If we want our communities to re-open after Covid, we'll need to do more than just beat Covid. We have to shop at local places online in order to ensure they are there when our communities re-open. Need shoes, a TV, or a book? Your local store can help you. And, money you spend there stays in your community.
As you may recall, Amazon’s growth was partially due to it encouraging shoppers to use local stores as ‘showrooms’ and then complete the purchase on Amazon. Let&...
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Costa Nova and Casafina commit to 100% recyclable and biodegradable packaging
Costa Nova and Casafina proudly announce the use of 100% recyclable and biodegradable packaging in the US.
First orders with “plastic-free” packaging were delivered at the beginning of April, for both B2B and B2C customers. The biggest change to this new policy is the use of eco-friendly starch peanuts to use as void fill.
Startch TM peanuts are an environmentally-friendly ...
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March 9, 2020
March 9, 2020
Three quarters of 2017 high-school seniors said they expected to get married—almost the same as in 1976, but just 50% of these Americans will likely be married, shares today’s WSJ. In marriage’s place, cohabitating is growing.
A corollary to marriage is employment, and research shows that closing manufacturing plants shrinks marriage rates, whereas jobs with standard schedules and fringe benefits increase marriage.
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February 28, 2020
February 28, 2020
Grocery stores are increasingly turning to robots—some with cute paste on eyes—to replace humans. While the eyes are cute, what does this mean for employment for the low skilled?
One way that Amazon keeps prices low is not hiring low-skilled workers when it can replace them with robots.
I’m writing to sadly share that my dad Don Solarek passed away last week. He was quiet, thoughtful, and would gladly walk in New York City from the Battery to Harlem.
Don always had time to chat with me, share a story, give a lesson, and encourage me. He helped me with my paper route at 6 am when it was 3º in Rochester. He came to every high school cross country race and wrestling match—which were often held around 3:30 pm. Likely not ...
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February 5, 2020
February 5, 2020
Macy’s plans to close 20% of its stores, cut 10% of corporate jobs, and close its Cincinnati headquarters, shares today’s WSJ.
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E-commerce is hammering stores, shares a study appearing in RetailDive. Each e-commerce job kills four traditional jobs, and it may help close 30k stores in the next 5 years.
RetailDive excerpts:
E-commerce has been a net negative — an agent of "destructive destruction" — for the retail industry writ large, according to a new study from credit insurance company Euler Hermes. The study found that 56,000 stores, or 10.7% of the
The retail store floor is being transformed in to an ‘app store,’ shares todays Times. Employees armed with mobile phones are helping customers using specialized apps.
The Times article also shares that retail clothing jobs in NYC shrunk 9% between 2013 to 2018.
Market buildings are looking down the barrel of a gun. To find out why, check out my article in this month's Tableware Today.
THE LAST WORD
CHART YOUR FUTURE BEFORE BIG TECH DOES
by JASON SOLAREK
Market buildings are starting to take digital seriously. Why, finally? Because Amazon is nipping at retailers’ heels? No. Because Zola is stealing indie stores’ registry business? No. Sadly, the main thing that’s brought markets up to speed has to do with their own dollars and ...
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November 17, 2019
November 17, 2019
Amazon is increasingly using robots to deliver goods and services. One could say that Alexa is a robot minus the body. As Amazon grows, we're facing a glut of empty Main Street shops and layoffs. This reminds me of the Terminator movie series in which robots wreck destruction on human civilization.
We just need Arnold Schwarzenegger to star in an Amazon delivery commercial. "I'll be back," he says, "to pick up your return."
PS - Curious about claims on robot-killing jobs? Check out Presidential...
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November 16, 2019
November 16, 2019
When we make products overseas, are we long-term weakening our businesses and our communities, and in fact strengthening the product’s country of origin? Today’s WSJ makes the point that foreign countries that produce the goods are the ones gaining high-tech jobs and therefore the high-flying lifestyles. As you may have heard, every day a new person becomes a millionaire in China. Can we say the same in America? Historically, businesses and economists approved the strategy of “innovate here, ...
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November 12, 2019
November 12, 2019
Amazon has opened an instant portal between our kids and Chinese goods that fail U.S. safety and environmental standards. Today's Wall St. Journal shares that Amazon is helping Chinese sellers upload a new item every 1/50th of a second—resulting in a tsunami of questionable products flooding our homes.
Excessive lead in your kid’s dinner plate? A motorcycle helmet for your son that cracks easily? Get it on Amazon.
One may ask: how could a Chinese-speaking person be expected to know U.S. laws? ...
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September 25, 2019
September 25, 2019
Diane Seidle, a consultant for Bridge, explains cryptocurrency in this month’s Tableware Today.
Diane does a nice job of taking a complex topic and breaking it down in to easy-to-understand parts.
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September 8, 2019
September 8, 2019
In a region known for its grapes, Susan and Brian Friguliette, bravely decided to give us beans, coffee beans that is. Their love story blossomed into living their dream and their passion for coffee. We have been selling Keuka Lake Coffee for 13 years. Over this time it’s become our top coffee brand. Customers love that they are they a local roaster but, the diverse selection of roasts and flavors has kept Keuka Lake Coffee fans coming back for refills. We asked Susan and Brian to share how ...
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August 29, 2019
August 29, 2019
Amazon and Chinese companies have teamed up to bypass Main Street and ship goods directly to doorsteps. This is hurting American manufacturing as well as local city governments. To accomplish this, they're misleading Americans by putting out press releases that cherry-pick statistics.
Follow these 3 steps to see the issue at hand:
1. In an Amazon press release last week, Amazon claimed:
"Independent third-party sellers – primarily small and medium-sized businesses – ...
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August 19, 2019
August 19, 2019
Maker Scarlett Markham is actually a former Parkleigh employee! She developed her line, Flour Pail Kids while working here. We thought our customers would be as amused by it as we are by Scarlett. Her quirky sense of humor mixes nostalgic icons with the edge of today to inspire her work. What could be more full of Rochester spirit than a tiny Genny Beer pin? Her Rochester icon t-shirts are also a stand out among others around town. When Scarlett isn’t designing or doing one of her jack-of-all-...
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July 29, 2019
July 29, 2019
Meet Venita D'Angelo. Her company, Light Essentials, is our longest running YEA competition winner. Each year winners from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy are given a limited time to sell at Parkleigh. Her candles were such a hit we continue to sell them years after the original contract. We even had her create a signature scent Parkleigh candle. With profits going toward college, and a bright future ahead, we asked her to share how she’s achieving her success.
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 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.