Bridge is helping indie stores compete against the big-box stores and big-money players.
Bridge will help more than 700 indie stores service 7,000 registries this year. Collectively, we’re moving millions of dollars in sales from big players to small stores and their communities.
Proof of this is when we see a bride registered at five stores and 40% of them are Bridge Store clients. The bride lists these registry choices:
Contemporary Concepts, one of America’s premier luxury gift and tabletop stores, cut its website maintenance costs 90% by joining Bridge. The store, located in Pittsburgh, PA, joined Bridge this month. Before joining Bridge, the store was responsible for managing about 56,000 products online. The staff had to update prices for each item, find pictures, and load descriptions. By joining Bridge and using Bridge's product updating service (Smart Products), the store could offload ...
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"Our Respect for the Planet Goes Beyond Converting Recycled Material into Chic Designs"
Environmental sustainability has changed since their founding, enabling them to proudly share that their products are made of recycled materials. When they started back in 1983, that was taboo! They are proud to be an industry leader and have been invested in eco-friendly awareness for more than three decades. They were the pioneers - who started a movement.
Do businesses like Amazon that short-change our community affect our ability to respond to a crisis?
In this pandemic, Bridge thanks first responders and the many people that help our communities work together. When I think of communities during Covid-19, Amazon comes to mind. I do think there is value in looking back at the last 24 months leading up to today and asking: did Amazon slow down our community's ability to respond?
Amazon historically pays less in corporate taxes than other ...
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February 5, 2020
February 5, 2020
Macy’s will be moving its flagship store and building a massive tower on the site. Then it may move back in or permanently leave site.
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Target now sources 80% of its online orders from stores, not warehouses, shares the Wall St. Journal.
Stores have less foot traffic (foot traffic to U.S. stores fell about 6.2% on Black Friday ) and more online shopping (online sales reached $7.4 billion on Black Friday, up from $6.2 billion last year), forcing stores to convert 'floor' employees into roles dealing with e-commerce and shipping. "At the Brooklyn store around 80 workers handle internet orders, collecting products from shelves or...
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Are websites a waste? I'll thank they are and I'll explain. But first, it's important to note that websites are different from platforms. A website is something for which your business is solely responsible. A platform is a digital service to which you subscribe that you are not solely responsible. You may add content and pictures, etc. but you do not manage the technical aspects. You likely use platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and Airbnb.
Does traffic seem worse? It may be your neighbors’ 1.5 million daily packages being delivered, shares today’s Times.
My neighborhood is bombarded by trucks—and delivery people often ringing every apartment buzzer in a building to contact just one apartment.
Interesting stats from the article: + Homes now get more packages delivered than businesses. + Traffic speeds have slowed over the last decade. + 2 million square Feet of warehouse space is being built in NYC. + Carbon dioxide emissions ...
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August 19, 2019
August 19, 2019
Nordstrom stock is down 52% in the last 12 months. Only Macy’s stock performs worse in the S&P 500 retail index.
It’s clear that Nordstrom should not have bought HautLook in 2011 and Trunk Club in 2014. In 2016, Nordstrom wrote down the value of Trunk Club by half of its $350m purchase. That’s $175m in value it desperately needed to spend elsewhere to compete with Amazon. Each million dollar mistake today results tens of millions in lost opportunity next year. Mistakes have exponential ...
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What company in the tabletop industry has invested in a tech company? I don't know of one. I believe our industry should be doing what UPS does and investing in tech--and I'll explain why.
As today's WSJ shares, UPS has a venture capital arm and it has this because smart businesses know that most businesses are becoming more like: software businesses. Therefore, businesses have to ‘buy’ that know-how by investing in a tech company. UPS knows that it doesn't have the internal tech know-how to...
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July 2, 2019
July 2, 2019
Carol Shroeder, owner of a gift shop, a retail expert, and a Bridge member, shared this advice about inventory:
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Markdowns = Money “Don’t let inventory become family” is one of my favorite retail sayings. We all know the feeling of bringing in merchandise because we love it, hoping that just the right customer will come in who loves it too. It’s sometimes hard to accept the fact that it is costing the shop money to hold onto an item that isn’t selling.
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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April 16, 2019
April 16, 2019
New Phi collection by British designer Cairn Young, which features five geometric vases, giving a 3D effect?
“Ever since my father gave me a flip book as a child, I have been fascinated by how static objects can be made to look as if they are moving.” -Cairn Young
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January 9, 2019
January 9, 2019
Packing up Christmas... last chance for discounts before it goes away... SALE SALE SALE... Then moving on the Valentines... Order early... Send Flowers to express your LOVE
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April 27, 2018
April 27, 2018
Everyone needs a travel fix-it kit, especially a new college student moving out on their own for the first time. Grab this stylishly practical gift for the graduate you know.
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April 25, 2018
April 25, 2018
Bernardaud, the historical choice of fine dining restaurants, gets a mention in today’s Times. The new Noma is (like many other restaurants such as Eleven Madison) are moving towards humble tableware like pottery.
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April 11, 2018
April 11, 2018
Who said moving couldn't be fun?! We're shaking things up at BSI and the Corner Studio as we start moving merchandise into 900 State Street. We CAN'T WAIT to open in a few weeks! More updates to come...
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April 9, 2018
April 9, 2018
In the book The Four, the author Scott Galloway praises companies that reduce the 'friction' of completing an action. For example, Uber makes ordering a taxi easier. In the case of Amazon (which I often rail against), he noted it makes online shopping easier.
Which leads to the questions: what is Bridge making easier? What 'friction' is it removing for users?
Bridge reduces the pain points for a retail business in these areas: + Adding products to its website. + Adding news to its website. + ...
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