News

Owner of Domus in Los Gatos lauded by chamber

Margaret Smith is a bona fide success. After all, she has the awards to prove it.Last April, the San Jose Business Journal named Smith the small businesswoman of the year at its Women of Distinction... more »

New downtown shop features gifts in a basket

Hingham -The new boutique on Water Street is overflowing with gift ideas.The Hingham Gift Company, which specializes in mix-and-match gift basket building, offers more than 300 "unique, luxurious, and practical" items. When gathered together in... more »

Mother-daughter duo pushing smiles at Pink Zebra gift shop

Melissa Hardy and her mother Jo Ann Penzin decided to apply their zeal for shopping and open a gift shop.The Pink Zebra is this mother-and-daughter duo's first store and they have never owned any other... more »

Owner to close yarn shop; Bonnie Kotary cites high taxes, competition from big-box stores as factors

Schenectady -- The owner of an Upper Union Street yarn shop says she is closing because of high taxes."Our payouts are more than our income. Times have changed," says Bonnie Kotary, 70.Kotary's Ye Olde Yarn... more »

Big things come in small packages

The undeniable smell of soy candles wafts out the door when you pull up to Kathy's Little Reminders gift shop. But there's much more inside than just can-dles. "The handbags are so cute they are... more »

CraZy LadyZ come to town; Women’s clothing store opens second location

West Ocean City -- Crazy ladies have come to town. The shop, that is, although, as owner Jan Parks likes to say, "There's a little crazy in all of us."Crazy Ladyz, a women's clothing store,... more »

SKB Buys San Francisco Giftcenter & Jewelrymart for $94.8 Million

Portland, Ore. - ScanlanKemperBard Companies has acquired the San Francisco Giftcenter and Jewelrymart for $94,750,000. The Portland, Ore.-based real estate merchant banking firm plans to invest an additional $8,650,000 to reposition and stabilize the 388,324-sf,... more »

Family business expands – Spa services, more gifts part of growth

Asheville — After leaving Atlanta three years ago, Marcy and Hunter Lanier rented an old house on Merrimon Avenue and opened Willow's Dream, a hair salon and gift boutique, named for their 12-year-old daughter.Marcy Lanier,... more »

Penny Lane offers something special

Bisbee — Like an old fiddle, vintage stores have a spirit about them.That's something Jessica Lavish knows a lot about."I had my first yard sale when I was 12. I've always had a passion for... more »

Gourmet baker tastes success at Sylvania site

If not for a worn-out fuel pump on a Chevrolet Corsica, Country Bread & Grains Co. might be selling bread and cookies to customers in North Carolina instead of suburban Toledo.The Sylvania business owned by... more »