Urban Expositions acquires Birdwatch America
Urban Expositions acquired the Birdwatch America trade show from Longdown Management Inc. Urban Expositions will take over ownership and management of the annual exhibition of wild bird and nature products beginning in 2007. Next year's event is scheduled for Jan. 13-14 at Ga. Int'l. Convention Center in Atlanta. A Birdwatch America section will also be held in conjunction with the Philadelphia Gift Show, July 23-26, 2006, at Fort Washington Expo Center in Fort Washington, Pa.

January becoming hot month for retail sales
Several emerging trends are helping to lift retail sales in January, according to an article in USA Today. This year, merchants began displaying spring goods at full price alongside clearance items to take advantage of gift-card redemption. Middle class spending was also expected to increase as consumers began to spend more freely after being cautious during the holiday season. Electronics retailers also predicted more robust sales as customers upgrade TV sets in anticipation of the Super Bowl.

Treasure Island files for bankruptcy
Treasure Island, a Mahwah, N.J.-based retail chain and one of the stops on last November's GCA Holiday Tour, has filed a Chapter 11 voluntary bankruptcy claim in the District of New Jersey. All 14 stores are expected to close by the end of February. Treasure Island was known as a destination for outdoor furniture, home accents, craft supplies and Christmas decor.

IWGS seeks water lily entries
Int'l. Waterlily & Water Gardening Society is accepting entries for the 2006 new water lily competition. This year, bare-root entries must be received during March. Tropicals will be grown at McKee Botanical Gardens in Vero Beach, Fla.; hardies at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, N.C. To be eligible, water lilies must not have been commercially available before 2003. Hybridizers or introducers interested in competing must submit a letter or fax to IWGS by Feb. 15. For more information, contact Stuart Schuck, committee chair.

Marian Heath acquires Renaissance
Marian Heath Greeting Cards recently acquired Renaissance Greeting Cards, a subsidiary of FTD Holdings Inc. Both companies sell to independent retailers and specialty chains. Current Renaissance customers should experience very little change in day-to-day business, according to a statement issued by Marian Heath.

Grass-roots screenings push Wal-Mart movie
A documentary criticizing Wal-Mart practices is gaining ground thanks to activists organizing thousands of grass-roots screenings across the nation. "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" opened Nov. 4 in Los Angeles and New York. Since then, there have been more than 7,000 screenings -- many hosted by labor and faith groups -- according to the movie's Web site. Variety describes the film as "a scathing study of the retail behemoth (and alleged public enemy)."

Worth a visit
Learn about Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance,' a hardy fern that adds spark to container gardens. Only on GreenBeam.com.