News

Squeezed department stores make most of space

At Hyundai Department Store’s Sinchon branch, in the heart of the commercial district north of the Han River, there are six so-called “shops-in-walls.” These tiny nooks full of made-to-order display cases were created by moving a wall 55 centimeters (21.65 inches) inward. Each shop-in-wall is no bigger than 5 square meters (53.82 square feet), but these tiny shops are showing sales performance far out of proportion to their size, with a total of 2.5 billion won ($2.1 million) in revenue, or 30 percent more revenue per square foot than full boutiques located on prime shopping space on the first and second floors. Read more...

With Squeeze on Credit, Microlending Blossoms

New York, NY - Amanda Keppert is convinced that she would have lost Mandy’s Korner, her hot dog stand in San Jose, Calif., if she had not received a type of loan that is more common in the third world than in the United States. Read more...

Four Tips for a Holiday Strategy

If you’re like most retailers, you depend heavily on holiday to generate the bulk of your sales for the year. So it needs to be a good season.

To make the most of your holiday, it helps to map out the season’s marketing and merchandising plan well before it occurs. Here are four tips to get you started on this. Read more...

Regional economy continues to expand slowly

Boston, MA - The New England economy continued to expand in recent weeks, but signs of slowing appeared as some companies reported mixed results and most remained cautious in hiring, according to a Federal Reserve survey released today. Read more...

Britt specialty store owner celebrates a half-decade of pursuing passions

Britt, IA - Marvea Smidt knows how to keep her promises.

Several years ago, Smidt's mother - who at age 82, retired from her own business venture as owner of the Gift Nook and Bible store - told her to "open a store so you can sell my religious cards and napkins." Read more...

Need a 7-foot chicken? Pasco store offers extreme lawn art

Tampa Bay, FL - Some people want their property to feel like a Mediterranean villa. Others prefer Caribbean casual.

But for a select few, nothing says "Home, sweet home" like a life-size hippopotamus statue wallowing in the front yard. Read more...

Local store opens second location inside airport

North Bend, OR - A popular South Coast store and tourist attraction has expanded it's business in the Bay Area, opening up a second location that they hope will draw in more customers.

Last week the Oregon Connection/House of Myrtlewood opened it's new store located inside the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport, featuring many of the same products as their main store in Coos Bay. Read more...

Announcing the opening of Gaye's Gallery of Gifts to the Cambridge Main Street community

Cambridge, IL - The letters that once spelled out Humphrey's Barber Shop on a store front windowpane in downtown Cambridge were recently removed to make way for a new business. For several decades, the address of 103 North Prospect Street was home to this family operated small town barber shop. Having recently moved the family business to his residence, Dan Humphrey now welcomes his customers to his home location. Read more...

Retail sales up at fastest rate in three years

London, UK - Retail sales grew at their fastest pace in three years in July, and retailers were their most upbeat in six years about the prospects for August, a survey by the Confederation of British Industry showed on Tuesday. Read more...

Why Elite Shoppers Eschew Logos

New York, NY - K-Mart and Marc Jacobs have something in common: low- and high-end fashion products tend to have less conspicuous brand markers than midprice goods, according to a paper soon to be published in The Journal of Consumer Research. Read more...