Posts Tagged ‘shopping’

Buying Local Week

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

On the heels of my buying local post comes this post from Michelle V at Cleveland Foodie.  This is a reprint of her blog post.  She is a great blogger about the local food scene and worth the time every day to read.  You will know more about Cleveland food and restaurants than anyone in town!

What buying local means and why you should: July 3-10

It means that $48 million would be kept right here in Ohio. Yes, $48 million. According to COSE, if everyone in NEO pledged to redirect $100 locally, that much would be kept right here. Additionally, for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 stays in the local economy, creating jobs and expanding the region’s tax base. Alternatively, for every $100 spent at a national chain store, only $14 remains in the community.

Buying locally means supporting your neighbors. It means buying your groceries from the local farmers’ market, West Side Market, Heinen’s or neighborhood CSA. It means dining out at Greenhouse Tavern, Sun Luck Garden, Ohio City Burrito or Fire. It means grabbing your morning coffee from Phoenix or Loop (or even Blackbird coupled with the ridiculously good chocolate-cherry loaf). Seeing a movie at Cedar Lee. Picking up some fun treats and cool threads at Banyan Tree, Stash Style, Room Service or Wrath Arcane. Having a beer after work at your neighborhood bar. Taking dry cleaning to that mom and pop place up the street, or buying flowers for your wife at that little shop right next door. It means doing business with those that are as committed to our area as we are – that are giving back to the community, to our economy and are making a choice to do business right here and in return providing us the best quality product possible.

If you read this blog regularly, chances are I’m preaching to the choir. So let’s take this opportunity and spread the message to our friends and families. Let’s get them to commit to buying local for one week and see the difference it can make.

For the second year in a row, COSE and I Buy NEO are putting together “Buy Local” week from July 3rd – 10th to encourage Northeast Ohioans to support the area’s small businesses by pledging to spend $100 locally. You can learn more about the cause here and even get a discount card to use at over 40 area businesses now through August.

I remember this campaign from last year and it was going on not just here, but all around the country.  Local food is tastier & healthier and buying anything local helps to support the local economy.  Do your best to keep your money close to home, though as I noted earlier, it doesn’t always work out.

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Can you afford to buy local?

Monday, June 28th, 2010

I am a firm believer in supporting the local economy.  I also believe in supporting small business.  Being sustainable means taking a long term look at the decisions that we make and making choices that best benefit ourselves, our communities and our planet.  But can we always afford to make the best choices?

There have been plenty of studies that tell us that consumers prefer to buy green products.  They want locally made, locally sources environmentally friendly goods.  Unfortunately, when it comes down to it, they are less likely to pay much of a premium for these products.  I can relate.  The last year has not been kind to many people.  The downturn in the economy has been difficult at best and devastating at worst.  Many people I know still have not returned to work.  When times are tight, it is harder to remain steadfast in your resolve.  We are no exception.  When making our buying decisions, We still  buy most of our fresh foods at farmers markets, but a bigger part of my food budget is going to places like Deals and Wal Mart, as we struggle to stretch those dollars whenever we can.  I still insist on toilet tissue made from recycled paper.  But we have a small household with no children, and we need less in the way of clothes and other goods.

A friend of mine shared the following story with me:

I thought of you yesterday and the LED buying situation in Cleveland. I started painting my son’s room. When I went to get the paint, I first went to Sherwin Williams… A gallon of paint there is $32. I was told that I couldn’t get the dark blue color I wanted in the zero VOC or any other dark blue shade for that matter.  When I was in Lowe’s the zero VOC was $20 and I could get any shade I wanted. My budget for this room was tight, so even though I wanted to buy local, it just wasn’t workable!
Just a little anecdote I thought I’d share with you – it’s much more understandable to me now on this level! :)

I do not want to get into the debate of quality versus quantity.  The truth is, when times are tight, making the decision to buy local, buy more environmentally friendly, or even buying more nutritional becomes harder and harder to do.  Compound that with the fact that much of our local food is not sold in any local markets, and that a majority of the produce sold at the West Side Market comes from the same suppliers as Giant Eagle.  Top it off with the loss of manufacturing in the region and you are left with relatively few local goods to buy to support the local economy.  (sorry American Greetings and Bonnie Bell, but I stopped sending paper cards a few years ago, and I found that lip gloss doesn’t suit me!)When times are good, it is easy to decide to spend an extra 10% or more on better ingredients and goods from local producers.  When times are tough, however, the decisions get even tougher.  I would prefer to shop at Heinen’s, Acme, or another local food store, but If I were to drive the 5-10 miles or more to support local, the trade off is in emissions as I am blocks from Steelyard Commons.

