News from Bridge
Bridge in the News
December 2019
Tableware Today: Last Word Column
Jason Solarek Shares How 'Big Tech' Is Changing the Trade Show and Wholesale Industries
December 2016
HFN Magazine: $2 Million Milestone
HFN shares that Bridge has doubled year-over-year sales processed for clients.
November 2015
HFN Magazine: $1 Million Milestone
HFN highlights Bridge's handling of $1 million in online gift registry sales in 2015.
May 2015
HFN Magazine: E-commerce Update
Allison Zisko interviews Jason Solarek about Bridge's new services.
Tableware Today: Last Word Column
Jason Solarek Shares How 'Big Tech' Is Changing the Trade Show and Wholesale Industries
December 2016
HFN Magazine: $2 Million Milestone
HFN shares that Bridge has doubled year-over-year sales processed for clients.
November 2015
HFN Magazine: $1 Million Milestone
HFN highlights Bridge's handling of $1 million in online gift registry sales in 2015.
May 2015
HFN Magazine: E-commerce Update
Allison Zisko interviews Jason Solarek about Bridge's new services.
Featured News
Featured News
Bridge can help sales reps grow their business 13%. We'll show you how: we're hosting a free webinar for sales reps.
Sales reps will learn:
Why attend?
E-commerce is the fastest growing part of retail--but most sales reps and their stores are being left behind.... ...
Read More
» RSVP
Bridge can help sales reps grow their business 13%. We'll show you how: we're hosting a free webinar for sales reps.
Sales reps will learn:
- How to view shared products, wholesale pricing, files, and news on a Bridge account.
- How to connect with retailers on Bridge.
- How to help a retailer increases it sales using Bridge.
Why attend?
E-commerce is the fastest growing part of retail--but most sales reps and their stores are being left behind.... ...
Read More
» RSVP
Featured News
Featured News
Get Your Share of the $30 Billion Gift Registry Market
You're invited to a free webinar covering Bridge's gift registry software.
You'll learn:
Why attend?
Read More
Get Your Share of the $30 Billion Gift Registry Market
You're invited to a free webinar covering Bridge's gift registry software.
You'll learn:
- How to customize your gift registry home page.
- How to create a gift registry on Bridge.
- What each of the settings and features does when creating a gift registry.
- How to get more brides to register. We'll cover registry sign up incentives.
Why attend?
- Over 2.5 million weddings
Read More
Featured News
Featured News
Ten years ago, we created a key part of the software that helps our retailers, brands, and reps.
Prior to Bridge Store, we had to make unique sites for these businesses and this was slow and expensive. Then we created Bridge Store, a template-based website with a shared code base. This enabled us to much more quickly and cost efficiently setup online accounts and stores.
The success of Bridge Store is evident in user growth: a decade ago we had just a handful of retailers and ... ...
Read More
Ten years ago, we created a key part of the software that helps our retailers, brands, and reps.
Prior to Bridge Store, we had to make unique sites for these businesses and this was slow and expensive. Then we created Bridge Store, a template-based website with a shared code base. This enabled us to much more quickly and cost efficiently setup online accounts and stores.
The success of Bridge Store is evident in user growth: a decade ago we had just a handful of retailers and ... ...
Read More
Monday, Feb 24, 2020
Ever open a file on a computer? Thank Lawrence Tesler.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/technology/lawrence-tesler-dead.amp.html
View Post
Ever open a file on a computer? Thank Lawrence Tesler.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/technology/lawrence-tesler-dead.amp.html
View Post
Sunday, Feb 23, 2020
Walmart’s e-commerce sales rose 35% in the fourth quarter, shares this weekend’s WSJ.
For the year, Walmart was up 37% shares Digital Commerce 360. (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.digitalcommerce360.com/2020/02/18/walmarts-online-sales-grow-37-in-2019-and-increase-35-for-the-fourth-quarter/amp/ )
Notably, Walmart’s e-commerce is losing money. It’s not profitable.
I have some indie stores tell me that they’re only making small... ...
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Walmart’s e-commerce sales rose 35% in the fourth quarter, shares this weekend’s WSJ.
For the year, Walmart was up 37% shares Digital Commerce 360. (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.digitalcommerce360.com/2020/02/18/walmarts-online-sales-grow-37-in-2019-and-increase-35-for-the-fourth-quarter/amp/ )
Notably, Walmart’s e-commerce is losing money. It’s not profitable.
I have some indie stores tell me that they’re only making small... ...
Read More
Thursday, Feb 20, 2020
Amazon will be offering luxury brands mini-sites on which they can sell items, set their prices, and design the website’s aesthetics, shares today’s WSJ. This service will only be available to luxury brands. If this sounds...simply reasonable(!) then it shows how far Amazon has polluted retail. When the web started 25 years ago, it was about setting your own path, setting your prices, and dare I say adding your own design flourish. Thank you, Amazon, for bringing the web back ... ...
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Amazon will be offering luxury brands mini-sites on which they can sell items, set their prices, and design the website’s aesthetics, shares today’s WSJ. This service will only be available to luxury brands. If this sounds...simply reasonable(!) then it shows how far Amazon has polluted retail. When the web started 25 years ago, it was about setting your own path, setting your prices, and dare I say adding your own design flourish. Thank you, Amazon, for bringing the web back ... ...
