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Yesterday
$2k —> $25k
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$2k —> $25k
Yesterday
The Times reports that some overseas cargo container prices have shot up from $2k to $25k over the last 18 months.  

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October 23
WSJ: Clever Santa Illustration
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WSJ: Clever Santa Illustration
October 23, 2021
The WSJ’s illustration of Santa atop a cargo container sums up nicely our current holiday supply chain. I recall my dad telling me about the halcyon days of his dad making Christmas toys in the basement by hand for the family.

The article suggests that consumers, flush with cash, will gift more digital goods and gift cards in lieu of out-of-stock goods. 

Read the full article:
https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/santa-claus-is-comingbut-hell-skip-some-stores-11634895005
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October 20
MacKenzie, You Rock
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MacKenzie, You Rock
October 20, 2021
Last night, I was at a speakeasy bar and spotted what I believe to be a MacKenzie -Childs item.  To enter the bar, you pass through a soda vending machine that opens up.  

Nice to see Smart Brand member MacKenzie-Childs contributing to the decor next to a neon sign. 

If you have the chance, check out the Garrett on Avenue A. Stop by the soda machine :)

http://www.thegarreteast.com/

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October 19
1,500 Customer Reviews
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1,500 Customer Reviews
October 19, 2021
Congratulations to The Ivy House in Dallas! The store has reached 1,500 customer reviews. 

This number of reviews, and the exceedingly positive comments, reflect what a lovely business it offers.

To Laura May, the owner, and her staff, we praise you.

How does Bridge's review software work? 
Our review software is included by default with Bridge Store for free. (Other e-commerce software often makes a store pay to add this feature.) Our software emails customers and ...
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October 17
Reuters: Amazon copied products and rigged search results to promote its own brands
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Reuters: Amazon copied products and rigged search results to promote its own brands
October 17, 2021
I have read many reports about Amazon USA copying products, so I found this new story about Amazon India to be consistent with the company's larger approach.

Read the full article at Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/amazon-india-rigging/

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October 16
Gothamist: “Panic Buying” Retailers As Supply Chain Disruptions Loom
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Gothamist: “Panic Buying” Retailers As Supply Chain Disruptions Loom
October 16, 2021
Read the full article at Gothamist:
https://gothamist.com/news/panic-buying-nyc-retailers-gear-up-for-erratic-holiday-shopping-season-as-supply-chain-disruptions-loom
 

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October 16
Fotografiska Museum Cafe: Costa Nova
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Fotografiska Museum Cafe: Costa Nova
October 16, 2021
While eating at a museum’s cafe this AM, I was pleasantly surprised to see I was dining off Smart Brand partner Costa Nova’s plate.  

Would be nice if I could buy some plates in the museum shop, too :)

Learn more about Fotografiska NYC:
https://www.fotografiska.com/nyc/

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October 15
RetailDive: Analysts throw cold water on the great DTC pivot
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RetailDive: Analysts throw cold water on the great DTC pivot
October 15, 2021
Many brands are growing their DTC (D2C) channels, but a recent report by BMO Capital Markets suggests they may be a shooting themselves in the foot--which their retailers may be happy to hear.  The report shares that wholesale is more profitable overall than selling direct.

A few things have enabled brands to grow their DTC aspirations:
  1. Selling to customers via the brand's own e-commerce website.
  2. Tracking customers using social media and ad networks (aka surveillance,
...
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October 9
Amazon Watch: Macy's vs Amazon
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Amazon Watch: Macy's vs Amazon
October 9, 2021
Macy's scrambles to keep Amazon off its big red sign in Herald Square

Read the full article:
https://www.retaildive.com/news/macys-scrambles-to-keep-amazon-off-its-big-red-sign-in-herald-square/607349/

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October 7
41 Madison: Joseph Joseph
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41 Madison: Joseph Joseph
October 7, 2021
Thanks to Damon at Joseph Joseph for making the tabletop show fun—and some nice swag! 

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October 7
41 Madison: Lenox
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41 Madison: Lenox
October 7, 2021
Nice to see Suzanne Sullivan and her updated showroom. When you enter the showroom, one is greeted by this old Lenox catalog. 

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October 7
41 Madison: Vista Alegre
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41 Madison: Vista Alegre
October 7, 2021
Nice to see Daniel Silva from Vista Alegre.  Daniel took time to show me why Vista Alegre is the “top banana” of Portuguese tableware. Vista Alegre commissioned 46 illustrators to design espresso cups based on a story.  The pieces are very creative. 

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October 7
41 Madison: Deshoulieres
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41 Madison: Deshoulieres
October 7, 2021
I received a kind tour of the Deshoulieres line by sales manager Virginie DeToustain.