So, how do you make YOUR buying decisions?  Do you have certain items that you insist must be local or eco-friendly?  What about the stores that you choose to support?

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TEDxCLE Cleveland has a future in fashion!

Monday, March 8th, 2010

I have to preface these post with a shout out:  the images are from Kyle Roth, a local photographer who does beautiful work and who is a big champion of Cleveland, be sure to read his blog at North Coast Lifestyle and Epstein Design Partners.

Did you know that up until about the 1950′s Cleveland had one of the largest garment districts outside NYC? Well. we did. Thankfully, we have cool designers like those from Wrath Arcane putting us back on the fashion map.  From the TEDxCLE website:

WRATH ARCANE was started on January 3rd, 2006 when Cleveland boutique owner Brian O’neill called Cleveland designer and long-time friend Sean Bilovecky. The next day the two began tossing around ideas and making patterns. By the end of April ’06 WRATH ARCANE had developed a small production run (Spring ’06) and was in Brian’s store www.clothingbrigade.com for WRATH’s first official release party. Within two weeks, the line had 100% sell-through.

Since then, WRATH ARCANE has grown into an international menswear label. Although being based in Cleveland has presented WRATH ARCANE with challenges that an average clothing line would not have to face, their location, both geographic and economic, has been crucial in enabling the label to define who it is and what it wants to say.

The talk was filled with humor and fun.  We got to see a history of the clothing line in pictures. Clothing Brigade needed private label lines and Wrath Arcane was the team.  Their approach is respectable and admireable.  All the clothes they are making are made int he USA.  They keep their clothing money in the US, from pattern to pieces.  They added hats and shoes and are sourcing them from America as well.   They are really about the clothes and the looks, not about the models & bull that comes from most of the fashion industry.  They make careful choices when it comes to their fabric choices, things like wax cotton that is durable, repels water and lasts forever.  they managed to get noticed by staying true to themselves and to their vision.  They build collections that are based on clothes that are for everyone.  I have to say that nearly every piece of clothing that I saw on the screen was something I would wear.  I love these designs.  And I love that they are involved in DPA:  Domestically Produced Activism.  By choosing rightly what you put into the things you make, you can influence the world around you.

Look for Wrath Arcane at a store near you.  Made in USA, made in Cleveland!

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TEDxCLE Get your Room Service

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

<I have to preface these post with a shout out:  the images are from Kyle Roth, a local photographer who does beautiful work and who is a big champion of Cleveland, be sure to read his blog at North Coast Lifestyle and Epstein Design Partners.

If you have ever thought about opening your own business then you know what Danielle DeBoe went through before she opened her fantastic shop in Gordon Square that is known as Room Service. I won’t go into here how much I like her shop.  I have already waxed poetic on a number of occasions about the great shops on Detroit near W. 65th and why I love them.  Instead I want to comment on Danielle’s talk, Living A Passionate Life.

Following what you are passionate and committed to what you really believe in, led her to this spot in her life.  She did everthing that she did to the best of her ability and made it happen, whether it was working in the film industry in LA, to set design, to interior design, to merchandising and buying for stores both large and small.  All this led her to buying and opening her own store.  Little did she know that when she started to look back on her life, she realized that all she did was follow the path laid in front of her, and she was daring enough to follow it.

She spoke about her trip to Paris and enjoying a dinner party of strangers at the home of Jim Haines. She talked about how she was on a buying trip to NYC and while the streets were so crowded, she could easily have been alone as no one seemed connected to one another. That is what she loves about her current spot in Gordon Square. This is a real neighborhood. She knows her clients and she knows the guys who make her coffee by name. She knows her neighbors and considers them friends. Knowing all these people around her makes the world a little bit smaller. A world that is just a little bit smaller is a great thing, s it makes us better and the world a brighter place.

The gist of her entire talk was to follow your passion. Do what you love and are good at, and do it to the best of your ability. Be passionate and enjoy life. next time you have an idea, don’t think “That’s a cool idea, somebody should totally do that.” Instead change just a couple of words and say, “That is a cool idea. I am totally going to do that!”

Danielle’s shop, Room Service can be found on Detroit Ave just west of W.65th. She is a strong supporter of local business and artists. She followed her passion to open her store and with a desire to promote local products, and stared the great event Made in 216. This is an event that features the best arts, artisans, and producers in Cleveland. The first event was such a huge success that she had to expand to a larger space and hold it across the street. Now venodrs and shoppers alike flock to Gordon Square for this event.

