Jan 14, 2011

Midwest-CBK Hosts 3/50 Project Founder Cinda Baxter During Atlanta Market

Cannon Falls, MN – Midwest-CBK, leading designer and manufacturer renowned for its design, style and sparkle, will host The 3/50 Project founder Cinda Baxter to meet and talk with retailers in Midwest-CBK’S AmericasMart Atlanta showroom on Sunday, January 16, from 1 to 2 p.m. The Midwest-CBK showroom is located in Building 1, Suite 16A7.

“As the founder and president of The 3/50 Project and a retail consultant, Cinda brings national attention to the importance of supporting locally owned independent retailers, and shares sage advice to help them succeed,” says Frederic Contino, President of Midwest-CBK. “Her mission mirrors Midwest-CBK’s goal to help independent retailers succeed, and we are thrilled to provide an opportunity for our customers to meet and talk with Cinda during the Atlanta market.”

“Bringing customers through the doors of local, independent brick and mortar stores is a team effort,” adds Baxter. “When companies like Midwest-CBK get involved, it expands our message to more retailers, who, in turn, bring it to more consumers, which is where positive change takes shape. I’m deeply grateful for their assistance in helping us spread the word, aware that when vendors, reps, and related agencies get involved, great things can happen.”

Baxter’s mission is to strengthen independent brick and mortar businesses from the inside out. Having spent fourteen years as a successful retail store owner herself, she “gets” what business owners are going through, speaks their language, and is determined to see them stick around for the long haul.

About Cinda Baxter
Cinda Baxter is a self-proclaimed “Retail Enabler.” Past recipient of two national Retailer Excellence Awards and press coverage ranging from Modern Bride to the Wall Street Journal, she now “pays it forward” to retailers and vendors through her consulting company, Always Upward, and to independent brick and mortar businesses of all types as founder of The 3/50 Project.

Her resumé includes seats on numerous boards in the gift industry; speaking engagements throughout the US and abroad; and Contributing Editor for the trade publication “Gifts and Decorative Accessories Magazine.” Singled out by Inc. Magazine for her expertise in using social media to engage audiences offline, Cinda is also a respected social networking pioneer. Her launch of The 3/50 Project on March 30, 2009 garnered more than 15,000 endorsing businesses and over 30,000 Facebook fans in its first nine months alone…without spending a penny on advertising or marketing.

About The 3/50 Project
The 3/50 Project is a grass roots awareness campaign focused on reuniting consumers with independent, locally owned brick and mortar businesses in their communities. Begun in March 2009 as an off-the-cuff blog post written by Minneapolis retail expert, Cinda Baxter, The 3/50 Project asks consumers to return to three local businesses they love and don’t want to lose, then to commit $50 of their current monthly budget toward local, independent merchants. The message went viral via social media, exploding onto the national stage as a unique, positive, achievable concept. Launch of the350project.net and its companion Facebook page (facebook.com/the350project) have since garnered international support from small business owners and consumers alike.

About Midwest-CBK
Midwest-CBK, a national design leader in holiday, home décor, gifts, candles and outdoor living, is proud to bring independent retailers more Design, Style and Sparkle than ever before, through exclusive designs and best-selling formats. New introductions feature excellent prices and terms designed to boost your margins; an experienced, dedicated sales team to assist you at the store level; award-winning display ideas; a drop ship program to provide incremental décor sales; and a new Web site providing 24/7 access to account history and online ordering. Please call 800-394-4225, visit www.mwcbk.com or contact your local Midwest-CBK account manager for more information, to request a catalog or to locate a showroom near you.