Maker Scarlett Markham is actually a former Parkleigh employee! She developed her line, Flour Pail Kids while working here. We thought our customers would be as amused by it as we are by Scarlett. Her quirky sense of humor mixes nostalgic icons with the edge of today to inspire her work. What could be more full of Rochester spirit than a tiny Genny Beer pin? Her Rochester icon t-shirts are also a stand out among others around town. When Scarlett isn’t designing or doing one of her jack-of-all-...
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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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August 15, 2019
August 15, 2019
Luxury melamine is back! Start or expand your collection today.
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August 9, 2019
August 9, 2019
It started with just a few cards. Cordel Cordaro’s whimsical birds on greeting cards literally flew out of our MacKenzie-Childs store. Customers started talking about having his art in their homes and seeing it out in the community. We even heard touching stories about his commissioned work and the heartfelt thought that went into creating special art for Rochestarians. We realized we had a good fit on our hands and starting carrying his prints, ornaments, originals and art plack-its. Cordell ...
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August 9, 2019
August 9, 2019
Is it football season yet? We can't wait to start hosting watch parties again, like this adorable setup from @lyraandjanekitchen.
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August 4, 2019
August 4, 2019
What happens when you make a dessert syrup with delicious locally roasted coffee and organic cane sugar? Pure two ingredient magic, that’s what!! Tina Clark’s Sweet and Cute Coffee Syrup was love at first bite for our staff and our customers. We wanted to know how this gourmet goodie came about and what other genius ideas were in Tina’s foodie future. Daniel asked her to share what’s brewing with us and got the scoop. What inspired you to get into business? I had always loved to bake and to ...
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July 29, 2019
July 29, 2019
Meet Venita D'Angelo. Her company, Light Essentials, is our longest running YEA competition winner. Each year winners from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy are given a limited time to sell at Parkleigh. Her candles were such a hit we continue to sell them years after the original contract. We even had her create a signature scent Parkleigh candle. With profits going toward college, and a bright future ahead, we asked her to share how she’s achieving her success.
If you’re a long-time merchant, you probably never considered that you’d have to become a content creator. Here are several tools that make creating content easier than ever; not only do they help produce posts, in many cases they even supply the creative ideas.
Of all the available tools, Canva is the beast of content creation. I wrote about it in this column several years ago and still use it to create awesome social media posts for Facebook, Twitter, ...
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July 23, 2019
July 23, 2019
Hello I'm Suzanne Roberts, "When leaves are falling, Autumn is calling!" Or in our case... "When Round Top boxes arrive, our fall stock thrives!" Want to get a head start on Fall decor? We are ready for you! Don't forget to like and Share! What's your favorite fall brand? We have enjoyed helping your homes say "Hello Fall!" For 44 years here Snider Plaza !
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July 22, 2019
July 22, 2019
Las Vegas Market starts this weekend.....
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July 22, 2019
July 22, 2019
✨Books✨Books✨Books✨ Looking for Decorative Books? Look no further! We have just what you are looking for ? Available in Tupelo and our Oxford Spaces at Sugar Magnolia and The Mustard Seed.
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July 11, 2019
July 11, 2019
Susan spent her Wednesday afternoon mic'd up for Home Accents Today's "Stargazing: Retail's Best & Brightest" panel at AmericasMart Atlanta! What an honor for Barbara Stewart's to be recognized and have the opportunity to speak to guests while at Market!
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July 10, 2019
July 10, 2019
We just LOVE these Bed Stu bags! What do y’all think? Should Barbara Stewart Interiors start carrying the line? Comment below.
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July 8, 2019
July 8, 2019
A special thanks to WNKY Television for the Fashion Friday spotlight, and for recognizing our achievement as a 2019 Home Accents Today Retail Star.
✨Festive Holiday D R I N K S✨ Start your JULY 4th CELEBRATION with these Tuscany Collection Glasses❤️???
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July 3, 2019
July 3, 2019
July Dog Days Summer Sale starts Friday!
Save 20% to 50% storewide! Come early for the best selection!!
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July 2, 2019
July 2, 2019
Good news: your indie store just gained some ground on Amazon.
About 60% of Amazon sales are via third-party sellers. They pass thru what it calls the 'marketplace.' These Amazon purchases have not historically been taxed because the purchase is made from a business in one state and shipped to another state. But that loophole started to close last year when the Supreme Court ruled that states can collect tax on these types of Internet purchases.
Many state laws have acted on that Supreme ...
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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.
"Customer service, willingness to evolve, introduction of new business technologies, community involvement and customer loyalty are factors that determined the list of 55 award recipients nationwide..." Last month, our 67-year-old shop was selected as a 2019 Retail Star by Home Accents Today. A special thanks to our customers and local community for helping us achieve such an award (for the fourth time!)
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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