This issue marks my 40th year chronicling the tableware industry, the last 28 as the founder and editor of Tableware Today. Spend four decades in an industry and you see change: sometimes sweeping (lifestyle shifts/consolidations/e-commerce); sometimes specific (Covid/less entertaining at home/rising costs). On the other hand, four decades is just a blip in the life of many tableware producers. Our industry, really, is a contradiction in so many ways: a heritage category that must remain fresh, ...
Read More
Citi Bike, a bike-sharing service in New York City, has a competition for those who help redistribute the network’s bikes. It displays the top helpers, called Bike Angels, on an online leaderboard. Citi Bike gives points, which can be redeemed for monetary credit, for participating. I found this system and their leaderboard inspiring because we, too, offer a leaderboard.
Our leaderboard (named Leaderboard) that tracks the best-performing wedding registry brands, retailers, ...
Read More
Glassworks has gift ideas for your Valentine! This week we focus on our selection of hearts in various price points, some of which are pictured. First we have a Nambe' metal Heart bowl, next are Baccarat crystal red & clear Hearts, and then 2 types of Annieglass Hearts in gold and platinum. Stop in at the Shadyside store to see these and several other gift options.
View Post
Kate Spade New York tableware and accessories has for two decades held a singular spot on retail shelves and on customers’ tables thanks to a timeless charm and chic stylings. Even after 20 years, the fun, fresh, playfully sophisticated, and refreshingly original collections from Lenox occupy a unique niche in the tableware pantheon.
Kate Spade’s contribution to fashion cannot be understated. She became synonymous with fashionistas everywhere when she started her fashion ...
Read More
We have created beautiful bundles for our customers to shop this season. Offering all price points to help meet budgets when having to shop for your groups.
Custom gift bags are available. We have a Georgia bag and Holiday treats bag ready to go.
Ask about our pet parent gift sets which include our very own brand; The Stinky Pet Co.
We are also partnering with Local Grounds Coffee pairing cookies with coffee. These are in stock and ready to go.
How restaurants, hotels, and tableware brands are using loyalty programs--and what indie stores can learn from this.
October 11, 2023
Perk-y
I recently read about a new loyalty program and wondered what we could learn from it. The founder of Eater and Resy, Ben Leventhal, has started Blackbird, a loyalty program service designed for indie restaurants, reports The New York Times (Read the article). Using the Blackbird app, a diner receives a perk for eating at a restaurant. The retailer sets tiers for which the user qualifies for the perk. For example, a restaurant, Nat’s on Bank in New York City, gives tier 1 customers ...
Read More
Give a modern edge to your fall decor with gold textured frames. Designed to not just hold your precious photographs but elevate them to a work of art. The lustrous gold finish adds a touch of opulence to any decor, whether it's a classic, traditional setting or a modern, contemporary space.
Each frame exudes a timeless appeal, making it the perfect addition to your home or a thoughtful gift for special occasions. Your treasured moments will be beautifully framed in sophistication and style, ...
Read More
EMON MAASHO, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF ORREFORS, NORTH AMERICA, is representative of the exciting trajectory in this 125-year operation. The über-exec joined the New Wave Group in 2013, a time when Orrefors and Kosta Boda (OKB) were underperforming assets in the portfolio. "Our crystal brands are national treasures and a part of Swedish history," Maasho affirms. And he wanted a front row seat in their revitalization. Maasho was placed in charge of the new hotel and restaurant division ...
Read More
How big data, filters, and search engines can help us create a better experience for our members.
May 26, 2023
Apple announced last month that it's launching a new classical music app. What’s novel about the Apple Music Classical app is how it lets music fans more easily search thousands of variations of the same song. For example, let’s say you want to find a Johann Sebastian Bach song. Over the past 300 years, many musicians have done ‘covers’ of his works, and there are variations by conductor, music, year, etc., thereby producing thousands of variations. Existing software ...
Read More
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...
Read More
HEREND HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR ITS BRILLIANT WHITE PORCELAIN SINCE 1826. ON THE EVE OF THE HUNGARIAN MANUFACTORY’S 200TH ANNIVERSARY (YES, WE’RE A TAD EARLY), WE SALUTE HEREND’S GOLD AND WHITE DINNERWARE DESIGNS, IDEAL EXEMPLARS OF CLASSIC ELEGANCE.
HEREND IS KNOWN AROUND THE GLOBE AS ONE OF PORCELAIN’S finest producers, a favorite of royalty, aristocracy, and folks like you and me who appreciate unparalleled quality and exquisite craftsmanship. Herend’s smooth white ...
Read More
Our retailers recently told us that customers are calling and asking about non-existent brides, and brides are asking about non-existent registry gift lists (e.g. wedding registry lists, baby lists).
We investigated the issues and below is what we found.
What is Happening:
We found that many of these purchases are coming from registrants that open a ‘universal registry’ on websites such as Zola or MyRegistry. These universal registry services allow the registrant to add ...
Read More
When we talk about prices, there are two prices that are important:
The price that we charge clients.
The price our clients charge their customers.
We normally talk about the former, aka how our prices compare with other competitors, like Shopify or wholesale services like Faire.
Of increasing importance to us is what our retailers charge their customers. Walmart recently announced that it was taking brands to account and pressuring them to keep ...
Read More
Google is often considered the first stop when searching for information. Looking for a product? You'll likely head to Amazon.com, where due to its 350m product listings, 25% of purchases reportedly start. Facebook will be your go-to for finding friends and family due to its 2b profiles of people. Airbnb lets you search 5.6m places to stay. These businesses are likely your choice because people want a massive selection when conducting a search. Many of the world's most ...
Read More
Capucine De Wulf creates jewelry that makes a woman feel and look fabulous! Symbolic designs laden with meaning in precious materials at accessible price points. Stop in at the Shadyside store to see our selection.
View Post
Planters and pillows and pots, oh my!
Summer is the season of everything outdoors and our decor comes in all shapes and sizes.βοΈ
From accents to focal points, shop to spruce up your space!β¨
View Post
In a recent NY Times article about working out, the author Christie Aschwanden gives readers tips on how to make working out more enjoyable. (Read the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/19/well/move/habits-motivation-exercise.html). In reading this, I saw many parallels between working out and helping our stores get their websites ‘in shape.’ The author encourages readers to not think of working out as exercise and instead think of it as "hanging out with friends...
Read More
I think that Zola, an online provider of gift registries, may be harming local stores. Zola allows brides to pick things from any site, such as an indie store’s gift registry. Zola may then encourage the registrant to bypass that local store and use those gift funds with Zola. This is an issue because Zola has handled more than 650,000 registries, and its revenue is estimated to be $130m. Millions of dollars may have been diverted away from indie, brick-and-mortar stores to Zola&rsquo...
Read More
How to turn pajamas into an uplifting experience -
in P.J. Salvage luxe modal printed jersey and peachy fabric.
Find your rainbow π All the fruity-punch vibes π΄π
Take your rest zzzseriously π΄ It’s all in the detailsβ¨
Lounge sets with major style points.
Statement sets together or mixed into your closet staples. Stop in at either Cheeks to see the selection. Click here to see store info on our Cheeks website.
Read More