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.
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
At Shop Local, it's our job to help find ways to grow your online business. Part of that job is researching different registry software to see if it could be a good fit for your store.
If you offer a gift registry service, you may have heard of MyRegistry. MyRegistry is a third-party universal registry service that seemingly integrates with your primary website, stating that they "offer a suite of technology solutions [for retailers] that boost revenue, engage customers, and reduce ...
Read More
When we compared our registry service to other registry software, we found 17 unique ways that our registry service helps gift givers, registrants, & merchants. Many other registry services don’t offer these 17 features below.
6 Ways Our Service Helps Gift Givers in Ways That Other Services Do Not
Gift Giver’s Experience (E.g. Friend or family member giving a gift)
The gift giver can easily find the registrant’s gift list because the service helps merchants rank
How a drawing on a bar napkin led to a software platform that processes trillions of calculations
April 15, 2024
In 2007, while sitting at the pub Moran’s with a beer, I drew a sketch on a napkin that would change our business. I drew a software model that would allow an indie store to instantly show (and sell) thousands of products online—without any labor. (The secret sauce: The respective brand would do the product update work for the merchants.) The immediate goal was to help my two retailers more efficiently load products onto their websites (and save me the boredom of doing it).
21 ways Gift Reggie is making it difficult for gift givers, registrants, and merchants
April 3, 2024
Our registry service handles 80,000 gift and wedding registries. We often come across other registry software and can see how it's affecting the merchant that is using it.
While eating breakfast and browsing the web via my phone, I recently came across RFD, a merchant in Albany, NY, that uses Gift Reggie (an app that is added to a Shopify Store).
I observed 21 problems while reviewing the merchant's registry service. I initially wrote the issues down on a paper tablecloth...
Read More
As a store owner, you know how important it is to choose a registry service that works well for you, your employees, your registrants, and gift-givers (family and friends). In addition to working well, the registry service should offer your store good value (price vs. results).
When looking for registry software, some retailers consider MyRegistry.com for their registry service. MyRegistry.com offers gift registry creation and management features that integrate with a retailer's Shopify ...
Read More
Our Amalfi tablecloths are made with stonewashed linen-cotton fabric ensuring unparalleled softness and durability.
The stonewashing process not only enhances the fabric's texture but also lends it a uniquely rustic yet sophisticated appeal with a naturally relaxed drape.
View Post
I often describe flatware as jewelry for the table, the accent that gives table settings a special flair.
Of course, unlike jewelry, flatware is essential. Used everyday, whether to savor a quick snack or enjoy a thoughtfully prepared meal, you put a spoon or fork in your mouth more often throughout the day than your toothbrush. For nearly two decades, I have worked in the metals division at Lifetime Brands, so I fully understand that choosing flatware relies on many factors. Our team has done ...
Read More
It’s hard to believe that MEPRA’s sophisticated technicolor collection FANTASIA is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year because its incandescent chromatic complexion is as fresh today as its 1989 debut.
................................
The brilliantly-hued fantasia comes from the Italian silversmiths Mepra, post-war business founded in 1947 by the Prandelli family, four generations fashioning flatware in the industrial Lumezzane Valley, about 90 minutes east of Milan. ...
Read More
Designer Don Estabrooks just may have the most compelling flatware portfolio ever. The longtime Towle Silversmiths designer joined the company in the mid-’60s and has created hundreds of flatware patterns in an almost six-decade (and counting) tenure.
Perhaps his greatest achievement is Wave, which debuted in 2004 to rousing fanfare and has been at the top of the charts ever since. Chris Wile, another longstanding staffer (33 years), is president of Lifetime Brands/Metals (which owns ...
Read More
How to track packages in real-time in order to save time and make customers happier.
January 11, 2024
Your Shop Local Store has a new feature: You (and your customers) can now easily see real-time shipping status for an order. Your Store displays the current shipping status (in transit, delivered, etc.) and the complete tracking history for the order.
