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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

112 Results:

March 6, 2025 New Feature: Your 2024 Success Summary 🥳
A new page that shows a summary of your businesses' 2024 key statistics
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New Feature: Your 2024 Success Summary 🥳
A new page that shows a summary of your businesses' 2024 key statistics
March 6, 2025

Your Shop Local Store has a new feature: You can now see key statistics for your business in 2024 on the new Success Summary page.


What statistics are shared?
For retailers, the 2024 Success Summary page shares:

  • Online retail sales
  • Retail sales ranking among all online retailers
  • Number of shopping bags created
  • Number of retail orders received
  • Average online retail order amount
  • Number of new customers gained
  • Top online spending customer
  • Day with the most online sales
  • Most popular brand sold
  • Most popular
...
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February 28, 2025 Sketch It Out 📝
How the shoe company Skechers walked to its own beat and inspires other businesses
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Sketch It Out 📝
How the shoe company Skechers walked to its own beat and inspires other businesses
February 28, 2025

The Wall St. Journal recently shared how Skechers has become a major shoe player by marching to its own drumbeat. 

Started in 1992, Skechers is the third largest seller of shoes in the world. But the company's history goes back even further: the founder's first company, LA Gear, which flamed out, was started in the 1980s.

Skechers grew by focusing on comfy and affordable shoes and didn't sign expensive promotion deals with active athletes. (It does partner with ex-athletes like Howie Long.)&

...
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February 16, 2025 70% of wedding gifts will be given online by 2030 🏄‍♀️
How online gift giving trends will impact indie stores
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70% of wedding gifts will be given online by 2030 🏄‍♀️
How online gift giving trends will impact indie stores
February 16, 2025

I predict that 70% of wedding gifts will be given online by 2030. (Already, 50% of wedding gifts are given online today.) I call this future online growth the 'wedding registry wave,' and my company's mission is to help indie stores capture this wave. 

Specifically, our company helps indie merchants up their online game by improving their website operations. We're giving them e-commerce and wedding registry software that is modern, easy to use, and pre-populated with gifts from leading

...
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January 21, 2025 By Design: Mepra PVD
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By Design: Mepra PVD
January 21, 2025
Mepra's PVD business has propelled the Italian flatware manufacturer to the fore of the category. With numerous finishes and colors Mepra offers the industry a master class on quality and craftsmanship.

................................
PVD Facts

PVD is an acronym for physical vapor deposition.

PVD uses a physical process to produce a vapor of material which is deposited on the metal in a vacuum. In this process, ions of titanium nitride and other metal nitrides are deposited on the ...
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January 21, 2025 Commercial Enterprise
Commercial Enterprise
January 21, 2025
Many of us industry folk are members of a club which doesn’t even exist: the Plate Turner’s Club. The first thing I do after being seated at a restaurant is flip the plate to determine the maker. Often, I’ll silently test myself and hazard a guess before flipping. I imagine more than a few of you do the same. Restaurant table settings can really set the mood and determine the experience for guests. They’re an essential aspect of creating a welcoming and professional ...
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January 5, 2025 NYT: Five Generations Carry On a Fine China Tradition with Haviland
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NYT: Five Generations Carry On a Fine China Tradition with Haviland
January 5, 2025
I was happy to learn about the history of fine china in today’s Times—and even more so when discovering the 1910s pattern featured was made by our current day client Haviland.  

The article also mentions Lenox, another client we’re happy to work with. 

Trivia:
In the late 1960s, the bridal market made up 64% of the fine china sales. (While fewer brides register for china these days, I wonder if this  number is higher or lower today.  Bridal may be the...
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November 21, 2024 N.STYLE — Unique. Innovative. Experiental
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N.STYLE — Unique. Innovative. Experiental
November 21, 2024
Gary Harlan opened N.COLOR in 2001 in the tony enclave of Naples, FL known for its highpriced homes, white sand beaches, and golf courses.

Harlan recognized he could elevate the upscale salon experience for his loyal and well-heeled clientele by adding a home section where customers could shop while styling. N.HOME is a highly-curated pleasure palace of elite brands showcased in eye-catching displays.

................................

Gary Harlan has styled hair for 40 years. Raised...
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November 8, 2024 Whimsical Elegance
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Whimsical Elegance
November 8, 2024
Butterflies fly free, an enchanted table set for an afternoon tea. Mottahedeh’s lace pattern shown in green apple, pink, green and cornflower blue on display at the New Growth Design showroom during the High Point fall Furniture market. View Post
October 10, 2024 Josephinenhütte
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Josephinenhütte
October 10, 2024
It speaks volumes that the first line acquired by Maison3Amis after the purchase of DeVine Corp., a three-decade distributor of luxe European tableware, was Josephinenhütte, the five-year-old German-based maker of lightweight, thin-walled stemware and accessories. The Maison3Amis team (hereafter known as M3A) is helmed by two one-time Baccarat execs, Jim Shreve and Sally Burnside, who appreciate a nonpareil drinking glass, and Mark Brashear, who quickly recognized the allure of the brand. &...
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August 30, 2024 Necessity is the Mother of Reinvention
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Necessity is the Mother of Reinvention
August 30, 2024
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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August 26, 2024 Vote for Local Shops 🗳️
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Vote for Local Shops 🗳️
August 26, 2024
In the next few months, each one of us will be stepping away from our desk or retail store to go do something very important. One of us will drive over to the local library, one of us to the town hall, and one of us to an elementary school in the area. But the common denominator is that we will all be waiting in a long line somewhere, maybe even outside in the cold, while the chilly wind brushes against our cheeks. We will all leave the comfort of our homes and warmth and put ourselves into this...
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August 20, 2024 Shop Local Globally 🛍️🌎
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Shop Local Globally 🛍️🌎
August 20, 2024
As I was looking for inspiration for an intro for our weekly team report to combat my writer's block (props to Jason because I don't know how he comes up with something new every week), I came across a Forbes article about Ace Hardware celebrating 100 years in business. The article's title caught my attention, so I decided to give it a read.

