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  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

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Join a Live Seminar for Sales Reps & Help Your Stores Tuesday, May 2, 2023
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Join a Live Seminar for Sales Reps & Help Your Stores Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Location: Online Seminar

For Sales Reps:

We’re hosting a live seminar for sales reps.  You’re invited to join us and reps from the industry: 

Tuesday, May 2nd at 9:00 EST
Please RSVP to: [email protected] 

Once you RSVP, we’ll email you a link to the seminar.

You’ll learn:
  • How does the Shop Local e-commerce platform work?
  • What stores use the platform?
  • Which brands use the platform?
  • How do indie retailers and brands use it?
  • How does the platform benefit
...
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March 30, 2023 MARIPOSA LAUNCES TRAYCHIC
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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). “...
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March 30, 2023 WORK FRIENDS = HAPPY
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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 ...
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March 21, 2023 HFN: JK Adams names new CEO
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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 ...
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March 15, 2023 Natural Woven Oval Bread Basket
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Natural Woven Oval Bread Basket
March 15, 2023
Present your bread in this hand-woven basket made of biodegradable vines when entertaining. Its natural vine composition gives it a lovely rustic look and feel. The neutral color of the vine works well in a variety of settings, from bohemian to contemporary, and with any type of baked goods, such as a loaf of bread, bagels, muffins, or baguettes. It's oval in shape and looks great on its own or with a decorative napkin. Available in 2 sizes.

These vine baskets do not need to be washed every ...
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March 7, 2023 Field of Flowers
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Field of Flowers
March 7, 2023
Each piece in the Field of Flowers Collection features a unique and romantic motif of chambray blue hues, making it a beautiful collection to layer as a set or mixed and matched with our other collections, don't forget a dusty pink napkin for a divine touch! 💙 View Post
March 7, 2023 67% of Brands Offer Free Shipping
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67% of Brands Offer Free Shipping
March 7, 2023
Bridge analyzed the websites for the top-40 selling brands in the tabletop and giftware industry. We assessed what promotions and discounts, such free shipping, brands offer. Bridge did this because a product's price, which is impacted by discounts, is often the leading factor when shopping online. More than 67% of the brands surveyed by Bridge offer free shipping.

Brand Study Findings: 
  • Of the 40 brands, 27 (67.5%) offer free shipping. 
  • For brands that offer free
...
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March 2, 2023 Honoring Our Peers
How we can honor those that came before us in the retail industry.
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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....
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February 6, 2023 Kalalou Joins the Product Syncing Service. Welcome!
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Kalalou Joins the Product Syncing Service. Welcome!
February 6, 2023
We are pleased to announce that home decor industry leader Kalalou is joining the Product Syncing Service. 

Kalalou is known for their whimsical and unique products which range from serveware to mirrors and botanicals to displays. 

Kalalou products will be ready for syncing by March 15th.

Stores that are already Bridge members will be alerted when Kalalou's data is ready for syncing. 

Bridge members interested in opening an account with Kalalou in preparation can ...
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February 5, 2023 71% of Americans would prefer to buy from an independent retailer
71% of Americans would prefer to buy from an independent retailer
February 5, 2023
"A 2021 Harris Poll Consumer Shopping Study showed that 71% of Americans would prefer to buy from an independent retailer over a national chain, as long as they were equally convenient and reliable." 

~ SpotOn

I believe these survey results.  Shoppers want to shop local, but they don't want to sacrifice selection, price, or speed. Consumers will shop with your indie store if you can offer the same selection, price, and delivery speed as, say, Amazon.  Is ...
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February 4, 2023 Legos & Business Strategy
How we can bring clients together to build a larger network.
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Legos & Business Strategy
How we can bring clients together to build a larger network.
February 4, 2023
Economist Bent Flyvbjerg encourages us to find our “Lego” in his new book “How Big Things Get Done.”  Mr. Flyvbjerg, whose new book is reviewed by Ben Cohen in this week’s The Wall Street Journal, says that most large projects that are completed successfully use a modular approach. Excerpt from The Wall Street Journal:

“That’s the question every project leader should ask: What is the small thing we can assemble in large numbers into a big ...
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February 2, 2023 Tableware Today: GRANNY CHIC NOSTALGIA
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Tableware Today: GRANNY CHIC NOSTALGIA
February 2, 2023
There’s nothing quite as cozy as grandma’s house. It’s like a warm snuggle of home cooked meals, fresh cut roses from the garden, doilies, chintz, needlepoint, vintage furniture, wallpaper, a breakfront china cupboard, Earl Grey in a collection of English bone china teacups, and lavender oil that soothes the senses and transports you to carefree days of yore.

