
May 29, 2023 STAY ON TREND by JULIE SMITH VINCENTI
STAY ON TREND by JULIE SMITH VINCENTI
May 29, 2023
It was October 2021, and I had just finished my first in-person trends seminar since the pandemic impacted all industry shows. At the end of the image-packed program, an audience member raised her hand and challenged, “Do trends even matter anymore?”

It was a valid question. The pandemic had disrupted business, upended supply chains, transformed education, revealed vulnerabilities, altered priorities, and unexpectedly claimed many lives. The question was tinged with cynicism. Pent...
Read More
May 29, 2023 Tableware Today Interview – Susan Gravely
Chalk 22732 picture
Tableware Today Interview – Susan Gravely
May 29, 2023
Susan Gravely – alongside her sister, Frances, and mother, Lee – founded VIETRI 40 years ago after a serendipitous vacation where they discovered the charms of Italian ceramics. Gravely’s new book, Italy on a Plate, equal parts travelogue/cookbook/memoir, is a culinary delight celebrating four decades of bringing the best of Italy’s tableware to an adoring fan base.
................................

You and I go back almost to the start of VIETRI in 1983. [Editor&rsquo...
Read More
May 26, 2023 BOSS MAN ❌ BOSS WOMAN
BOSS MAN ❌ BOSS WOMAN
May 26, 2023
Owning a business is no small feat, but in recent years, women have taken on starting their own businesses, leaving the nine-to-five to become entrepreneurs. In 2022, they were more likely to start a business than men. Last year, women-owned businesses had higher earnings growth (27% increase) than male-owned firms (22%). Still, male-owned businesses received $93,000 in funding, while women-owned businesses received $56,000. There are nearly 13 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., and the...
Read More
May 25, 2023 Wine store collapse stains retailers
Chalk 22719 picture
Wine store collapse stains retailers
May 25, 2023
The New York Times shares a salacious story about Sherry-Lehman, a world-famous wine shop.  The story recounts how the retailer was hit by tariffs, online competitors, and COVID shutdowns. It had borrowed excessively, which many retailers do.  At first, it reads like a Bed Bath & Beyond obituary. But then the owners veered into the criminal realm.  They sold rare wine to new customers that belonged to existing customers, in other cases didn’t deliver what was sold, and ...
Read More
May 15, 2023 We Got Sole 🩴
What Crocs can teach us about gaining new customers and keeping them happy.
Chalk 22684 picture
We Got Sole 🩴
What Crocs can teach us about gaining new customers and keeping them happy.
May 15, 2023
About 15 years ago, I bought a pair of Crocs sandals in Myrtle Beach, SC. Not only were they hot pink, but the insole was traffic cone orange. My buddies hated them, but oddly others loved them. The sandals were affordable (maybe $20), comfortable, and a conversation starter.

According to last week’s The New York Times' profile on Crocs, I’m one of tens of millions of happy Crocs owners. This happiness is profitable:
  • Crocs’ sales have almost doubled since 2019.
...
Read More
May 13, 2023 Warby Parker: 60% of sales come from physical stores
Chalk 22677 picture
Warby Parker: 60% of sales come from physical stores
May 13, 2023
Your physical store can be a great asset in this ‘Age of Amazon’—just ask Warby Parker. 

Details: 
- Warby Parker has 200 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
- Retailers report that online advertising costs have increased 15%-20% in the last two years, making physical stores more attractive. 
- Brands report that in-store shoppers buy more per purchase. 

