Many years ago, as a new assistant at Lord & Taylor, the buyer cautioned me to not get too attached to people or merchandise. His wisdom was not cold-hearted, but a cautionary tale to keep emotional attachments in check. I was there to deliver strong financial results and if something wasn’t selling, I shouldn’t harp on it, but mark it down and move on. And, as far as work relationships were concerned, I should be a good coworker but not get attached to colleagues.
Jim Shreve made Baccarat hip. Now, he and his longtime partner, Mark Brashear, along with Sally Burnside, the former Baccarat sales V.P., intend to do the same for DeVine Corp., the 32-year-old distributor of elite European brands. You're invited to the opening!
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Congrats to you all. This is very exciting. Tim, we’ve known each other since before you started DeVine Corp., 32 years ago. You’ve been looking for the right opportunity to retire. TIM ...
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MIKASA’s powerhouse COUNTRYSIDE franchise continues its domination decades after their launches. Tapping into the zeitgeist of the times, the patterns’ staying power is testament to compelling classic design, line extensions, and passionate fans.
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IT’S BEEN 50 YEARS SINCE MIKASA’s FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE DEBUTED, the perfect panacea to a formal-dominated dinnerware domain. The scalloped, edged, and curved creamware provided the ideal ...
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How Shop Local’s software helps an Austin, Texas institution renew its Registry program and see immediate results.
March 1, 2024
We are pleased to announce that Breed & Co., a retail store in Austin, Texas, has joined the Shop Local software platform to grow its online business. Breed & Co. made the decision to switch from their previous registry provider and recreate their registry program using Shop Local. Since revamping their registry program 3 weeks ago, Breed & Co. has saved $37,435 and 53 weeks in labor on website product maintenance through the Shop Local platform.
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 ...
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Sign Engine Ears is your premier destination for personalized and unique custom signs in Memphis. We specialize in crafting bespoke signage that perfectly reflects your brand's identity and vision. Our custom signs are designed to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression. Whether you need interior or exterior signs, we offer a diverse range of solutions to meet your specific needs. With our dedication to quality, innovation, and attention to detail, Sign Engine Ears ensures that ...
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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 ...
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Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
-Melodie Beattie
Remind yourself--and others--of your daily blessings with this inspirational GIFTABLES Vento Rectangular Engraved Tray from Beatriz Ball. Engraved with the word, "grateful," this delightful mini tray is distinguished by its rich, hand finished surface, and practical size. Perfect item for your desk or bedside table or display on your coffee table as a decorative ...
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“We don’t make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies.”
~ Walt Disney
I read this quote in ‘Show Your Work’ and wondered how it applied to our mission here at Shop Local. I asked my team and they submitted their interpretations. One colleague even used an AI tool.
Team Submissions:
“We don't make Shop Local to make money, we make money to sustain Indie Stores.”
~ Jim
"We didn't make this software just to ...
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I chuckled when I was asked to author this column, as I have been known to have the last word from time to time. As I prepare to leave the industry that has given me so much (I eagerly accepted the opportunity to work in the gift and home area in 1986), I can vividly recall the excitement I felt when I first entered the creative space that we get to live and work in every day. I have been exposed to scores of creative people; I met and worked with artists and buyers who were inspired and ...
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EMON MAASHO, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF ORREFORS, NORTH AMERICA, is representative of the exciting trajectory in this 125-year operation. The über-exec joined the New Wave Group in 2013, a time when Orrefors and Kosta Boda (OKB) were underperforming assets in the portfolio. "Our crystal brands are national treasures and a part of Swedish history," Maasho affirms. And he wanted a front row seat in their revitalization. Maasho was placed in charge of the new hotel and restaurant division ...
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Susan Gravely – alongside her sister, Frances, and mother, Lee – founded VIETRI 40 years ago after a serendipitous vacation where they discovered the charms of Italian ceramics. Gravely’s new book, Italy on a Plate, equal parts travelogue/cookbook/memoir, is a culinary delight celebrating four decades of bringing the best of Italy’s tableware to an adoring fan base.
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You and I go back almost to the start of VIETRI in 1983. [Editor&rsquo...
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With bold hands, porcelain is crafted between vision and heritage. Everyday art meets everyday life with Jake Gyllenhaal, official talent of Oriente Italiano's new campaign.
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An ethereal glow through the dense forest entices and, as the vision gets closer, a wondrous stag steps forward. Is it an illusion or a Midsummer Night’s Dream? Appearing as if dressed by fairies for a most unusual party, the stag’s shimmering floral garland and antlers plus a burnished coat reflecting a colorful forest scenery overwhelm the eyes. As the stag beckons to follow, to what fascinating sights will this luminous guide introduce us?
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MARIPOSA HAS ADDED A NEW CATEGORY WITH THE CLEVERLY TITLED TRAYCHIC, A COLLECTION OF 50 STYLISH HEAT-SAFE TRAYS COMPOSED FROM A STATE-OF-THE-ART RESIN COMPOUND APPROVED FOR FOOD AND SAFE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
MARIPOSA – the Massachusetts brand launched almost 40 years ago by Livia Cowan, who had a vision that tableware could be created from 100% recycled glass and aluminum – brings that same sustainability agenda to a new category, TrayChic! (exclamation point all theirs). “...
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Do you have a good friend at work? These days, fewer people do. According to the New York Times, 40 years ago, 50% of us had a close friend at work; that number has dropped to less than 20%. Work has become a more transactional place. We go to the office to be efficient, not to form bonds. We may have plenty of productive conversations, but we also have fewer meaningful relationships. That’s not a good thing because work friends play a big part in our happiness.
Today we are all about Napkin Rings! They are a key part of any tablescape, the finishing touch to complete one’s vision.
We are introducing the beautiful Camellia, a statement floral napkin ring that’s perfect for year-round use. We also have the Metropolitan napkin ring, a stylized napkin ring available in 3 fantastic colors!
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It’s a formidable task, overseeing product development for all of Lenox’s flatware brands, which includes Lenox, Kate Spade, Oneida, Cambridge, Hampton Forge, Reed & Barton, and Gorham. Your tenures at Oneida and Bed Bath & Beyond, as the tabletop buyer, provide a solid foundation for this position.
Prior to Oneida, where I was senior product marketing manager when Lenox acquired us, I was at Bed Bath & Beyond for 12 years, most recently as the tabletop buyer. My whole ...
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How we can honor those that came before us in the retail industry.
March 2, 2023
The founder of Juan Pollo Chicken, Albert Okura, passed away last week at the age of 71. Mr. Okura envisioned Juan Pollo, a fast food chain with 25 locations in Southern California, as a household name that would someday sell the most chicken in the world. He believed in this so much that he bought the site of the original McDonald’s restaurant, located in San Bernardino, CA, in 1998—not to turn it into a Juan Pollo restaurant but rather into a museum to honor his fast food industry....
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Work With the Nation's Leading Brands and Indie Shops to Support Main Street
Shop Local is a fast-growing e-commerce and gift registry platform providing services to leading independent retailers and premium brands. Based in New York, NY, Shop Local is seeking candidates to support the existing software and build out new services that will change the retail industry.
Shop Local has an opening for an entry level web developer to update the existing code base and write new applications. We are...
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