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  1. News from Us
  2. News from Members
  3. Events
  4. Press
  5. Dollars & Sense
  6. Profile Stories
  7. Updates
  8. Training Calendar
  9. Training Videos
  10. Jobs
+ Bridge in the News - Bridge in the News

171 Results:

October 27, 2024 Retail Holiday Forecast
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Retail Holiday Forecast
October 27, 2024
Key points: 
- 5 fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Thanksgiving falls later than usual.)
- Retailers are starting sales before Thanksgiving. 
- Holiday sales expected to rise 2.5% - 3.5% over last season. 
- Shopper sentiment is good. 
https://www.wsj.com/articles/retailers-grasp-for-holiday-magic-amid-raucous-u-s-elections-and-shorter-season-76feb57d?st=LPUeTG&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink)
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October 10, 2024 The More Things Change
The More Things Change
October 10, 2024
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, ...
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September 19, 2024 Herend's Tribute to the Mandrill
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Herend's Tribute to the Mandrill
September 19, 2024
"No other member in the whole class of mammals is colored in so extraordinary a manner as the adult male mandrills" wrote Charles Darwin in "The Descent of Man". It should therefore come as no surprise that the artists at Herend would want to capture this striking animal in porcelain - but with their usual Herend twist. Combining Herend's signature fishnet with the Mandrill's fantastical colors, this figurine is a dazzling homage to the world's largest monkey. View Post
September 17, 2024 7 New Shop Local Registry Features: Overview 📒
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7 New Shop Local Registry Features: Overview 📒
September 17, 2024
Shop Local has been busy adding new registry features to help your indie store sell more. We have stores doing $1,000,000+ in registry sales a year. This can be you 😉

We're excited to share 7 new registry features with you:
  1. Your Registry Overview Page
    • One page to get a bird’s eye view of 10 key metrics.  
    • See new registry activity and updates as they occur in real time.
    • How to view: Log in → Hover over "Gift Registry" → Click &
...
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August 13, 2024 Grand Opening! Specials and Giveaways Event!
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Grand Opening! Specials and Giveaways Event!
August 13, 2024
​​​​Please join us in celebrating this exciting new chapter
August 16
at our beautiful new location:
Pieces of Eight
5427 Johnston Street
Lafayette, LA
Time Plaza Shopping Center

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY:
Be part of the official ribbon cutting at 10 AM and witness the start of this wonderful journey.
ALL-DAY SPECIALS:
Enjoy exclusive specials throughout the day as a "thank you" for your continued support and loyalty.
GIVEAWAYS:
Don't miss our fabulous ...
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July 1, 2024 Good Morning. May Your Cup Overflow with Goodness
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Good Morning. May Your Cup Overflow with Goodness
July 1, 2024
Rise and shine every morning with an enjoyable routine and lots of strong hot coffee!  Taste thoughtfully and add some natural, rustic stylish features to your coffee table with Calaisio`s handmade placemats made of biodegradable vines. The combination of its rustic coffee color hues is perfect for sipping your preferred coffee at your morning table. Have a wonderful morning.


CALAISIO
natural elegance, extraordinary durability



 
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June 14, 2024 Imperial Phoenix Box
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Imperial Phoenix Box
June 14, 2024
Celebrating a mythical creature, long associated with nobility and transformation. Gold finished pewter chinoiserie pattern, with intricate hand-enameling in mustard, cinnabar, chocolate, celadon, ebony, white, and orange hues. Hinged lid and mustard hand-enameled interior. Tarnish resistant. Signature luxury gift box included.

This looks great with our Imperial Phoenix Frame!

4.5"L x 5.75"W x 3"H
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May 29, 2024 A Bicentennial Bounty
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A Bicentennial Bounty
May 29, 2024
A BICENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY REPRESENTS REMARKABLE LONGEVITY AND VISTA ALEGRE IS TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE of it with dozens of new pieces created specifically to commemorate the 200 anos occasion. “It’s a very important milestone and a time of reflection to see how far we’ve come and where we want to go,” says Daniel Silva, who helped bring the brand new luster here since he started the American subsidiary in 2012. Nuno Barra, Vista Alegre product development director and board ...
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May 29, 2024 THE SWIFT GENERATION
THE SWIFT GENERATION
May 29, 2024
I’m going to presume you know Taylor Swift, the pop superstar with widespread public appeal and a vast fan base, who has influenced not only the music industry, but popular culture, politics, and economics. Her recent $5 billion Eras tour had a fiscal impact greater than 50 countries. The Taylor Swift economy has reached every town in America, measured in national retail sales figures, global inflation, and municipal economic bumps where concerts were held. The Swift microeconomy reaches ...
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March 27, 2024 RETAIL RELATIONSHIPS by MICHELLE HSIAO
RETAIL RELATIONSHIPS by MICHELLE HSIAO
March 27, 2024
Many years ago, as a new assistant at Lord & Taylor, the buyer cautioned me to not get too attached to people or merchandise. His wisdom was not cold-hearted, but a cautionary tale to keep emotional attachments in check. I was there to deliver strong financial results and if something wasn’t selling, I shouldn’t harp on it, but mark it down and move on. And, as far as work relationships were concerned, I should be a good coworker but not get attached to colleagues.

All these ...
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March 27, 2024 Tableware Today Interview - Jim Shreve, Tim DeVine, Mark Brashear, & Sally Burnside
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Tableware Today Interview - Jim Shreve, Tim DeVine, Mark Brashear, & Sally Burnside
March 27, 2024
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!
................................