Read More
Monday, Feb 17, 2020
Shopify's Chief Operating Office said on CNBC last week:
“While other companies are trying to build empires, we are arming the rebels...”
That's a clever quote that could be applied to our retailer base. Bridge is helping hundreds of retail 'rebels' fight back against the hegemony of Amazon. Bridge gives indie stores and brands the software tools they need to connect, sell, and grow.
Today is President's Day, and rebels fighting a big empire ... ...
Read More
Shopify's Chief Operating Office said on CNBC last week:
“While other companies are trying to build empires, we are arming the rebels...”
That's a clever quote that could be applied to our retailer base. Bridge is helping hundreds of retail 'rebels' fight back against the hegemony of Amazon. Bridge gives indie stores and brands the software tools they need to connect, sell, and grow.
Today is President's Day, and rebels fighting a big empire ... ...
Read More
Sunday, Feb 16, 2020
What is killing retail? Austan Goolsbee, a University of Chicago economics professor, shares three factors other than the Internet affecting retail including: big-box discount stores, a shrinking middle class, and shoppers preferring ‘services’ over tangible things.
I found this except interesting:
“In 1920, Americans spent more than half their income on food (38 percent) and clothing (17 percent) and almost all of that was through traditional retail stores. ... ...
Read More
What is killing retail? Austan Goolsbee, a University of Chicago economics professor, shares three factors other than the Internet affecting retail including: big-box discount stores, a shrinking middle class, and shoppers preferring ‘services’ over tangible things.
I found this except interesting:
“In 1920, Americans spent more than half their income on food (38 percent) and clothing (17 percent) and almost all of that was through traditional retail stores. ... ...
Read More
Saturday, Feb 15, 2020
Curious why you don’t sell more online? Answer: selling online is brutally competitive. Just ask Brandless, a company with more than $100m in funding that just closed and laid off all 70 employees. Selling online often produces the opposite of what you’d expect: thin margins.
One bright spot in e-commerce: gift registries. Gift registry orders have higher margins, lower customer acquisition costs, and a built-in promoter for your site: the bride. Don’t think this... ...
Read More
Curious why you don’t sell more online? Answer: selling online is brutally competitive. Just ask Brandless, a company with more than $100m in funding that just closed and laid off all 70 employees. Selling online often produces the opposite of what you’d expect: thin margins.
One bright spot in e-commerce: gift registries. Gift registry orders have higher margins, lower customer acquisition costs, and a built-in promoter for your site: the bride. Don’t think this... ...
Read More
Friday, Feb 7, 2020
Dear Friends,
I’m writing to sadly share that my dad Don Solarek passed away last week. He was quiet, thoughtful, and would gladly walk in New York City from the Battery to Harlem.
Don always had time to chat with me, share a story, give a lesson, and encourage me. He helped me with my paper route at 6 am when it was 3º in Rochester. He came to every high school cross country race and wrestling match—which were often held around 3:30 pm. Likely not ... ...
Read More
Dear Friends,
I’m writing to sadly share that my dad Don Solarek passed away last week. He was quiet, thoughtful, and would gladly walk in New York City from the Battery to Harlem.
Don always had time to chat with me, share a story, give a lesson, and encourage me. He helped me with my paper route at 6 am when it was 3º in Rochester. He came to every high school cross country race and wrestling match—which were often held around 3:30 pm. Likely not ... ...
Read More
Thursday, Feb 6, 2020
I visited the New York’s Post website--to get my fill of New York gossip--and I was shown a massive advertisement from a leading tabletop brand. (I have covered the brand's logo with yellow rectangles for the privacy of the brand.) Before visiting the Post's site, I had visited this brand's website. The ads appear because the brand has hired some advertising platform to track me around the web, show me ads, and direct me back to its DTC (direct to consumer) site.
While... ...
Read More
I visited the New York’s Post website--to get my fill of New York gossip--and I was shown a massive advertisement from a leading tabletop brand. (I have covered the brand's logo with yellow rectangles for the privacy of the brand.) Before visiting the Post's site, I had visited this brand's website. The ads appear because the brand has hired some advertising platform to track me around the web, show me ads, and direct me back to its DTC (direct to consumer) site.
While... ...
Read More
Thursday, Feb 6, 2020
I think the phrase “E-commerce Community” is a good way to explain Bridge's offering. We're helping businesses share news, messages, pricing, files, pictures, and products.
Without Bridge, e-commerce is often a lonesome field. I believe this siloed nature is already starting to kill off traditional e-commerce operations. In its place, e-commerce platforms that bring together communities are flourishing. Platforms are the future--especially ones that ... ...
Read More
I think the phrase “E-commerce Community” is a good way to explain Bridge's offering. We're helping businesses share news, messages, pricing, files, pictures, and products.
Without Bridge, e-commerce is often a lonesome field. I believe this siloed nature is already starting to kill off traditional e-commerce operations. In its place, e-commerce platforms that bring together communities are flourishing. Platforms are the future--especially ones that ... ...
