I read all of the customer product reviews our customers share with us and this one caught my eye this morning. Vincent mentioned that he paired our imprinted balsa glider with a cholocate airplane he sells and sales went up 40%!

Great creativity at The Chocolate Shop & More in Buffalo. In a tight economy this is the kind of thinking that can make a difference.

Bet their chocolate is really, really good!

On a recent trip to Target(TM) for washing liquid and shampoo, I took a little walk around. (As a shopper and a merchandiser, Target is an important barometer of trends and product development.  So, I like to keep an eye on what they’re doing.)

I was absolutely delighted to find Target has discovered Orla KielyTM and come up with an affordable line of housewares that is the perfect backdrop for Orla’s recognizable colorful graphics.

A quick check on Google shows me two things.

1. 1) I’m a few weeks behind in noticing this
2. 2) our local store only has about a third of the range!

Left: Orla Kiely in Target, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
(before I bought anything!)

Below: A few items I ‘had’ to purchase

If you don’t know about Orla, then you are about to find out as this range rolls out to the US. Click here to see the whole collection.

Orla is Irish by birth, graduating from London’s Royal College of Art in the ’90s. Her individual style has resulted in success predominantly in the UK and Asia.  While she has her own line, she has also completed projects with key British retailers such as Habitat, Millets and Sainsbury’s. Prior to the Target collaboration, products were found solely in the US at fashion retailers such as AnthopolgieTM and PiperlimeTM. It will be interesting to see what happens now.

–Suzanne