39% percent of all e-commerce sales were made on a smartphone on Black Friday, according to research from Adobe reported on by Andrea Lillo in HFN magazine.
And this growth came at the expense of in-store traffic: "In-store traffic on Black Friday fell 2.1 percent compared to last year, Newsday reported this morning, citing RetailNext, a San Jose, Calif.-based retail analytics company. "
Ms Lillo goes on to share that big e-commerce companies, such as Amazon, are beating up indie stores on this ...
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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 26, 2019
July 26, 2019
Irony: old analog retail is literally being replaced by new tech. Today’s WSJ shares that retail space that used to belong to Lord & Taylor’s midtown flagship may become Amazon’s NYC office space. In the East Village, Facebook’s HQ recently took over Kmart’s entire third floor, shrinking Kmart from three floors to just two. That’s a 33% contraction, which mirrors the contraction of physical retail and the growth of digital platforms like Amazon and Facebook. Note: Lord & Taylor, Kmart, and many ...
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June 12, 2019
June 12, 2019
Nacho Analytics shows us that search engineers are helping Amazon get 600% more in sales than competitors.
Take away: investing in good search results costs money, but it's well worth it. If you have better search, you sell more.
What is a search relevance engineer? It's a technical person that helps ensure that what you search for you get. E.g.: if you're on a website and you search for "bat," do you get the sports instrument or the animal? Constantly honing and improving the search code creates...
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September 24, 2018
September 24, 2018
I have a confession: I think Amazon can teach us something.
While I lead a fight to stop Amazon, I believe we can learn something by watching its massive growth.
We first have to accept this fact. Ready for it?
Here it is: you're in the software business.
Retail is becoming a software business for a few reasons, including:
1. Convenience: It’s easier to shop on your mobile vs. drive to the store. Proof: mobile sales are up 40% year over year. Indie stores have to close each night. Amazon is always ...
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Friday, July 13, 2018
Friday, July 13, 2018
Location: AmericasMart
You’re Invited: 10 Year Anniversary of Bridge Happy Hour Friday, July 13 ~ 5:00 - 6:30 pm EST Rosse Showroom Building 2 West / Suite 818 / AmericasMart
You're invited to celebrate with us the 10 year anniversary of Bridge. In 2008, Bridge started its Smart Brand program that enables brands to instantly share their products with retailers. Initially, eight brands used Bridge to share a few thousand items with two retailers. Today, 120 brands use Bridge to shares 60,000 products with 300 retailers. ...
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January 25, 2018
January 25, 2018
We're happy to see research group L2 compliment Smart Brand member Versace.
Excerpt:
2017 marked a year of successes for Versace: a much-talked-about fashion show, a tribute collection paying homage to founder Gianni Versace, a collaboration with Bruno Mars, and Donatella receiving the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Icon of the Year Award. The year also marked a digital growth streak for Versace, as the brand jumped from Average to Gifted in L2’s Digital IQ Index: Fashion.
Following Angie Miller's departure and after careful review of several alternatives, we have decided to change our sales organization in the US.
With the objective of continuous growth and in order to offer the best service and support to our US customers, we have decided to partner with Devine Corp, effective January 1st. Tim Devine has great experience in distributing fine French and European tabletop brands and we believe this is the best move to expand Gien in the US ...
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December 26, 2017
December 26, 2017
PRESS RELEASE / For Immediate Release
Indie Stores Report Double-Digit Growth in 2017 by Sharing Products
Forty-two brick and mortar Main Street retailers that participated in Bridge’s annual survey said their sales grew up to 50% for a brand by using Bridge’s product-syncing service.
"I do about 20% more business a year by being a part of the Bridge network,” said Mary Beth Wood, owner of the Crystal Plate in Gainesville, Georgia, and a user of the Bridge software. "It gives me more time to sell ...
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December 22, 2017
December 22, 2017
Are you ready for 2018? We’re getting ready here. We’re beefing up our staff and hardware to serve the rush to shop online. In 2017, orders via the network grew 89% year over year. 2018 will bring another 89% growth spurt if we work hard.
