Allison Zisko, the Editor-in-Chief at HFN magazine, can use your help. She is working on a story about fourth quarter promotions. She would like to know:
Will Q4 promotions continue as usual in light of current economic factors? Are promotions still necessary, particularly when margins are so tight? What are vendors and retailers thinking about this?
Background:
Consumer demand for product remains high.
Inventory is limited. Product introductions are hindered by the
Allison Zisko in this month’s HFN shares that The Knot has launched its own direct-to-consumer sales channel—seeking to cut out its long-standing brick-and-mortar partners like Macy’s, Target, and indie stores.
This new sales channel raises the stakes on the growing battle between The Knot and Zola.
Macy’s, Walmart, and Target would be wise to team up and launch their own gift registry platform—akin to how the TV networks collaborated to ...
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In this month’s HFN magazine, Editor Allison Zisko gives Bridge a shout out in her ‘Letter from the Editor’ column. She encourages the home goods industry to adopt digital marketplaces (trade shows) now, and notes that Bridge started offering an online platform for the tabletop industry years ago.
She notes that many big, well-funded trade shows (read IMC, which may spend $100m, and Messe) have suddenly seen the writing on the wall and are building competitors to Faire...
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Atlanta Seminar Offers Selling Strategies for Independent Stores Casafina and Vietri will host Bridge’s Jason Solarek in their respective showrooms
Allison Zisko // Editor in Chief
January 15, 2020
Jason Solarek, Bridge CEO, and Matt Hullfish, Casafina’s national sales manager, at a seminar last year.
ATLANTA—Tabletop brands Casafina and Vietri are collaborating with e-commerce platform provider Bridge on two training sessions at the International Gift & Home ...
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January 21, 2020
January 21, 2020
Bill Robedee, the new president of Portmeirion USA, is profiled in the November-December issue of HFN by Allison Zisko. Bill was previously the president of Nambé.
Nambé and all of Portmeirion’s brands are Smart Brand partners.
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July 18, 2019
July 18, 2019
Do you offer college students a gift registry? Allison Zisko encourages you to in this month’s HFN. The average college room decorating bill is $942, just shy of what the average wedding registry produces in sales. Ms. Zisko shares that Amazon is making big inroads and investments in the college market. What are you doing to keep pace?
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October 11, 2018
October 11, 2018
Have we lost our way? A recent HFN magazine article by Allison Zisko shares how tariffs may raise the price of low cost goods from China. Question: what happened to our industry asking for things to be made in America? We haven’t just slid a little—the article states that 56% of furniture comes from China. Is anyone making anything anywhere in America anymore? And, why is this question relevant? I work daily to get consumers to shop local. Lives depend on it. Family owned businesses depend on it...
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August 7, 2018
August 7, 2018
Gump’s Files for Bankruptcy
The retailer has $61 million in assets and $64 million in liabilities, according to published reports
August 6, 2018, Allison Zisko ......................................................
LAS VEGAS—Gump’s, after looking for strategic alternatives to stay afloat, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Nevada Bankruptcy Court here on Friday night.
The San Francisco-based luxury department store is looking for a buyer, according to a report in SFGate, and plans to ...
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Indie Retailers Get Sales Boost from Product Syncing Service
Sales increases ranged from roughly 4.5 percent for brands such as Arte Italica and Spode to more than 13.5 percent for Beatriz Ball and Vietri
January 2, 2018, Allison Zisko
NEW YORK—Main Street retailers are benefitting from a tabletop product-syncing service offered by Bridge, an e-commerce platform that includes file sharing and a social network.
Thanks to HFN and Allison Zisko for covering our Bridge Brand Conference ;)
Please find the article below:
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Bridge Gives Indie Retailers Tools to Compete with E-Commerce Giants Brand-supplied product info can boost Google search results
Allison Zisko shares some insights from this past holiday season in this week's HFN magazine. Notably, Bridge serves at least two of these tips. Bridge 1. is mobile friendly and 2. designed to show promoted items online easily. Bridge even reminds retailers to add items to its website if items that are promoted on their Facebook pages but are missing from their online store.
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Allison Zisko shares some insights into what is trending in tableware. Thanks Allison! ;)
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November 16, 2015
November 16, 2015
HFN shares insights into the registry market. Using the TheKnot.com's data, HFN shares that 92% of registries are managed online. Over 80% of registries include a kitchen item, and about 26% include a fine china item. Since most registries exist at Bed, Bath and Beyond, the top casual China brand was a private label brand (Bed, Bath & Beyond).
One could conduct a similar survey amongst independent stores and one would find the leading independent store trends and brands.
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Today's HFN magazine shares Bridge's progress with helping independent retailers. Bridge would like to thanks its members for helping everyone make it to this milestone.
Article:
Bridge and its Tabletop Partners Reach a Milestone
Bridge founder expects to reach $1.2 million by year's end
Posted on November 6, 2015 by Allison Zisko
Allison Zisko sums up 2014 dinnerware and flatware trends in her State of the Industy columns. Check out the issue for her insights. One of the tips is that brides are increasingly registering for 65-piece flatware sets.
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September 16, 2015
September 16, 2015
Retailers are having trouble balancing their physical store and their online stores, according to a survey summed up by HFN's Allison Zisko.
One sore spot is returns. Excerpt:
Eighty five percent of retailers noted the high cost of online returns to a store, particularly when the item is not carried in that store. And when returning to a fulfillment center or supplier, retailers incur incremental freight costs, the possibility of shipping-related product damage, as well as a lost opportunity for a...
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