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...
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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.
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You and I go back almost to the start of VIETRI in 1983. [Editor&rsquo...
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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...
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Today’s Times contains a Staples ad that speaks to the value humans provide in operating a business. The ad pushes back against software- and computer-automated service.
While we run a software platform, we agree with Staples. Clients that sign up for a Shop Local account get a free coaching call by a real person based here in the United States. Thereafter, our coaching staff uses one-on-one training, including telephone calls and Zoom video meetings, to help them get the best ...
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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:
Enjoy this rustic textured woven placemat made from biodegradable vines, which is ideal for regular meals, family get-togethers, hotels, businesses, or coffee shops. Your friends and guests will be pleased by your gorgeous table arrangement, which is embellished with white wood polished beads and neutral earth tones of brown creamy tan that blend well both indoors and outdoors. Offered in a set of 4.
How allocating our resources efficiently can help us save time, save money, and deliver value to our customers.
May 9, 2023
You've heard of Salsa-fy? It’s national, was started in Dallas, is used by 60,000 employees, and is used at more than 1,600 corporate locations. Salsa-fy helps businesses steer clear of trouble, offer the best value, and ensures profitability. You may interrupt me here and ask, “Jason, don’t you mean the software company Salesify?” No, I’m talking about the restaurant chain Chili’s and its approach to managing salsa, french fries, and its business. ...
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How to share your interests and experiences with your team by adding a bio to your staff profile.
May 1, 2023
People around you have great experiences and unique interests. Let’s help you learn about them—and share yours. Your account has a new feature: You can now add bio information to your staff profile. The new "About" field in your staff profile allows you to share what you do and what interests you. This bio text is displayed on your Team page and can be viewed by other staff members.
By default, the "About" field will pre-populated with &...
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We fix computers that are Acer, Asus, Dell, Alienware, HP, Lenovo, Thinkpad, Sony, Toshiba and many more types. Computers that are PC desktops or laptops. The King Electronics & Computer Repair has worked on every type of PC brand to date.
Find us for the best computer repair OK can offer you. Within Oklahoma, computer repairs are done on-site within our office, or at your home / business.
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How to easily view and edit your relationship with your brands.
April 18, 2023
Your Shop Local Store has an updated feature: We've made it easier to manage your relationship with a business and the brands it manages. Clicking on a brand's logo opens a modal where your store can view and edit its relationship with the brand.
Previously, your store could edit its relationship with a business but not easily edit its relationship with a brand.
Now, the updated modals allow your store to view and manage the relationship with a business and the brands it ...
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Before May 31, 2023, send an email to your retailers inviting them to join you on Shop Local's e-commerce platform. We’ve written for you a sample email template you can send to them. Please find that template below. You can copy this template and send it using your email program (Outlook, MailChimp, etc.).
When you send your email, please BCC [email protected] or forward it after you send it.
How to save time when accessing popular product-related services and pages.
March 27, 2023
Your Online Store has a new feature: We've made it easier to access important product-related services and content. This feature reduces the number of clicks needed to perform actions and access pages.
In the Master Bar of your Store, there is now a Products icon. This icon’s drop down includes many of the popular product-related services your business likely uses. Previously, you would need to visit the Management home page to view many of these links.
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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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:
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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 ...
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How to update your retail settings on the Online Store tab.
March 16, 2023
Your Shop Local Store has a new feature: it's now easier to access settings for your Online Store. We've moved all of your Online Store settings to their own tab in your Business Profile. Previously, these settings were combined with other information on your Profile Home tab.
With this update, your store can easily see just your Online Store settings.
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 ...
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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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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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How we can celebrate indie stores and promote sales by hosting a Save Local event.
February 23, 2023
When one thinks of shopping locally, some consider it an act of charity. One may pay more and get less selection. That’s not a recipe for success. In contrast, the world’s most successful retailers, Walmart and Amazon, operate on just the opposite principles: low prices and massive selection. When I’m in Walmart's Panama City Beach location, it’s so massive I feel like I’m in the Giants' stadium. Amazon sells 12m items on its website (350m if you count the third-...
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