I believe the The Wall Journal should have noted a caveat about using Warby Parker as a poster child ...
Read More
May 10, 2023 A Coast-Inspired Collaboration
Chalk 22663 picture
A Coast-Inspired Collaboration
May 10, 2023
Veronica Swanson Beard's Nantucket home is the ultimate summer cottage. We were thrilled to provide pieces from our collections plus our collaborative collection, Bohemian Vine, to help bring these coastal vibes to life. Get the full article in the latest issue of Veranda Magazine, out now! 🌊 View Post
March 30, 2023 Spotlight: Herend
Chalk 22506 picture
Spotlight: Herend
March 30, 2023
HEREND HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR ITS BRILLIANT WHITE PORCELAIN SINCE 1826. ON THE EVE OF THE HUNGARIAN MANUFACTORY’S 200TH ANNIVERSARY (YES, WE’RE A TAD EARLY), WE SALUTE HEREND’S GOLD AND WHITE DINNERWARE DESIGNS, IDEAL EXEMPLARS OF CLASSIC ELEGANCE.

HEREND IS KNOWN AROUND THE GLOBE AS ONE OF PORCELAIN’S finest producers, a favorite of royalty, aristocracy, and folks like you and me who appreciate unparalleled quality and exquisite craftsmanship. Herend’s smooth white ...
Read More
March 30, 2023 MARIPOSA LAUNCES TRAYCHIC
Chalk 22505 picture
MARIPOSA LAUNCES TRAYCHIC
March 30, 2023
MARIPOSA HAS ADDED A NEW CATEGORY WITH THE CLEVERLY TITLED TRAYCHIC, A COLLECTION OF 50 STYLISH HEAT-SAFE TRAYS COMPOSED FROM A STATE-OF-THE-ART RESIN COMPOUND APPROVED FOR FOOD AND SAFE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

MARIPOSA – the Massachusetts brand launched almost 40 years ago by Livia Cowan, who had a vision that tableware could be created from 100% recycled glass and aluminum – brings that same sustainability agenda to a new category, TrayChic! (exclamation point all theirs). “...
Read More
March 30, 2023 WORK FRIENDS = HAPPY
Chalk 22504 picture
WORK FRIENDS = HAPPY
March 30, 2023
Do you have a good friend at work? These days, fewer people do. According to the New York Times, 40 years ago, 50% of us had a close friend at work; that number has dropped to less than 20%. Work has become a more transactional place. We go to the office to be efficient, not to form bonds. We may have plenty of productive conversations, but we also have fewer meaningful relationships. That’s not a good thing because work friends play a big part in our happiness.

Luckily, Rich Brinkman ...
Read More
March 21, 2023 HFN: JK Adams names new CEO
Chalk 22475 picture
HFN: JK Adams names new CEO
March 21, 2023
I was happy see that our friend Adam Sigel will be leading JK Adams. Please checkout the news below.

DORSET, Vt. —JK Adams has appointed Adam Sigel CEO.
Sigel, a seasoned sales executive and a consumer goods expert, succeeds Daniel Isaac, who has moved on to another role in Vermont, the company said.
Sigel most recently served as vice president of the Savannah Bee Company, a Georgia-based gourmet foods and gift company, and also served on the executive team at Mariposa, where he ...
Read More
March 20, 2023 Tableware Today: Free Shipping Pays Off
Chalk 22467 picture
Tableware Today: Free Shipping Pays Off
March 20, 2023
I was happy to see Tableware Today magazine share our experiences and lessons regarding the power of free shipping.  

You're invited to read the article below:
.........................