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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March 27, 2024 Mikasa - French + Italian Countryside
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Mikasa - French + Italian Countryside
March 27, 2024
MIKASA’s powerhouse COUNTRYSIDE franchise continues its domination decades after their launches. Tapping into the zeitgeist of the times, the patterns’ staying power is testament to compelling classic design, line extensions, and passionate fans.
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IT’S BEEN 50 YEARS SINCE MIKASA’s FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE DEBUTED, the perfect panacea to a formal-dominated dinnerware domain. The scalloped, edged, and curved creamware provided the ideal ...
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February 21, 2024 Good Morning. May Your Cup Overflow With Goodness
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Good Morning. May Your Cup Overflow With Goodness
February 21, 2024
Rise and shine every morning with an enjoyable routine and lots of strong hot coffee!  Taste thoughtfully and add some natural, rustic stylish features to your coffee table with Calaisio`s handmade placemats made of biodegradable vines. The combination of its rustic coffee color hues is perfect for sipping your preferred coffee at your morning table. Have a wonderful morning.


CALAISIO
natural elegance, extraordinary durability



 
Read More
February 5, 2024 New Feature: More Easily Make a Gift A Surprise
A new feature lets your store tell a registrant about a gift purchase but not reveal too many details.
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New Feature: More Easily Make a Gift A Surprise
A new feature lets your store tell a registrant about a gift purchase but not reveal too many details.
February 5, 2024
Your Shop Local Store has a new feature: You can now decide what information a registrant sees in the registry purchase alert email. 

Previously, all registry purchase alert emails displayed the gift giver and gift details. With this update, the "limited information" setting allows your store to only inform them that a gift was given. This feature's purpose is to help keep the gift's details a surprise to the registrant.

Your store can display the following information in ...
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February 1, 2024 Small Package, Big Surprise
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Small Package, Big Surprise
February 1, 2024
The biggest surprises come in the smallest packages. 💕 View Post
January 29, 2024 Curating Cutlery by Debbie Riley
Curating Cutlery by Debbie Riley
January 29, 2024
I often describe flatware as jewelry for the table, the accent that gives table settings a special flair.
Of course, unlike jewelry, flatware is essential. Used everyday, whether to savor a quick snack or enjoy a thoughtfully prepared meal, you put a spoon or fork in your mouth more often throughout the day than your toothbrush. For nearly two decades, I have worked in the metals division at Lifetime Brands, so I fully understand that choosing flatware relies on many factors. Our team has done ...
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January 29, 2024 Spotlight Pattern: Mepra Fantasia
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Spotlight Pattern: Mepra Fantasia
January 29, 2024
It’s hard to believe that MEPRA’s sophisticated technicolor collection FANTASIA is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year because its incandescent chromatic complexion is as fresh today as its 1989 debut.
................................

The brilliantly-hued fantasia comes from the Italian silversmiths Mepra, post-war business founded in 1947 by the Prandelli family, four generations fashioning flatware in the industrial Lumezzane Valley, about 90 minutes east of Milan. ...
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January 29, 2024 AN ANNUS POSSIBILIS
AN ANNUS POSSIBILIS
January 29, 2024
As the new year is underway, there’s reason to be bullish (or, at least, not bearish) about what 2024 may have in store. Holiday retail sales increased 3.1% despite lingering inflation, thanks to robust job growth and strong wage gains, which came as a big relief for retailers. Price-conscious consumers are still spending, suggesting the economy is strong. “What we’re seeing this holiday season is very consistent with how we’re thinking about the economy, which is that it...
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December 30, 2023 The Meaning, a secret garden
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The Meaning, a secret garden
December 30, 2023
In the new The Meaning collection a secret garden is born where, among labyrinths, clearings, fountains and trees, we come across graceful flowers and plants arise, surrounded by birds and delicate insects.  A place of delight and contemplation, full of symbolism and elements, which are always open to new interpretations. Through a concept which complements itself in a harmonious way, this dreamlike tour through Vista Alegre porcelain and crystal pieces, enriching The Meaning’s ...
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December 17, 2023 The new threat: Chinese apps backed with Chinese factories
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The new threat: Chinese apps backed with Chinese factories
December 17, 2023
The Atlantic shares how Chinese factories have found a new way around U.S. retailers and into our homes: Chinese apps. SHEIN and other Chinese apps are bypassing Amazon to be a new leader in Chinese goods.  In addition to Amazon, Target, Walmart, and indie shops now have a new group of digital competitors embedded in customers’ pockets. 

Except from The Atlantic article: 

MATERIAL WORLD
IS THIS HOW AMAZON ENDS?
An open embrace of cheap foreign products has helped ...
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Next page

Press: Shop Local & Bridge in the News
Tableware Today Column: Saying I Do To Registries
Tableware Today Column: Saying I Do To Registries
October 2024

Tableware Today: New Leaderboard Column from Shop Local
Tableware Today: New Leaderboard Column from Shop Local
August 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Florida Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Florida Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Tennessee Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Tennessee Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Louisiana Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Louisiana Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Delaware Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Delaware Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Pennsylvania Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Pennsylvania Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
March 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get Sales Leads in Mississippi
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get Sales Leads in Mississippi
March 2024

Shop Local Merchants Are 60% of Google Page 1 Results in South Carolina
Shop Local Merchants Are 60% of Google Page 1 Results in South Carolina
March 2024

Shop Local Merchants Are 50% of Google Page 1 Results in Georgia
Shop Local Merchants Are 50% of Google Page 1 Results in Georgia
March 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get More Sales Leads than Big-Box Stores Using Google
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get More Sales Leads than Big-Box Stores Using Google
February 2024

Shop Local Retailers Rank on Page 1 of Google in 60% of States
Shop Local Retailers Rank on Page 1 of Google in 60% of States
February 2024

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