I’m just back from the Dallas show. I met with some wonderful people from the mart and they’re ready to go digital.
In general, I’m seeing that more market buildings are finally taking digital seriously. Why are they finally doing so? Because Amazon is nipping at their retailers heels? Because Zola is stealing the indie store’s registry business? No. Sadly, the main thing that brought the markets up to speed on the weather outside is: their own livelihood. Faire, a startup tech company ...
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June 24, 2019
June 24, 2019
We even have the perfect hostess gifts for international visits! This gift set will make its way across the pond for a customer in England. There are no limits when working with local businesses.
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June 24, 2019
June 24, 2019
“If the shoe fits, wear it,” goes the old saying, and today’s Times shares the state of indie shoes which may sound familiar to indie gift shop owners. This story seems to be ‘a fit’ for our industry, too.
I recently visited a Footlocker and noticed they had moved the Nike shoes to the back of the store. Why? Nike, with all of its stores and direct to consumer website promotion, is now a competitor and Footlocker is trying to reduce its reliance on Nike. To that affect, I went to the Nike ...
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June 19, 2019
June 19, 2019
When choosing a place to register for your everyday and formal dishes choose a place that you know will give nothing but the Royal Treatment! We offer top-notch information on what is available, what is current, delivery to your Bridal Showers and a website made convenient for your out of town guests. At Royal’s, you are forever our Bride! We value your business. ?
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June 16, 2019
June 16, 2019
Business lunch: how retail is changing :)
Old retail is 80% analog. This consists of: the physical store, staff, customer service training, etc. What you’d expect walking into a Saks or Macy's. And it's about 20% tech: computers, cash registers (POS systems), mobile shopping, Google ranking, apps, hiring social influencers, Instagram, etc.
Today, the retailers that are well positioned, growing, and 'hot' carry the opposite equation: they're 20% analog and 80% tech.
Online sales account for 27% or Lululemon’s sales, reports today’s WSJ. Considering that these are clothes, that’s a lot. There was a day not too long ago when people said shoppers wouldn’t buy significant amounts of clothes online. 27% and growing shows that they were wrong.
And that 27% is very profitable. The brand didn’t have to pay expensive rent in, for example, Manhattan to process those orders.
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June 12, 2019
June 12, 2019
When you at a loss on a gift for Dad, grad or happy newlyweds we have the perfect solution. A gift card from us! Packaged in a black pillow box, placed in our signature gift bag with black tissue and, if needed a card. Nowhere else will you find a gift card outfitted such as ours. Only the best!
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June 8, 2019
June 8, 2019
E-commerce is going to double in the next seven years, predicts FedEx. When that happens, how prepared will your business be? How will you prepare your website, your staff, your shipping procedures, your pricing, and your sales expectations?
When e-commerce grows that much, who will control the market? How will customers shop? Via their mobile? Via Alexa? If e-commerce is the dominant form of shipping, how will your online product selection and prices be kept up to date online? If online ...
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June 7, 2019
June 7, 2019
Smaller margins are here for many businesses in many industries—not just tableware. Recently, a sales rep balked when I suggested its stores take a haircut on margins. Yet, I believe big money tech players are forcing these cuts and upending traditional profits—leaving stores with little other option. From media (see today’s AT&T article) to advertising (Facebook, goggle) to transportation (Uber, Lyft, Tesla) to gift registries (Amazon, MyRegistry, Zola), big money-backed tech companies are the...
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June 6, 2019
June 6, 2019
What will you see when you step into our store today? This stunning blue and white display!
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You can now add special, unique pricing to items on a gift registry. For example, you can use this feature when an item can be monogrammed and you need to charge more for it. You can use this feature if a registry gift comes as a set but the item on your site only shows pricing for a single item. You can double the price using this feature and add a comment to the item saying it the gift includes two of the items.
Add special pricing to an item:
1. Login to your Bridge.
2. Roll over Gift ...
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June 5, 2019
June 5, 2019
A new little addition to your kitchen every now and then can make a big difference.
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June 4, 2019
June 4, 2019
Summer has officially kicked in and your customers are looking for the perfect drinkware and serveware to use when entertaining on their patios or by their pools. Mario Luca Giusti has the greatest variety in color and design to choose from and DeVine Corporation is well stocked in all of the best-sellers. Don't miss out on this summer-selling opportunity. Put attractive colorful displays in your store and the business will follow day follows night.
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June 3, 2019
June 3, 2019
Over the last decade, being a cheapskate when it comes to tech spending was just a dire decision. Bed Bath & Beyond, which didn’t even spend money on Post-It Notes, underfunded its website and tech departments. And now it’s way behind competitors and spending heavily to stay alive.
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May 31, 2019
May 31, 2019
What's the most popular registry item? The Knot reports it’s the KitchenAid mixer.
More from the article:
"...the other items that made the top five most-requested on The Knot Registry were all kitchen-related: stainless steel measuring cups, a set of Pyrex containers, a toaster and Ninja blender.
According to the survey, wedding registries averaged about 111 different items worth around $4,700. Among the most popular items were bakeware, for which 87 percent of couples registered. Within the ...
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This month’s HFN magazine shares a letter that I wrote to the editor. In the letter, I encourage the industry to team up and push back against Amazon and big online entities in order to ensure our long-term survival. I welcome your feedback on it.
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Fifty-four percent of people looking for a product go directly to Amazon.com, shared a front page story in this week’s Wall St. Journal. This 54 percent is not good for nearly anyone in our ...
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May 30, 2019
May 30, 2019
For kitchen preparations with personality, look no further than a MacKenzie-Childs colander! The steel underbody makes this piece a workhorse and the hand-painted (Courtly Check and Royal Check) and hand-decorated (Flower Market) patterns give some pizzazz to polishing potatoes and sass to straining salads. We like to keep ours out on the counter with fresh cherry tomatoes, strawberries, or other yummy goodies! All patterns are available at Oh Kay's!
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May 24, 2019
May 24, 2019
Grab a Grad or Teacher gift they will love! When they see the box they will know “It’s From Thayers”!
“Nothing feels more celebratory then sipping champagne from Juliska flutes”.
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May 23, 2019
May 23, 2019
Q Squared Unbreakable Tableware At Glassworks! The ultimate in simple elegance, Q Squared's Ruffle line promises to help make entertaining easy and fun. Resembling ceramic and fine porcelain, but made of 100% melamine, this BPA free serveware is virtually unbreakable. If you are looking for the highest quality in unbreakable dinnerware, then the Ruffle Collection in white is your choice. Stop in at Glassworks to see the collection.