Read More
Wednesday, Feb 5, 2020
Your business likely has to pay taxes on your 2019 Bridge sales. While paying taxes may not be fun, Bridge has made it easier.
Your Bridge allows you to easily see how much you collected in sales taxes. You can use this information to prepare your 2019 taxes.
How to visit your Tax page:
1. Visit your Bridge.
2. Login to your Bridge.
3. At the very top, click on “Management.”
4. On Management home page, on the left-hand side under “Order Reporting,” click ... ...
Read More
Your business likely has to pay taxes on your 2019 Bridge sales. While paying taxes may not be fun, Bridge has made it easier.
Your Bridge allows you to easily see how much you collected in sales taxes. You can use this information to prepare your 2019 taxes.
How to visit your Tax page:
1. Visit your Bridge.
2. Login to your Bridge.
3. At the very top, click on “Management.”
4. On Management home page, on the left-hand side under “Order Reporting,” click ... ...
Read More
Wednesday, Feb 5, 2020
Your Bridge gift registry software looks better in Google than your competitors' software. In this example, we can see how Breed, a retailer in Texas, appears in Google. Breed's listing shows the number of registries and reviews. Competitors listings do not show quantitative information--and look drab by comparison.
Google 'likes' this these statistics because it shows that your registry software is unique and you're servicing customers. Customers like these ... ...
Read More
Your Bridge gift registry software looks better in Google than your competitors' software. In this example, we can see how Breed, a retailer in Texas, appears in Google. Breed's listing shows the number of registries and reviews. Competitors listings do not show quantitative information--and look drab by comparison.
Google 'likes' this these statistics because it shows that your registry software is unique and you're servicing customers. Customers like these ... ...
Read More
Wednesday, Feb 5, 2020
Macy’s will be moving its flagship store and building a massive tower on the site. Then it may move back in or permanently leave site.
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Macy’s will be moving its flagship store and building a massive tower on the site. Then it may move back in or permanently leave site.
View Post
Wednesday, Feb 5, 2020
About 1 of of 5 Chipotle’s burritos are bought via Chipotle’s app and digital outlets, shares today’s WSJ.
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About 1 of of 5 Chipotle’s burritos are bought via Chipotle’s app and digital outlets, shares today’s WSJ.
View Post
Wednesday, Feb 5, 2020
Gartner shared this advice for managing your company's marketing efforts:
Read More
Gartner shared this advice for managing your company's marketing efforts:
- Strategy for the partner marketing program, and how it aligns with the overall brand marketing strategy.
- Funding and talent resources dedicated to driving and administering partner marketing relationships.
- Campaign modes, or the balance of approaches to partner marketing. “To” campaigns provide information about a brand’s product and service for partners to use internally. &
Read More
Wednesday, Feb 5, 2020
Macy’s plans to close 20% of its stores, cut 10% of corporate jobs, and close its Cincinnati headquarters, shares today’s WSJ.
View Post
Macy’s plans to close 20% of its stores, cut 10% of corporate jobs, and close its Cincinnati headquarters, shares today’s WSJ.
View Post
Friday, Jan 24, 2020
E-commerce is hammering stores, shares a study appearing in RetailDive. Each e-commerce job kills four traditional jobs, and it may help close 30k stores in the next 5 years.
RetailDive excerpts:
Read More
E-commerce is hammering stores, shares a study appearing in RetailDive. Each e-commerce job kills four traditional jobs, and it may help close 30k stores in the next 5 years.
RetailDive excerpts:
- E-commerce has been a net negative — an agent of "destructive destruction" — for the retail industry writ large, according to a new study from credit insurance company Euler Hermes. The study found that 56,000 stores, or 10.7% of the
Read More
Thursday, Jan 23, 2020
This article about big money rolling over indie stores in Paris could’ve been written about our local stores here in American cities:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/world/europe/france-paris-marais-gentrification.amp.html
View Post
This article about big money rolling over indie stores in Paris could’ve been written about our local stores here in American cities:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/world/europe/france-paris-marais-gentrification.amp.html
View Post
Bridge in the News
December 2019
Tableware Today: Last Word Column
Jason Solarek Shares How 'Big Tech' Is Changing the Trade Show and Wholesale Industries
December 2016
HFN Magazine: $2 Million Milestone
HFN shares that Bridge has doubled year-over-year sales processed for clients.
November 2015
HFN Magazine: $1 Million Milestone
HFN highlights Bridge's handling of $1 million in online gift registry sales in 2015.
May 2015
HFN Magazine: E-commerce Update
Allison Zisko interviews Jason Solarek about Bridge's new services.
Tableware Today: Last Word Column
Jason Solarek Shares How 'Big Tech' Is Changing the Trade Show and Wholesale Industries
December 2016
HFN Magazine: $2 Million Milestone
HFN shares that Bridge has doubled year-over-year sales processed for clients.
November 2015
HFN Magazine: $1 Million Milestone
HFN highlights Bridge's handling of $1 million in online gift registry sales in 2015.
May 2015
HFN Magazine: E-commerce Update
Allison Zisko interviews Jason Solarek about Bridge's new services.