News
You may be paying $400 to $600 a year to offset shoplifting costs
Retail theft used to get little attention and retailers were just fine with that.Little press meant that potential thieves could not figure out how to steal from them and that the public would not learn... more »
Eulogy for an Independent Bookstore
LA is a city known more for its light than its landmarks. The Ambassador Hotel, where Bobby Kennedy was shot, is gone, as is the Brown Derby, the legendary restaurant where celebrities dined on Cobb... more »
Company builds success through fair trade
At the gift shop inside the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City, a handful of necklaces — both long and short — are on display by the register. The long necklaces have big, bold-colored... more »
For Sabbath on Saturdays, Fewer Open Shops
For Elizabeth Allen, it started when she needed a box of nails on a recent Saturday and the Great Neck hardware store she had patronized for years was closed. It hit Bruce Kerievsky when he... more »
Small Biz: Passion for decorating leads to new store
Andrew Downs is hoping his new Five Points interior design business, Andrew Downs and Co., can help curb Athens shoppers' trips to Atlanta to buy material they can't find locally.Downs, who lives in Winder, opened... more »
Pompton Lakes store is Celtic treasure-trove
It takes eight yards of material to make a kilt, and there are more than 4,000 registered tartans.Jewelry with a Celtic claddagh -- symbol of two hands holding a crowned heart -- can be given... more »
Great-grandma’s craft shop
Canandaigua, N.Y. - It's an unusual shop in downtown Canandaigua, filled with primitive folk art from a bygone era. This craft and gift consignment shop is brimming with wares adorned with stars, moons, crows and... more »
Worthless Gift Cards
Buyer beware!If you've been saving an old gift card for a rainy day, you may have a rude awakening at the register.Experts say millions of dollars in gift cards may soon be declined.The National Retail... more »
Retailers Welcome Antitrust Legislation Addressing $40 Billion in Hidden Credit Card Fees
Washington - The National Retail Federation today welcomed the introduction of landmark antitrust legislation that would address hidden MasterCard and Visa fees that cost merchants and their customers more than $40 billion a year."This legislation... more »
Frackleberrys sells nothing you need, everything you want
What do two downtown gift shops have in common with one in Valley Junction?Answer: They are sister shops owned by David Starlin.Starlin opened Frackleberrys, a gift shop and home accessory boutique, in Valley Junction in... more »
Push on at Century III to attract new retailers
It's going to take big ideas to fill a very big mall.Toward that end, said Century III manager Gina Mercorelli, management is going all-out to attract new retailers, both local and national, in addition to... more »
How To Open a Small Town Store
After 25 years as a paralegal, I'm launching a new career as an entrepreneur. I own an old building where I plan to open a gift, art, and antiques store later this year, debt-free. The... more »