In 2018, you may ask: are your stores worth 48¢? We think so ;) We’ll explain more below.
1. Bridge is updating its pricing for brands in 2018.
What are we doing with this subscription fee that brands pay? We’re reinvesting it into your Bridge. In 2018, you’ll ...
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November 27, 2017
November 27, 2017
Excerpt from Adobe forecast:
Cyber Monday is expected to become the largest online shopping day in history, generating $6.6 billion in sales, 16.5% growth compared to last year. Sales on Thanksgiving Day are expected to increase 15% year over year to $2.8 billion. One out of every six dollars this holiday season will be spent between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, leading to $19.7 billion in sales.
Fall flourishes in flowers & ferns no matter the chilly weather in New Jersey. Getting inspired with all sorts of plants to fill our centerpieces for the holidays!
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September 22, 2017
September 22, 2017
Aldi, a German grocery store chain that owns Trader Joes, is moving into the American market. The articles shares how the chain's tips for its growth.
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August 28, 2017
August 28, 2017
Did you miss our seminar in NYC? Here's our press release below for the event:
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Press Release August 28, 2017
Bridge Helps Indie Stores Fight Amazon at NY NOW
New York, NY – On August 21st, 2017 Bridge hosted its ‘Your Store vs. Amazon’ seminar at the NY NOW show in New York City. Bridge, an e-commerce platform for businesses in the retail industry, hosted indie store owners from across the Northeast.
"Retailers are under the gun to compete against Amazon and ...
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May 22, 2017
May 22, 2017
Thank you for joining us last Thursday for the first annual brand conference. Here is our press release on the event. And thanks to Diane Seidle for helping. ;)
Bridge Creates a Stronger Community in First-Time Conference
New York, NY – On May 18th, 2017 Bridge hosted its first annual Bridge Brand Conference at the 41 Madison Merchandise Mart in New York City. Bridge, an e-commerce platform connecting 100's of brands, ...
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April 17, 2017
April 17, 2017
From Sunday's NY Times, this article highlights how retail is at a tipping point with the shift from brick & mortar to e-commerce. While it is a big concern to all, we have you covered: Bridge has helped its retailers process 32% more in sales over the last year vs the year before. Bridge's mobile retail software has seen an increase of 55% year over year. As the retail landscape continues to shift, we are moving right along with it.
New Bibol At Glassworks! Bibol seeks to present the know how of the ancestral Vietnamese craftsmen. Combining tradition and durable development, fair trade and economic growth for the Crafts people, Bibol conceives the ecological & artisanal products in bamboo. Twelve layers give their lacquers brilliance and depth. Other products are encrusted with mosaics with the delicate marbling obtained from the incrustation of duck egg shell. Available in various sizes and various colours. Bibol bowls & ...
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January 5, 2017
January 5, 2017
From the NY Times, Thursday Jan.5, 2017
Start-Ups Hope Couples Say ‘I Do’ to Online Wedding Planning
Planning a wedding remains a largely traditional pursuit. For many couples, it is a frustrating months long project that requires sifting through masses of details and costs on venues, services and products. Now, a variety of start-ups are trying to cut down on that information overload by harnessing new technologies to capture a slice ...
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December 30, 2015
December 30, 2015
What does a running store have in common with a home goods boutique? Both are struggling to compete against vendors selling direct. Nike is increasingly hurting indy athletic shops by selling direct. In the home goods world, many brands are doing the same to their retailers.
When you read the article about Nike, many of these same quotes could come from players in our home goods industry:
Instructors Cody D Boring was born and raised in Maryville, TN. He developed his interest into the culinary world by learning about growing and cooking with fresh vegetables and wild game alongside his parents. He graduated from William Blount High School with Culinary Arts Honors and continued this path at The Culinary Institute at the University of Tennessee. Cody studied under Executive Chef Peter Glander from Ruby Tuesday where he is currently working. He enjoys spending time with his wife ...
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