The Granny Chic or Grandmillennial trend is all the rage, particularly among millennials. It’s an expression of...
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January 31, 2023 New Member Targets 🎯
How setting goals for our new members can help them be more successful.
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New Member Targets 🎯
How setting goals for our new members can help them be more successful.
January 31, 2023
When growing our network, we consider what it takes to keep existing members and grow into other industries. Andrew Chen in The Cold Start Problem reports that Facebook famously wanted a user to get 10 friends in a week because then the person would likely use the service. Similarly, Slack said users with about 10 connections tend to become active users. My company currently doesn’t have such new user benchmarks and we need to develop them. 

Adding New Retail Members to the Product...
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January 31, 2023 Networks: Let's Tango 💃🏽🕺🏼
How integrating a messaging service into our e-commerce platform can help us acquire new customers.
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Networks: Let's Tango 💃🏽🕺🏼
How integrating a messaging service into our e-commerce platform can help us acquire new customers.
January 31, 2023
It takes a lot of people to build a bridge, but just two to tango. This applies to the analog world as well as the digital one. In the digital space, I'm using tango to refer to messaging between two people. I believe messaging is a service we can add to our offering to diversify how our company Shop Local grows.

Different Networks Require a Different Number of Users in a Group
Andrew Chen in The Cold Start Problem states that a key difference among network models is the required minimum ...
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January 27, 2023 Do You Agree Defaults Are Important? ✅ Yes ___ No
How having the right defaults makes decisions easier for clients and helps them be more successful.
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Do You Agree Defaults Are Important? ✅ Yes ___ No
How having the right defaults makes decisions easier for clients and helps them be more successful.
January 27, 2023
When you look at your driver’s license, it lists if you’re an organ donor. Twenty years ago, only 20% of people were donors, but today 80% are—thereby saving millions of lives. Did people become more kind? No, the question on the application was changed from opt-in to opt-out. People signing up for or renewing a license are now by default enlisted in organ donation. Lesson: the right default answer in medical care can save millions of lives. Similarly, the right defaults ...
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January 14, 2023 Good to See Industry Friends in Atlanta
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Good to See Industry Friends in Atlanta
January 14, 2023
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January 10, 2023 Even the World’s Best Restaurant is Concentrating on E-commerce
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Even the World’s Best Restaurant is Concentrating on E-commerce
January 10, 2023
Noma, the world-famous Copenhagen restaurant, is closing to concentrate on e-commerce.  Excerpt from the Times:

“Noma will become a full-time food laboratory, developing new dishes and products for its e-commerce operation, Noma Projects, and the dining rooms will be open only for periodic pop-ups.”


This change supports the breath and power of e-commerce, and portends coming changes for our retail industry.  It’s not that one can’t eke out a ...
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December 20, 2022 65% of Brands Offer Free Shipping vs.14% of Indie Stores ...Where Would You Shop?
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65% of Brands Offer Free Shipping vs.14% of Indie Stores ...Where Would You Shop?
December 20, 2022
More than 65% of brands surveyed by Bridge offer free shipping, while just 14% of indie stores do. Brands often charge just $118 to quality for free shipping, while stores charge $190 (a $72 difference). Where would you shop?

Bridge analyzed the websites for the top-40 selling brands in the tabletop and giftware industry. We assessed what promotions and discounts, such free shipping, brands offer. Bridge did this because a product's price, which is impacted by discounts, is often the leading ...
Read More
December 19, 2022 Retailers Big and Small Try to Plow Through the Holiday Season- Retail Dive Looks at the Results
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Retailers Big and Small Try to Plow Through the Holiday Season- Retail Dive Looks at the Results
December 19, 2022
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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December 7, 2022 Savannah Bee and Ivystone Team Up For National Representation 🐝 🗺️
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Savannah Bee and Ivystone Team Up For National Representation 🐝 🗺️
December 7, 2022
I was happy to learn that our friends at Savannah Bee and Ivystone have expanded their relationship. Savannah Bee, a partner in our Bridge Product Syncing service, has expanded its representation with Ivystone, also a Bridge partner, to cover more sales regions. Ivystone will now cover the honey brand across the country, supplementing the brand with 85 sales reps. (Previously, Ivystone only represented the brand in the Northeast.)

Please read the press release below.


Savannah Bee Company...
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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
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Shop Local Merchants Are 60% of Google Page 1 Results in South Carolina
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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
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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
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