Before this update, one had to view the shipping service’s website (e.g FedEx.com) to view its status. Now, you or shoppers can view all orders' real-time status on your Shop Local Store and in emails.
You can determine the quality of a shopping platform by looking at reviews from customers who have used it. Below are excerpts from three reviews from shoppers who bought a gift using our software:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Your online site is the easiest way to shop for wedding gifts..."
~ Tracy Mcbride in FL
Ms. Mcbride made a purchase at Occasions Tampa, an indie retailer in Florida that has used our e-commerce software since 2018.
Your Shop Local account offers a built-in solution to shop thousands of products. The Wholesale service combines the best features from wholesale marketplaces and buying on a brand’s site into a new service. Shop Local retailers can save time and money by using the Wholesale service.
The Ivy House, an indie retailer in Texas that has used our e-commerce software since 2015, uses the Wholesale service to save time and money. Laura May, the owner of The Ivy House, easily places...
Read More
Flowing and organic, the dynamic design of the THANNI Bloom Medium Bowl (Red and Gold) features rippling petal-like movement, creating a serving piece that combines beauty, artistry, and functionality. Designed in collaboration with Louisiana-based ceramicist Gretchen Murchison, the medium sized piece combines a red exterior color surface with a brilliant gold interior. The stunning color combination allows you to celebrate the Holiday Season in festive THANNI Collection style. This great medium...
Read More
I recently saw a car with the license plate: WHYWRK. I had a sad feeling for the driver, who perhaps wasn’t as lucky as I to have the best job in the world – getting paid to shop for the most beautiful goods in the world – which I am now retiring from. After 40+ years as a buyer of tabletop and gifts in Buffalo, I have the opportunity to put the dishes away, polish the flatware, and store the stemware. As a small specialty store, we’ve been through our share of ups and ...
Read More
Kate Spade New York tableware and accessories has for two decades held a singular spot on retail shelves and on customers’ tables thanks to a timeless charm and chic stylings. Even after 20 years, the fun, fresh, playfully sophisticated, and refreshingly original collections from Lenox occupy a unique niche in the tableware pantheon.
Kate Spade’s contribution to fashion cannot be understated. She became synonymous with fashionistas everywhere when she started her fashion ...
Read More
For Baccarat’s craftsmen, Crystal Carving is the art of caressing the surface of the piece until one succeeds in expressing all of its beauty. An embellishment process entirely made by hand using a multitude of grinding wheels, the cut enhances the unique brilliance of the crystal. From the simplest decorations to the most complex ornaments, Baccarat crystal allows you to create plays of light and dazzling reflections.
The work of a “tailleur” or master carver is the ...
Read More
Modern Art for your table. With its brilliant gold-tone surface, and its gently curving shape perched above three ball feet, the stunning and practical SIERRA MODERN Medium Lissa Bowl (Shiny Gold) from Beatriz Ball is a modern masterpiece. Great for serving everything from fresh fruit to baked goods, this gleaming decorative bowl will instantly become an essential element in your home especially during the holidays. Handmade by skilled artisans in our own foundry, the bowl is made in a process ...
Read More
How to set interior designer pricing for your brands.
September 28, 2023
FOR BRANDS AND DISTRIBUTORS
Your Shop Local Store has a new feature: Interior designers can now view interior designer pricing for your brands and make purchases. If an interior designer is approved by your business, they can log in to your account and buy items at the wholesale designer price set by your business.
In the example shown, we see an interior designer logged in to BIA Cordon Bleu's account. The interior designer can place wholesale orders at the designer pricing set by ...
Read More
BERTIL VALLIEN is a gift to glass. The impressive portfolio of this prolific artist is haunting, memorable, and mesmerizing.
His 60-year career, spent advancing the craft of sand-casting, is a study of one man's existential questioning actualized on hypnotic works of art.
................................
BERTIL VALLIEN IS A 60-YEAR KOSTA BODA ICON, DESIGNING FOR THE BRAND SINCE 1963.
He is one of Sweden's most celebrated glass artists with numerous awards and museums exhibitions around...
Read More