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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New gift list makes it simple to see the top wedding gifts from a brand.
June 11, 2024
Your Shop Local Store has a new feature: A brand can now designate up to ten products to appear on a top-10 wedding gifts list. This lists helps a registrant more easily see the best products, add more products to their registry list, and receive more gifts—which translates into more sales for the retailer and brand.
In the example shown, we see the Top-10 Wedding Gifts list for LAFCO, a luxury candle and home fragrance brand. LAFCO can review the products on the list, adjust...
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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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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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How limited resources can motivate teams to accomplish goals and breed solutions.
September 3, 2023
India last month joined three other countries in the exclusive club that has put a craft on the moon. What’s unique about India’s accomplishment is that it did this at a fraction of what the U.S. spends on space exploration, shares Ben Cohen in The Wall St. Journal. While the U.S.’s NASA program has a $24b budget, India’s ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) budget is just $1.3b. India, which started its space program in 1963, is able to do more with less because of ...
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How a company's sales and growth can be affected by the message it conveys to customers.
July 18, 2023
Allbirds stock is down 95% since its November 2021 initial public offering. People may say the company launched the wrong products (did you buy one of their puffer jackets?) or tried to grow too quickly. I believe there is a larger reason: you can’t scale a company by leading with an environmental message—which is Allbirds’s pitch. Consumers rank saving the planet as one of their least pressing concerns when making a purchase. The leading factors consumers look for when ...
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A special thanks to Ari Lowenstein, owner of the new Dallas catering service Ari’s Pantry, for hosting industry friends at his home. He cooked Italian specialities and his wife entertained us with stories about their new home. Ari treated us to ‘affogato,’ which he shared literally translates to ‘drowning,’ with Italian liquors.
In this new webinar for sales reps, I share why your retailers are struggling online and underselling your lines. I share how you can help them and boost your commissions by 18%.
“Baccarat’s craftsmanship and hand-made creations means a lot of soul and effort goes into creating each and every single piece. We need their story, so we can translate it into the arrangement that best conveys their message.”
GingerMite, the mother-and-son floral duo, create exclusive Mother’s Day bouquets for Baccarat
SIERRA MODERN Kioto oval platter in sparkling champagne gold combines a zen-like simplicity of form with a rich and modern surface opulence.
The essence of versatility, the platter is the ideal surface for serving at gatherings this fall!
A blank slate of possibilities, and a gift that will be treasured. Mix and match to create a beautiful and inspiring tablescape. Dishwasher safe, pieces will not chip, peel or stain!
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I was happy see that our friend Adam Sigel will be leading JK Adams. Please checkout the news below.
DORSET, Vt. —JK Adams has appointed Adam Sigel CEO.
Sigel, a seasoned sales executive and a consumer goods expert, succeeds Daniel Isaac, who has moved on to another role in Vermont, the company said.
Sigel most recently served as vice president of the Savannah Bee Company, a Georgia-based gourmet foods and gift company, and also served on the executive team at Mariposa, where he ...
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You’ve likely had a vodka-Red Bull cocktail in your lifetime, which was followed by a hangover for you—but helped drink co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz amass a $20b fortune. Mateschitz, who passed away last week at the age of 78, discovered the drink in the 1980s in Thailand and built it into a global brand. He promoted Red Bull, whose name is a translation of the drink’s Thai name "Krating Daeng,” via a variety of clever marketing initiatives. In the early 2000s, I ...
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SIERRA MODERN Kioto oval platter in sparkling champagne gold combines a zen-like simplicity of form with a rich and modern surface opulence.
The essence of versatility, the platter is the ideal surface for serving at gatherings this fall!
A blank slate of possibilities, and a gift that will be treasured. Mix and match to create a beautiful and inspiring tablescape. Dishwasher safe, pieces will not chip, peel or stain!
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In a 2007 article in The New Yorker, Atul Gawande, a surgeon and an author, advocatedthat more hospitals use checklists. He cited many medical studies showing how checklists save lives (and money). Implementing one checklist, a hospital "…prevented forty-three infections and eight deaths, and saved two million dollars in costs." The startling part: the list was only five steps long! In other words, people don’t consistently follow...
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There are approximately 40 online e-commerce providers. These software providers help other businesses sell online by offering them the ability to run an online store. These providers include Bridge as well as Shopify, Magento, Big Commerce, BigCartel, Square, and Weebly. Does Bridge offer a different (better?) experience than these other platforms? We believe the answer is yes. We also think our 960 retail clients agree: 99.7% of our retailers retain our service each month.
‘Tis the season for effortless entertaining, and pieces from the Beatriz Ball VIDA Bloom Collection prove that “luxury melamine” translates to style and ease for the Holiday table. With rippling petal-like movement, the dynamically designed serving pieces combines beauty, artistry and functionality. Presented in a glistening white melamine with the look of ceramics. Dishwasher safe
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December 20, 2019
December 20, 2019
+ Shoppers will return about 1/2 of all e-commerce purchases. + Returns will total $90b+. + Returns will increase more than 15%. + 80% of shoppers prefer making a return to a physical store. + e-commerce orders have 3x the return rate of in-store purchases. + Amazon is using its network of Whole Foods stores and Kohl’s to accept returns.
These stats are pulled from today’s WSJ article on how returns impact retail. The article shares that returns translate into a gift card and an opportunity to ...
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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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June 26, 2019
June 26, 2019
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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March 31, 2019
March 31, 2019
The soft opening of our NEW location! 26 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood New Jersey! We are slated to open on Monday, May 6th. All tableware, home accents, and gifts!
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