I also spotted a Bridge table tent in the showroom. The table tent lets retailers know that the brand is easy to sell online. :) 

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September 28
Call For Help :)
 
Call For Help :)
September 28, 2021
Allison Zisko, the Editor-in-Chief at HFN magazine, can use your help. She is working on a story about fourth quarter promotions. She would like to know:
  • Will Q4 promotions continue as usual in light of current economic factors? Are promotions still necessary, particularly when margins are so tight? What are vendors and retailers thinking about this?
Background:
  • Consumer demand for product remains high.
  • Inventory is limited. Product introductions are hindered by the
...
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September 26
Tableware Today: Five Brands Promote Bridge
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Tableware Today: Five Brands Promote Bridge
September 26, 2021
We're happy to see five brands promote Bridge in this month’s Tableware Today issue.

In each advertisement, the brand displays Bridge’s ‘B’ logo.  The brands that promote Bridge include:
  • Badash
  • Bordhallo Pinheiro
  • Carmel Ceramica
  • Pampa Bay
  • Vista Alegre

The brands show the logo so that retailers reading the publication will know that they can easily sell online the products shown in the advertisement. Since e-commerce makes up 40% of sales, ...
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September 26
Bridge Beats The Knot and Walmart
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Bridge Beats The Knot and Walmart
September 26, 2021
When it comes to gift registries, Bridge helps indie stores rank higher in Google than other players in the retail industry. In the example shown, we see four retailers using Bridge to rank on page 1 of Google. Two retailers beat The Knot, and four beat Walmart.

While our indie stores are just a fraction of the size of The Knot or Walmart, they outrank them because they use Bridge's technology. Bridge's software and network of websites offers advantages that bigger entities can't overcome ...
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September 26
More Easily See Updates from Business Friends
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More Easily See Updates from Business Friends
September 26, 2021
You can now more easily see updates from business friends. We've updated the Activity drop down to group related content. For example, we group news, reviews, and product-related updates together respectively.

In the example shown, on the left is the old version of the drop down and on the right is the updated version. 

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September 26
Move Christmas to December 27?
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Move Christmas to December 27?
September 26, 2021
Shipping delays are resulting in a backlog of deliveries, shares the WSJ:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/germanys-christmas-king-gets-caught-up-in-shipping-chaos-11632475801

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September 21
Help Your Store and Receive $400
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Help Your Store and Receive $400
September 21, 2021
What would you do with $1,200?  I ask because I'm sending a sales rep $1,200 today.  

What did the sales rep do?
  • She signed up three retailers for Bridge Store.
  • This gives the retailer an online store filled with the sale rep's products.
  • The rep saved each store thousands of dollars and months of work on tedious website work.
  • Now, the stores are selling more. The rep is making more in commission.
  • The rep helped herself--and her stores. 

Today, I'm mailing her ...
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September 21
Inflation: FedEx raising prices almost 6%
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Inflation: FedEx raising prices almost 6%
September 21, 2021
The good news: walk in to an indie store and you’ll save this 6% and all shipping fees. 

Read the full article: 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/fedex-ups-rate-rises-are-making-online-shopping-more-expensive-11632173409

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Next page

Bridge in the News
HFN: Bridge Experiences Record Growth
August 2021
HFN: Bridge Experiences Record Growth

Press Release: Bridge Membership Surges 50%
July 2021
Press Release: Bridge Membership Surges 50%

Four Trade Publications Report on Bridge's Growth
July 2020
Four Trade Publications Report on Bridge's Growth

HFN Editor Praises Bridge
March 2020
HFN Editor Praises Bridge

Seminars Offer Strategies for Independent Stores
January 2020
Seminars Offer Strategies for Independent Stores

Tableware Today Article: Chart Your Future Before Big Tech Does
November 2019
Tableware Today Article: Chart Your Future Before Big Tech Does

HFN Publishes Jason Solarek's 'Letter to the Editor'
May 2019
HFN Publishes Jason Solarek's 'Letter to the Editor'

HFN Shares Juliska is Joining Bridge
March 2018
HFN Shares Juliska is Joining Bridge

HFN Reports Bridge's Product Syncing Service Helps Indie Stores
January 2018
HFN Reports Bridge's Product Syncing Service Helps Indie Stores

Bridge Brand Conference
June 2017
Bridge Brand Conference

HFN Magazine: Bridge Crosses $2 Million in Registry Sales
December 2016
HFN Magazine: Bridge Crosses $2 Million in Registry Sales

HFN Magazine: Bridge Passes $1 Million Milestone in Registry Sales
November 2015
HFN Magazine: Bridge Passes $1 Million Milestone in Registry Sales

...