From Local Roots to Global Reach
The title of the article, "From Local Roots to Global Reach," resonated with what we do at Shop Local. ...
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August 1, 2024 Explore Country Estate
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Explore Country Estate
August 1, 2024
What is the story behind our Country Estate salad & dessert plate?

The Conservatory depicted on this plate is a serene place of growth and nurturing, reminding us to spend time with loved ones over summertime lunches. Each Country Estate piece features a different scene of architecture from somewhere on the estate. It’s a beautiful story that unfolds to you one piece at a time. View Post
July 31, 2024 CHECK YOUR PLATES by JASON SOLAREK
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CHECK YOUR PLATES by JASON SOLAREK
July 31, 2024
The Wall Street Journal recently shared how the used car market has improved in the last 20 years because much of it is now conducted online. When car buyers use the web, they’re more likely to save money (about 2%) and dealers can, in theory, make more with dynamic pricing (about 2%) thereby giving each party a win. Unlike 20 years ago, when we didn’t have smartphones, today 95% of used car purchases start online. While 31% of used car purchases were completely in-person, ...
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July 23, 2024 Our Retail Predictions Featured in Tableware Today Magazine
Why only 30% of wedding gift givers will come into a store in 2030--and how we can help prepare for that
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Our Retail Predictions Featured in Tableware Today Magazine
Why only 30% of wedding gift givers will come into a store in 2030--and how we can help prepare for that
July 23, 2024
Tableware Today’s Editor Amy Stavis invited me to pen the Last Word column for the August / September issue. I start by comparing e-commerce trends for selling automobiles to selling dinner plates. Online sales in both industries have swelled in the last 25 years. (I entered the e-commerce business at the right time—in 2001.)

I predict that 70% of wedding registry gift givers will never set foot in a physical store by 2030. Currently, that number is at about 50%. If we do in fact ...
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July 4, 2024 Drawing Inspiration from Austin Kleon
How a Drawing Helps Share the10x Improvement We Deliver to Indie Shops
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Drawing Inspiration from Austin Kleon
How a Drawing Helps Share the10x Improvement We Deliver to Indie Shops
July 4, 2024
At breakfast in the East Village this morning, Austin Kleon’s email image struck me. His hand-drawn summer sale sign by a pool was much more heartfelt than the text-based offer. His drawing shows how our minds may become immune to text offers but react and perk up to new and authentic imagery. 

I wondered what I could draw for my business. I often communicate using text and sometimes rely on stock images. Since we help indie stores grow their registry businesses, I decided to ...
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June 15, 2024 Account Manager/Sales Manager
Account Manager/Sales Manager
June 15, 2024
Good news: Shop Local is hiring. We're looking for:
  • Sales Managers.
  • Account Managers.
If you know someone who may be interested, please contact us.
 
We are experiencing notable growth: 1,400+ retailers now use our platform. We're driving double-digit revenue growth for our merchants.
 
Qualifications
We are looking for motivated people that:
  • Wish to see indie stores, brands, and reps succeed.
  • Support the shop local movement.
  • Are comfortable with computers,
...
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May 29, 2024 THE POWER OF BRAND BUILDING by KAREN OLSON
THE POWER OF BRAND BUILDING by KAREN OLSON
May 29, 2024
Brand strategy is one of the most powerful initiatives an organization can undergo. It’s an opportunity to evolve a company’s mission and value proposition based on current and future customer needs with the result being a purpose-led, customer-centric road map to create enhanced value for customers. ANDMORE recently completed this process as we rebranded from International Market Centers (IMC) last year. ANDMORE is more than just a new name and logo, it’s a framework for how ...
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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 7, 2024 Check Your Plates 🚗
How online trends in the used car market parallel those in the wedding registry market. Online gift giving predicted to increase at the expense of in-store giving by 40% by 2030.
Chalk 24033 picture
Check Your Plates 🚗
How online trends in the used car market parallel those in the wedding registry market. Online gift giving predicted to increase at the expense of in-store giving by 40% by 2030.
May 7, 2024
Jinjoo Lee in The Wall St. Journal shares how the used car market has improved in the last 20 years because much of it is now conducted online.  When car buyers use the web, they are more likely to save money (saving about 2%), and dealers can, in theory, make more with dynamic pricing (about 2%)—thereby giving each party a win. Unlike 20 years ago, when we didn't have smartphones, today 95% of used car purchases start online. While 31% of used car purchases were completely in-person,...
Read More

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Press: Shop Local & Bridge in the News
Tableware Today February/March 2025 Issue: Catch the Registry Wave Column 🏄‍♀️ and November Leaderboard Rankings
Tableware Today February/March 2025 Issue: Catch the Registry Wave Column 🏄‍♀️ and November Leaderboard Rankings
January 2025

Shop Local Helps Indie Stores Rank on Page 1 of Google in 62% of States
Shop Local Helps Indie Stores Rank on Page 1 of Google in 62% of States
December 2024

Tableware Today December / January 2025: 'Saying I Do To The Registry' and September 2024 Leaderboard
Tableware Today December / January 2025: 'Saying I Do To The Registry' and September 2024 Leaderboard
November 2024

Tableware Today October / November 2024: 'Let's Lead Together' article and July 2024 Leaderboard
Tableware Today October / November 2024: 'Let's Lead Together' article and July 2024 Leaderboard
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

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