Nice to see four Smart Brands featured on one page in HFN: Moser, Royal Copenhagen, Iitala, and Royal Limoges.
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August 11, 2019
August 11, 2019
Fifty percent of the U.S. book market is controlled by Amazon, while Barnes & Noble has 8%. This book market share split shows that shoppers value convenience and price more than customer service. Anyone that says retail can be helped, saved, or fixed by concentrating on anything but convenience and price is wrong.
For example, an HFN columnist whom I won’t name is often extolling the need to make the in-store shopping experience fun and interesting. Similarly, a market building president ...
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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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July 17, 2019
July 17, 2019
What is your abandoned cart rate? This and other factors arose in a shipping survey conducted by BigCommerce.
Some survey findings:
+ Fifty-eight percent stopped shopping certain retailers because of a negative shipping experience.
+ Amazon Prime has set a high bar with free two-day shipping. In the past 12 months, 84 percent of global survey respondents made an online purchase specifically because it offered free shipping, and half said they avoid shopping with retailers that don’t offer free ...
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This month’s HFN magazine shares a letter that I wrote to the editor. In the letter, I encourage the industry to team up and push back against Amazon and big online entities in order to ensure our long-term survival. I welcome your feedback on it.
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Fifty-four percent of people looking for a product go directly to Amazon.com, shared a front page story in this week’s Wall St. Journal. This 54 percent is not good for nearly anyone in our ...
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May 30, 2019
May 30, 2019
Congrats to Beatriz Ball on being chosen by HFN as an industry luminary.
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December 6, 2018
December 6, 2018
Warren Shoulberg, HFN gadly, is quoted in today’s Times about water beds. Warren, great quote!
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 22, 2018
August 22, 2018
What Does the Gump's Bankruptcy Mean for Your Business?
As you likely know, Gump’s filed for bankruptcy. The famous San Francisco indie store's crash is having wide-ranging consequences for our industry. 41 Madison tenants likely lost more than $1,000,000 on Gump's.
Yet, the economy and stock market are doing very well. How to explain these contrarian events? Furthermore, you surely are asking: How did Gump's reach this low--and more ...
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August 15, 2018
August 15, 2018
Who do you know?
HFN is calling for retailer and supplier nominations for its inaugural Top Women in Home special report, which will be published in the November issue.
The following are some criteria to consider for nomination:
Nominees should include women in leadership positions who have accomplished a great deal in their careers in home. They should be strategic visionaries who have helped their companies stay ahead of the competitive curve. They lend professional support to other women. They ...
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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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June 17, 2018
June 17, 2018
HFN shares that AmericasMart and the Vegas show now have same owner. One may ask: what does this mean for the Dallas market? Some people have speculated that one of the shows may shrink or even close within 10 years.
And notice the use of the word “platform” in the headline. Platforms are the future—not siloed sites or businesses. Bridge is an e-commerce platform that is well positioned in the retail market.
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June 17, 2018
June 17, 2018
Nice to see Beatriz Ball featured in this month’s HFN magazine for environmental stewardship.
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June 2, 2018
June 2, 2018
$40 Referral Program:
Do you know a shop owner that needs help competing against Amazon?
Good news: Bridge will pay you to help.
Bridge will give you $40 for referring a new retailer who signs up for a free Bridge account in the month of June.
How can you get your $40? Simple: 1. Email us the name of the store. Please include a contact name. 2. That's it. We'll take it from there.
The only requirement is the store sign up for a free Bridge plan and sync for free with two of its suppliers via the Smart ...
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May 4, 2018
May 4, 2018
HFN highlights some new tableware and giftware items—many of which are from Bridge Smart Brand partners.
Featured: Deshoulieres Herend iittala Mikasa Royal Limoges Vista Alegre Wallace Wilton Armetale
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Juliska Partners with Bridge Catalog
Bridge Catalog supports indie retailers
March 26, 2018, Jaclyn Turner
NEW YORK— Premium tableware and home décor designer Juliska will partner with Bridge, an ecommerce platform, beginning May 1 to help authorized retailers increase their sales.
Bridge considers itself as Dropbox meeting Amazon meeting Facebook.
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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.
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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