Country Living seeks garden brand extensions
License to Inspire Studio, a showcase of new products and licensing opportunities presented by Hearst Brand Development and 3 of its iconic brands — Country Living, Seventeen and CosmoGIRL — debuted at 7W in New York City last week. Proven Winners and Spring Meadow Nursery already take advantage of the Country Living brand. The Country Living Editor's Choice Collection is sold at 3,000 garden centers nationwide. Lisa Appleby, Hearst Magazines' director of business development, said she is looking for other green-industry suppliers to get involved in the Country Living brand extension. She envisions containers, garden tools, baskets, outdoor kitchens and patio furniture, among other lines, bearing the Country Living name.

New York Gift Fair highlights sustainability
Sustainable and responsible design, the fastest-growing segment of the home and gift industry, enjoyed a high profile at last week's New York International Gift Fair. Environmentally conscious and socially responsible products were showcased in Sustainability: Design for a Better World, a curated exhibit debuting at the Gift Fair. The exhibit spotlighted gift and home industry suppliers whose materials or production processes are environmentally friendly, as well as companies whose corporate philosophies are socially responsible, philanthropic or fair-trade oriented. "This subject is of increasing importance to consumers worldwide and it is imperative that gift and home industry suppliers understand the issues, the challenges and the opportunities," said Dorothy Belshaw,, sr. v.p. of George Little Management, the company that produces the Gift Fair.

Stauffers of Kissel Hill gets 2 new locations
Stauffers of Kissel Hill, a chain of 6 garden centers and grocery stores in Pennsylvania, will add 2 new locations, according to Central Penn Business Journal. The company plans to purchase Country Market Nursery's 2 stores in Mechanisburg and Hershey, Pa. The deal is expected to close this fall.

Urban Outfitters prepares garden store launch
Terrain will be the name of Urban Outfitters' new greenhouse-inspired stores, Globe St. reported. The initial rollout is scheduled for 2008. Details on locations and store counts are still officially under wraps, although there are widespread rumors that the first store will be at an existing garden center site in the Philadephia area. Urban Outfitters is the company behind the hip clothing stores Free People and Anthropologie.

Text message ads not so hot
Generation Y consumers aren't fond of text message ads, eMarketer reported. The article cites a new study from Maritz Research that showed only 5% of generation Y consumers subscribe to texted offers. The group welcomed other forms of interactive marketing, but said text messages should be for more personal matters.

Pay raises will pale in '08
Workers shouldn't expect big pay raises next year, USA Today reported. Employers are planning an overall salary budget increase of 3.9% in 2008, according to a survey by WorldatWork, an association of human resource professionals. The pay raises modestly outpace current consumer inflation, which was 2.7% for the 12 months ending in June.

Enesco acquires Country Artists Ltd.
Enesco has acquired Country Artists Ltd., designer and supplier of several brands including A Breed Apart, Tuskers, Speed Freaks and Dogs & Cats. The company is based in Warwickshire, United Kingdom. Country Artists products are sold through specialty gift stores around the world.

View from a blog
Read the scoop from the New York gift shows. Open Register

Worth a visit
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