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What are you wearing to the prom-something for the guys…

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

While the economy has not been pretty for many, the Euclid corridor project played as especially hard toll on some of downtown’s retailers.  One such retailer is a company that has been an icon for downtown for 21 years.  The store is M Lang, executive attire.  Originally an inhabitant of the Statler building, they moved to their current locale about 13 years ago.  I admit that I had seen the store in passing, but I had never gone inside.  So when I wrote about the  benefit for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program, I decided to come down and check out the place.  What I found actually blew me away.  I was warmly greeted by the staff, and later by Mr. Lang himself.  Thinking I would only find simply business clothes for the “white shirt and blue suit” crowd, I never imagined to find so many hip styles and cool clothes.  And I never expected to find a cocktail bar.

So here is the scoop on the store.  They started the store as a way to provide great clothes to a market that loved them.  Little did they know that shopping downtown would become so sad, as Clevelanders fled to the suburbs.  But they believed in what they did and in the importance of downtown.  They just got sharper.  They bought smarter, choosing selections that would appeal to the stylish and those who wish they were.  

They do custom tailoring, but specialize in ready to wear.  They chose labels that run the gamut, so you are sure to find something that fits you “”just right.”  You are also likely to find cool styles that you won’t find at the mall.  I saw great shirts and sports coats that were very hip.  But this is not your hoodie and jeans kind of store.  This is the place to get that great button up ans sports coat that will make you the envy of everyone in the room.  

Now about that bar.  What in the world made them decide that they wanted a liquor license?  When some became available, they decided it was the perfect way to add to the shopping experience.  Why not make shopping more fun?  Mr Lang also thought that this was the best way to really build up relationships with his clients.  In the days before cell phones, internet, and the bustle of the mall, when a man wanted a new shirt of a new suit, he went to a shop that knew his tastes.  He  could be assured of finding something that suited his aesthetic and matched the occasion.  The latest styles from fashion forward places like NY and Italy were available.  M lang seems to capture this old world feeling.  Since there is no really great place to have a cocktail before a show at the nearby Playhouse Square, or to unwind after a rough day, m lang fills the void.  Now that the Euclid corridor is finished, and developer money seems to be flowing again, they are in a good position to benefit from the investment in the area. They are even updating their name to m lang executive attire and cocktails.  

I believe in shopping local and helping our area businesses prosper-especially those who believe in giving back.  Remember that benefit?  They raised over $2500 for Big Brothers and Big Sisters.  Cleveland was once known as a hopping mecca and the sidewalks were crowded with people eager to part with their hard earned dough to get something really great.  We can make it that way again.  For really cool hip clothes that will make you feel like a million bucks go to:

M.Lang Executive Attire
1275 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, OH 44115-1821
Phone:  (216) 771-4197
Email: mike@mlang.com

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What are you wearing to the Prom-the girls side…

Friday, February 26th, 2010

My friend Rebecca is an avid believer in charity works.  This dress sale is the same as what she and her friends and family worked so hard to put on last year.  It’s in Youngstown and will benefit a local non-profit called the Silver Lining Cancer Fund.  They provide financial assistance to Youngstown area cancer patients.  Typically it’s $150/month, and you can use it toward fuel for your car or transport service for your appointment (especially if your insurance doesn’t cover transportation), meds that your insurance doesn’t cover, supplies, groceries, etc.  They’re incredible!

My dad lost his 6 year battle with cancer in April of 2008.  Chemotherapy, radiation and two heart attacks took their toll.  In 2006, my aunt found out about the Silver Lining Cancer Fund.  They’re a non-profit designed to provide financial assistance to Youngstown/Warren/Western PA cancer patients.  They were a huge source of support to our parents.  We asked that instead of flowers for his funeral, people make donations to Silver Lining in our dad’s memory.

To honor him, we decided to host a recycled formal wear sale and donate 100% of our proceeds to the Silver Lining Cancer Fund.  We called it “Dress for a Dream”, and we made $1500 in donations.  Due to the success of last year, we decided to do it again this year.

On Saturday, March 27th we’ll be hosting our 2nd annual formal wear sale to benefit the Silver Lining Cancer Fund from 10am-2pm at St. Dominic’s Parish Center on Southern Blvd. We’re currently accepting donations of prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses and cocktail/party/formal dresses (shoes, jewelry, and purses too!).  The dresses are being sold for $10 per dress ($20 for a wedding dress) with 100% of the proceeds going to the Silver Lining Cancer Fund. With the economic climate as scary as it is, we understand that some families may not be able to afford a luxury item such as a prom dress.

