July 28th, 2010
Posted by: Diane Capuano
Increased public awareness of the child strangulation risk posed by cords on Roman and roll-up blinds has caused a dramatic rise in requests for free retrofit kits that alleviate the problem, according to the Window Covering Safety Council.
WCSC Executive Director Ralph Vasami reported that requests for the kits has risen significantly in the past two calendar years. “Prior to 2009, the average was 55,000-60,000 retrofit kits distributed per year. In 2009, we distributed 153,245 kits, which is nearly triple that rate,” he said.
For the first quarter of 2010, demand has still been high, with 32,489 retrofit kits requested. Demand is still high in the wake of a December 2009 announcement in which the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: window coverings
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July 7th, 2010
Posted by: Tamela Adamson-McMullen
Reports that hundreds of children over the last two decades have died or been injured by corded window coverings have brought together three international health groups to press for comprehensive safety standards.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Health Canada and the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Consumers are urging window coverings manufacturers and standards organizations to establish uniform, cost-effective manufacturing processes that put the safety of children first. The international, multilateral call for action is the first time three safety agencies, representing consumers in 29 countries, have joined together to demand worldwide safety standards on a specific product.
Corded window coverings have been known to cause strangulation deaths and injuries in children worldwide. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Regulations, window coverings
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July 1st, 2010
Posted by Tamela Adamson-McMullen
Enforcement of a rule affecting potentially hundreds of thousands of contractors has been delayed until October to make sure they have time to comply.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has pushed off enforcement of the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP), which went into effect April 22 of this year, until Oct. 1. The rule requires contractors to be trained and certified in lead-safe practices if they do work that might disturb painted surfaces in homes, child-care facilities and schools built before 1978.
The agency issued the RRP ruling in April 2008 to try to curb the problem of childhood lead poisoning. Despite nearly 30 years of effort, education and Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: EPA, lead rule
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June 22nd, 2010
Posted by Tamela Adamson-McMullen
Credit card companies have been under attack in recent weeks and months for the fees and rules they impose on retailers.
One of the latest to join the battle is Vermont. The Vermont Legislature recently approved a bill that would make it easier for merchants to give discounts to customers who pay by cash, check or debit card rather than by credit card. The bill initially passed the Senate with a vote of 30-0 on March 31, cleared the House 139-0 on April 29 and is heading to Gov. Jim Douglas for his signature.
If signed into law, the bill would allow Vermont retailers to set a minimum credit card purchase of up to $10 without interference from Visa and MasterCard, which currently bar minimum purchase amounts. Card companies would be prohibited from dictating how Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: credit cards, Vermont
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June 7th, 2010
Like the Indian Pink City of Jaipur for which it is named, the Pink City palette from PPG vibrates with the very pulse of life and the spirit of adventure.
Posted by: Tamela Adamson-McMullen
Next year in home fashion you can expect to see a surprising range of blues, a new family of purples, lots of pinks and color-cast neutrals. According to the experts surveyed for Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine’s 41st annual color forecast, home fashion is showing an early rebound from the recession and by 2011 will exhibit a kaleidoscope of colors.
Whether consumers are feeling more upbeat or simply need relief from all of the bad news, experts said there’s no doubt that interesting colors and color combinations are working their way into home décor. They said to look for vibrant colors and softly blended neutrals, deep and pale hues, burnished furnishings and barely-there textiles.
Experts reported that the single top color in this palette most certainly will come from the blue family and may be appear as a green-blue (turquoise) or a red-blue (orchid).
A blue-green is at the top of the Pantone Color Institute’s list of “hot” colors. The Institute chose turquoise as the No. 1 color for 2010 and said it will remain popular well into 2011.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: color trends
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May 26th, 2010
The staff of Mt. Prospect Paint pose with Lee DeWyze. From left: Sandy Sluga, Bill Lagattolla, Lee DeWyze, store manager Mike Binek and Jeff Welton.
Posted by: Diane Capuano
Lee DeWyze, a six-year employee of a paint store in Mt. Prospect, Ill., is the Season 9 winner of “American Idol.” DeWyze prevailed over second-place finisher Crystal Bowersox in a nationally televised finale that aired May 26 and was watched by an audience of at least 26 million people.
The 24-year-old DeWyze grew up just six doors down from the store that is now known as Mt. Prospect Paint. He started working there when he was just 15 years old. After three years, he tried another line of work for a while, but then came back to Mt. Prospect Paint for another three years. DeWyze became a valued employee at the store for his skills as an expert color and stain matcher. However, it was his talent as a singer and musician that led him to try out for “American Idol” in November 2009. He got his “golden ticket” and flew out to Hollywood in January 2010 to pursue his dream. Over the months, he moved from the Top 24 contenders to the Top 10 and eventually to the final dramatic moment when host Ryan Seacrest revealed him as the winner.
Among DeWyze’s most ardent supporters during his “American Idol” journey—outside of his mother, father and brother—were the staff of Mt. Prospect Paint. Owner Bill Lagattolla and the store’s six employees were upbeat about his chances of prevailing Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Lee DeWyze, Mt. Prospect Paint
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May 5th, 2010
Posted by: Diane Capuano
PDRA presented the 2009 Top-of-the-Line Retailer Awards in Las Vegas on Wednesday, May 5. PDRA Executive Vice President Dan Simon made the presentation at the PDRA Show, part of the National Hardware Show, which is taking place this week May 4-6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. A photo of the winners accompanies, taken at the PDRA Booth, is shown at right. Each winner received a plaque as well as a trip to the National Hardware Show to accept their awards in person. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: retail trends, trade shows
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May 4th, 2010
Posted by: Diane Capuano
The crowd at the PDRA Show at the National Hardware Show had its eyes squarely on the future, thanks to a trio of presentations from renowned speakers in the areas of retail trends, demographics and consumer marketing. Presentations drew standing-room-only audiences at the Future Fair Stage, located on the floor of the trade show (shown at right).
Speaker Doug Stephens of Retail Prophet Consulting told the audience about how to attract the post-crisis consumer. He observed that what all of these consumers are looking for is value, and those retailers who provide it will be in a better position than those who don’t. There is no such thing as an average consumer, Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: retail trends, trade shows
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April 26th, 2010
Posted by: Diane Capuano
In today’s economy, more people are struggling to pay their bills—not just consumers but professionals as well. This means that, as a retailer, you are delinquencies are running higher than they have in the past. In particular, many of your professional painting customers are having a hard time of it, and you may think that expecting them to keep current when they are lacking in business is expecting too much. However, keep in mind that you don’t want to put yourself in a hardship just so your customers can sustain themselves. Your first priority is to you, your employees and the viability of your own business. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: business management, collections
Posted in Tips & Tricks | No Comments »
April 6th, 2010
Posted by: Tamela Adamson-McMullen
After months, years and even decades of political haggling, healthcare reform is a reality. Here’s a quick rundown of the new legislation and what small businesses can expect from it:
• The law provides healthcare to 32 million people who are currently uninsured, expands the reach of Medicaid, protects people with preexisting conditions from being denied coverage and allows children to remain on their parents’ insurance plans until they are 26 years of age.
• It also creates “insurance exchanges,” a type of insurance marketplace in which small businesses and individuals can band together and choose health insurance options Read the rest of this entry »
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