THE LAST WORD
FREE SHIPPING PAYS OFF
by JASON SOLAREK


Most indie stores don’t have the technical ability or people power to track pricing and offer discounts like free shipping. Indie stores need this information or they’ll be left behind. This information can make a difference: in ...
Read More
March 19, 2023 Labor costs up 18% since 2020
Chalk 22464 picture
Labor costs up 18% since 2020
March 19, 2023
This weekend’s WSJ shares that retail labor costs continue to rise and will likely contribute to more inflation. Stores either have to cut staff or raise prices—and higher prices result in lower revenue creating a downward cycle.  Large players, like Amazon, have more robots and access to capital and may be better insulated from these rising costs.  Yet, even Amazon had had to make some cuts, including its recent pause on completing its HQ2 campus in Virginia and its ...
Read More
March 14, 2023 Lenox Corporation Interview- Christine Bova
Chalk 22446 picture
Lenox Corporation Interview- Christine Bova
March 14, 2023
It’s a formidable task, overseeing product development for all of Lenox’s flatware brands, which includes Lenox, Kate Spade, Oneida, Cambridge, Hampton Forge, Reed & Barton, and Gorham. Your tenures at Oneida and Bed Bath & Beyond, as the tabletop buyer, provide a solid foundation for this position.
Prior to Oneida, where I was senior product marketing manager when Lenox acquired us, I was at Bed Bath & Beyond for 12 years, most recently as the tabletop buyer. My whole ...
Read More
March 14, 2023 THIN and SIMPLE
Chalk 22445 picture
THIN and SIMPLE
March 14, 2023
THIN AND SIMPLE says it all, a perfect moniker for Pampa Bay’s latest juggernaut, a throwback to the shapes and looks the company achieved in stainless steel, its one-time material of choice, a decade ago. Then, in 2016, Carlos Barbagallo, president and owner, decided to segue into the dishwasher-safe, tarnish-free porcelain that looks like metal, using a proprietary, state-of-the-art technology that’s neither painted nor glazed. “Thin and Simple is our homage to the looks we ...
Read More
March 7, 2023 WIRED Magazine: Amazon’s Air Delivery Service Takes Flight
Chalk 22419 picture
WIRED Magazine: Amazon’s Air Delivery Service Takes Flight
March 7, 2023
Wired magazine covers the rise of Amazon’s air delivery fleet. 

Read the article:
https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-air-quest-to-seize-the-skies/ View Post
March 2, 2023 Honoring Our Peers
How we can honor those that came before us in the retail industry.
Chalk 22397 picture
Honoring Our Peers
How we can honor those that came before us in the retail industry.
March 2, 2023
The founder of Juan Pollo Chicken, Albert Okura, passed away last week at the age of 71. Mr. Okura envisioned Juan Pollo, a fast food chain with 25 locations in Southern California, as a household name that would someday sell the most chicken in the world. He believed in this so much that he bought the site of the original McDonald’s restaurant, located in San Bernardino, CA, in 1998—not to turn it into a Juan Pollo restaurant but rather into a museum to honor his fast food industry....
Read More
February 26, 2023 Barnes & Noble Launches New Discount Subscription Service
Chalk 22378 picture
Barnes & Noble Launches New Discount Subscription Service
February 26, 2023
The Wall St. Journal reports that Barnes & Noble has updated its subscription discount program. Previously, it had one tier that was $25/year. Now, Barnes & Noble has a two-tier system. There is a free program that offers rebates based on what you spend, and a $40/year program that gives you rebates plus more discounts and some perks at its cafes. 

The new memberships are meant to help the bookseller better compete with Amazon's Prime and Walmart+.

Bridge has considered ...
Read More

Next page

Press: Shop Local & Bridge in the News
Tableware Today Column: Saying I Do To Registries
Tableware Today Column: Saying I Do To Registries
October 2024

Tableware Today: New Leaderboard Column from Shop Local
Tableware Today: New Leaderboard Column from Shop Local
August 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Florida Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Florida Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Tennessee Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Tennessee Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Louisiana Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Louisiana Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Delaware Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Delaware Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Pennsylvania Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Pennsylvania Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
March 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get Sales Leads in Mississippi
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get Sales Leads in Mississippi
March 2024

Shop Local Merchants Are 60% of Google Page 1 Results in South Carolina
Shop Local Merchants Are 60% of Google Page 1 Results in South Carolina
March 2024

Shop Local Merchants Are 50% of Google Page 1 Results in Georgia
Shop Local Merchants Are 50% of Google Page 1 Results in Georgia
March 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get More Sales Leads than Big-Box Stores Using Google
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get More Sales Leads than Big-Box Stores Using Google
February 2024

Shop Local Retailers Rank on Page 1 of Google in 60% of States
Shop Local Retailers Rank on Page 1 of Google in 60% of States
February 2024

...