People can feel free to check us out on Facebook at:

2nd Annual Dress For a Dream Sale

Or follow us on Twitter:

@dressforadream

Or call/email us:

Rebecca Murray-Strong (for Cleveland/Akron donations)

216-496-8442

strong.rebecca3@gmail.com

Rachel Murray (for Youngstown/Warren/Western PA donations)

Murray.rachel@att.com

330-402-7173

Cathy Murray (for Youngstown/Warren/Western PA donations)

330-501-8447

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Where to spend your money…

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

I sometimes miss the great competition that is the grocery industry of the west coast.  Among other things, innovation and customer service are pushed to the limits when there are more people vying for your basic dollar.  In Cleveland, we have seen very little of this.  With the closing of Tops, and other smaller chains, there is little incentive for companies to give back or to be invested in their communities.  Last year, Giant Eagle built a nice big store on 117th, but I believe they went just over the line into Lakewood, leaving two empty stores in the wake of this move.  No commitment to the community.  What will fill these big empty storefronts remains to be seen.  Perhaps we could beg a company like Safeway to show Cleveland how it is done.  Check out their Corporate Social Responsibility video below.  In all fairness and full disclosure, I want to say that we have done some work for Safeway.  That being said, it has little to do with the great things that they are doing.

Part of the problem with the world is that we put too much emphasis on profits and not people. Safeway is one of the largest retailers in the world. They are an example of how you can both make money and do good things.

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Foodies for kids…Koodies!

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

I was just turned on to a new website.  It is called Koodies.  Koodies is a play on kids and foodies and it is the brainchild of Supermarket Guru Phil Lambert.  Lambert was realizing that as the world seems to be spinning faster, less and less parents are cooking at home.  When they do cook, they have less time to include the kids.  The result is that even less children are learning how to cook.

What’s the big deal?  We are already a nation that has a huge problem with childhood obesity and diabetes.  Not knowing what is in the foods that we eat is part of this issue.   So kids (and many of their parents), do not understand that a McDonald’s lunch has between 30 and 50 grams of fat.  Hell, many do not realize that you need to even worry about how much fat we consume.  We also have very little connection to the food that we eat.  People do not realize how food is grown, what it takes to produce it, and how tenuous our system is.  Without our connection to the products that we consume, how can we expect anyone to care about changing the system.

So enter Phil Lambert and his new interactive community called Koodies.  Loaded with videos like “Harry Makes Alfredo Sauce” and “Simple Fruit Tart.”  You can share recipes, see pictures of food and other kids, and learn about things like kumquats.  You can even win an iPod nano.  This is an interactive community so you can not just learn from experts, but also from other parents and kids.  This is a chance for you to teach and learn with your kids.  Lambert realizes that the kids of today are the consumers of tomorrow.  In order to make the next generation less dependent on restaurants and more reliant on themselves, and to keep the art of cooking at home alive, we need to engage children now.  I encourage you to all check it out and see how you can make a connection with your kids (or even your grandkids).

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Want to sell some food?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

found this on LinkedIn…

Natural Foods Market for Sale:

Old-fashioned, neighborhood natural foods market nestled near the heart of Eugene, Oregon. At 95 years, the store is the oldest grocer in the city, and has been running as a natural grocer for 39 yrs, making it the longest-established health food store in the city. Products include organic and conventional lines with a focus on local, an all organic produce section, bulk foods, ready to eat deli, wine, beer, vitamins, supplements, and basic groceries.

Includes S-Corp., long-term lease, website with PHP product database, commercial kitchen plan and a business plan. Realistic potential to increase sales from the current $1.3+ million/year to $2.1+ million by year end 2013. Training also negotiable. Staffs 10-15 employees.

Financials

Sales: Consistently $1.3 million/year
Profit Margin: 28-33% average overall
Asking Price: $350,000 + inventory

Website

http://newfrontiermarket.com

Inquiries please contact Paul at sustainablefoodservice.com.

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Oberlin could get a new grocery and distribution center…

Monday, February 8th, 2010

I wrote before about the plans to turn a defunct grocery store into a new grocer and distribution center.  Among the plans for the site are a cafe, organic produce, green paper goods, and wholesale distribution.  Think Costco meets Whole Foods.  Adaptive reuse of the existing building means less wasted empty real estate.  Among the things discussed were solar power, geothermal, bio fuels, waterless urinals, tying to the bike path, storm water management, and grey water reuse.  Here are a few of the preliminary renderings for the project just to wet your appetite.

Model of the Oberlin site

one look at the inside

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