Ancient Greek philosopher Plato wrote in the Dialogue Republic, “A need or problem encourages creative efforts to meet the need or solve the problem.” This statement led to the phrase “Necessity is the mother of Invention." These words could very well describe Shop Local and how we came to exist. Over time, some have suggested the phrase could be tweaked to read “necessity is the mother of reinvention." This phrase also parallels Shop Local's ethos of supporting...
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The Wall Street Journal recently shared how the used car market has improved in the last 20 years because much of it is now conducted online. When car buyers use the web, they’re more likely to save money (about 2%) and dealers can, in theory, make more with dynamic pricing (about 2%) thereby giving each party a win. Unlike 20 years ago, when we didn’t have smartphones, today 95% of used car purchases start online. While 31% of used car purchases were completely in-person, ...
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Why only 30% of wedding gift givers will come into a store in 2030--and how we can help prepare for that
July 23, 2024
Tableware Today’s Editor Amy Stavis invited me to pen the Last Word column for the August / September issue. I start by comparing e-commerce trends for selling automobiles to selling dinner plates. Online sales in both industries have swelled in the last 25 years. (I entered the e-commerce business at the right time—in 2001.)
I predict that 70% of wedding registry gift givers will never set foot in a physical store by 2030. Currently, that number is at about 50%. If we do in fact ...
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Work With the Nation's Leading Brands and Indie Shops to Support Main Street
Shop Local is a fast-growing e-commerce and gift registry platform providing services to leading independent retailers and premium brands. Based in New York, NY, Shop Local is seeking candidates to support the existing software and build out new services that will change the retail industry.
We are a small dev team who works in a full stack fashion. There are many opportunities to sharpen your skills as well as ...
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NUDE Glass, a modern glass producer, is joining Shop Local's 112 Syncing brand partners.
May 9, 2024
We're pleased to share that Nude Glass is joining the Syncing service.
We expect Nude Glass products to be ready for Syncing by June 10th, 2024. We'll keep members posted about the actual date as we progress with the brand's boarding to our platform.
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About NUDE Glass
NUDE Glass believes simple is beautiful. Simplicity, honest design, and hand craftsmanship are the guiding principles of all NUDE Glass products. Their portfolio of glassware is ...
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In October of 2001, I walked into William-Wayne & Co. in New York City with no appointment. I asked for the owner, was introduced to the co-owner, and suggested he build a website. The two owners, William and Wayne, agreed to discuss it further with me and we scheduled a meeting. Nine months later, William-wayne.com was born.
We’ve updated the website since then, but the fundamentals have stayed the same.
It all started with William & Wayne &...
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Carol Schroeder recently shared how local shops help our communities and their environment. I liked the excerpt below from her post:
”Returns are one example of something local shopkeepers do better than Amazon and other giant web retailers. The e-commerce return rate is estimated to be two to three times that of brick & mortar stores – averaging a shocking 20%-30%. According to The Guardian, a returns platform “recently calculated that only 50% of ...
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Jim Shreve made Baccarat hip. Now, he and his longtime partner, Mark Brashear, along with Sally Burnside, the former Baccarat sales V.P., intend to do the same for DeVine Corp., the 32-year-old distributor of elite European brands. You're invited to the opening!
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Congrats to you all. This is very exciting. Tim, we’ve known each other since before you started DeVine Corp., 32 years ago. You’ve been looking for the right opportunity to retire. TIM ...
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We're pleased to share that renowned cutlery brand Zwilling is joining the Syncing service.
We expect Zwilling products to be ready for Syncing by April 8th, 2024. We'll keep members posted about the actual date as we progress with the brand's boarding to our platform.
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About Zwilling
Zwilling was founded in Solingen, Germany in 1731 by Peter Henckels making it one of the oldest brands in the world today. Zwilling is part of the ...
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How Shop Local helps 3 retailers rank higher than Target on page 1 of Google.
February 28, 2024
Indie stores have the best chance of ranking highly in Google when they use Shop Local. Proof: Our indie shops beat big-box stores in Google search tests.
Example: We recently conducted a Google study for wedding registry purchasing in Alabama. We Googled "wedding registry Alabama."
Search Results
Stores using Shop Local in Alabama ranked on page 1 of Google ahead of national chains and other registry services, which often have larger customer bases and bigger website
We're pleased to share that LAFCO is joining the Syncing service.
We expect LAFCO products to be ready for Syncing by April 5th, 2024. We'll keep members posted about the actual date as we progress with the brand's boarding to our platform.
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About LAFCO
LAFCO (Luxury Articles and Fragrance Company) was created in 1992 by founder and nose, Jon Bresler, and his passion for the European tradition of botanical-based fragrances and ...
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A recent study conducted by Jungle Scout reports that many consumers prefer to support small and local businesses for their holiday shopping. 20% reported they will buy holiday gifts from indie stores, up from 10% last year. The report ranks independent retailers in 4th place for in-store shopping, surpassing Costco, Walgreen's Best Buy, Sam's Club, Macy's and Home Depot.
The article shares 53% of consumers bought online from independent stores on Small Business Saturday as reported by ...
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I recently saw a car with the license plate: WHYWRK. I had a sad feeling for the driver, who perhaps wasn’t as lucky as I to have the best job in the world – getting paid to shop for the most beautiful goods in the world – which I am now retiring from. After 40+ years as a buyer of tabletop and gifts in Buffalo, I have the opportunity to put the dishes away, polish the flatware, and store the stemware. As a small specialty store, we’ve been through our share of ups and ...
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It’s a 40th anniversary for the company founded by Colin Riggs (left) and Ned Voelker’s parents, Abigail and Ed Voelker. Over the last four decades, the entire family has created a curated collection of handmade tableware and giftware for the nation’s independent store retailers.
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Congratulations on a milestone 40th year in business. Are you surprised Abigails has endured? Ned Voelker: We are surprised. It’s a tribute to Ed and Abbie ...
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We're pleased to share that Christofle is joining the Brand Syncing service.
We expect Christofle products to be ready for Syncing by December 14th, 2023. We'll keep members posted about the actual date as we progress with the brand's boarding to our platform.
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About Christofle
Christofle believes The Art of Living is indeed an Art. Taking pleasure in decorating a house, setting a table, sharing the good and the beautiful, and cultivating the...
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We are pleased to announce Porto Brasil Tableware's products are ready for Syncing.
Porto Brasil Tableware joins our network of 115+ premium brands that Sync products with 1,300+ fine indie stores.
Porto Brasil Tableware is a contemporary company passionate about design. Founded 20 years ago in Porto Ferreira, Brazil, Porto Brasil was the first company in the world to work with digital printing on stoneware. Their stoneware body is sustainable and is made from an ...
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