I have a confession to make...

by michele 18. March 2014 08:48

I am a terrible procrastinator!

It is over four months since our 40th anniversary and I still haven't written about it. Oh I have tweeted & facebook about it  but they seem like a something quick and without thought.

Oh what a party!! The sun was shining that day both inside and out. The shop was filled with balloons, streamers, bunting up outside, three large cakes and our window filled with 42 raffle prizes. We have wonderful long term realtionships with our suppliers and they were all extremely generous with gifts. We were literally giving away presents all day long. Our foriegn magazine supplier, LPMI, gave us over 100 large boxes of truffles and our main magazine suppliergave us BOXES of magazines to give away. We had chips, candy bars, T-shirts, pins, noise makers for kids, playing cards, umrellas, books, travel mugs, lunch bags, dvd's, stickers and on and on.

Live music always brings a fully charged energy to a gathering and thanks to Mixtape Magazine there were two different acoustic musicians and then a band, Liars on Fire that closed out the party although we didn't want them to stop playing. They obliged us as they were having such fun too!

The party was even outside where The Food Wolf food truck was serving up delicious fare. It was such a success that the Food Wolf will be back in our parking lot each week once the season is up and cooking!

The customers... oh our wonderful customers. We were packed in here, there was laughter, smiles, joy and to sound rather cliche there was a lot of love flyng around in the shop. It was so wonderful to give back to all the really loyal people who choose to come here.

I am also very apprectiative of the media that decided this was a story worth mentioning. CKDU took care of us, CBC has us on the radio, Halifax magazine had us featured in their shopping blog and CTV spent over an hour filming for their evening news.

We were certainly on a high for weeks afterwards from both a job well done and such fantastic energyon the day. My favourite comment summed it all up....."I always feel so welcome, when I left I was walking on air."

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A cultural shift...

by michele 10. April 2013 10:39

Where will we end up?

About 8 months ago there was a distinct shift in my business. I feared it was the effect of the internet on the magazine business. In years pervious I had seen other shifts such as “I saw it on the web, do you have a copy?”The next shift was when they stopped asking that question. Another, has been niche titles using a different business model to get their magazine on the newsstand. Then there was the media blowing things out of proportion with “the death of print” stories. We have also seen the rise and and slow descent in certain categories depending on what's happening in the world. For example, after 911 our house and decorating section took off as people cocooned.

Back in September I felt isolated and I have to admit fear crept in. I began to emerge from my shell when I started asking people in other businesses how things were going. What I heard was they too saw a shift. I have been comforted in learning that it was not magazines alone that have been affected. Just last week I read in Road and Track that the greatest impact of 16 year olds having their drivers license (46% in 1978, 31% in 2008) was the internet. The rites of passage to independence use to include getting a car now it's owning a phone that connects you to everything 24hours a day. Today in New York magazine there was an article stating that fewer people are viewing art “in its natural habitat.”

It doesn't matter what the business or service is we are all being affected by the internet. We are in the middle of a cultural shift and it is taking on momentum. For me it is a lament for the loss of adventure, anticipation, and at times, quality. Everything is so immediate, that time is not taken to work toward, look forward to , wait longingly for something one might desire. Now, it is I want it, I have it , what's next. Will we savour things, treasure a stolen moment, or enjoy the adventure of the journey?

I have joked that the digital natives will one day not have their eyes peeled to their phones, will discover they are in front of the store and decide to step in. There they will find something totally new. They will tell their friends “Check this new thing out, you can flip the pages, it feels really good, hey, it even smells neat, it doesn't blink or flash, I can come back to it over and over again. I like magazines. ”

I am hopeful. After my 15 year old plays x-box with his buddy in a different town, he still enjoys his book later in the evening.

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Open City

by michele 10. May 2012 04:59

Come join the fun

One of the wonderful things about this city of ours is the incredible amount and range of independent retailers & restaurants. We have an entrepreneurial spirit that is creative, conscious, collabrative and determined to do its best to thrive.

As the owners, managers and staff we are proud to bring our best to our customers. Whether it is deliciously prepared food, letterpress cards, fresh fish, enviromentally friendly products, magazines, great wine, garden supplies, craft beer, kitchen supplies or bike rentals, we are hands on searching for unique products, forming great relationships with our customers, suppliers and our fellow business owners, finding ways to make your experience in our places a better one.

This Sat & Sun I Love Local Hfx is celebrating with OPEN CITY sharing what we do best.  This weekend is for you, our customers; businesses have give aways, live music, demonstrations and our restaurants are offering a fun "SIDE DOOR" takeout so you can sample great food that is prepared with care. And the parking is FREE at the Waterfront.

Please check out the website and have FUN!   

 

  

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What makes a great cover?

by michele 4. May 2012 11:32

Well, in my opinion anyway: 

Buddhadharma is on my path to the front cash and I would often be arrested by it's cover.  The simplicity of it is beautiful. The closeup and sharpness of the photograph is enhanced by the golden glow. The text on the cover completely encapsulates the image. We certainly know that it is an anniversary that Maisonneuve is celebrating!! The 10 is wonderfully bold with a clever use of their logo. I have always wondered who the character is that they use. I turned to the masthead and there it is: They refer to him as the "Maisy guy" though he symbolizes Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the founder of Montreal. A big congratulations to you Maisonneuve, a feisty, independent magazine. Last Tues Foreign Policy arrived. Again the simplicity grabs you as it is so startling both in the strongly worded text and the striking image of the eyes staring at you. Garden design has lot more text on its cover but the main "Perfect Courtyard supports the photo. The flames jump off the page as though they are alive and dancing in front of you. 

 

  

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The Start of an Affair

by michele 26. August 2011 03:59

With Twitter!

My attention has been drifting to and away from a blog post. So the other day when I checked to see when I last wrote I was surprised to find that I hadn't done anything since May. That fits though because it was in April that I attended a five week course on social media. (I have to tell you that I really enjoyed going to "class".) l threw myself into Twitter, it completely fascinated me. I loved the medium, the quick bites of information, and the repsonses to some of my tweets. However, like a young passionate love affair it too has moved on to the next stage. Now it is the day to day mechanics but still very fun! I find it a fantastic avenue for Atlantic News. New magazines, great covers, interesting stories are so easy to share through Twitter. So to my newsletter / blog readers my absence has been explained. I will find the balance for all my communications, at least I will try!

By the way my Twitter name is @magsstore 

 

 

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It's that time of year

by michele 31. May 2011 06:50

For another Top Ten List!

It has been 4 years running that People and New Yorker have remained in the top two spots. I love what the selection of top ten domestic titles says about the variety of customers that come through our doors. We always maintain that we have something for everyone. Halifax Magazine has moved up the ranks to knock Dwell off the list. Go Halifax!

For the imports, there is no doubt that Country Living UK is #1. It is the one title that our regular customers wait with bated breath for and can't help but ask "When will it arrive?" It also far ahead of the number 2 spot by almost double the copies sold.

Import Supplier
Domestic Suppler
Country Living UK
New Yorker
Gramaphone
People Weekly
Shambala Sun
Economist
New Scientist
Vanity Fair
Uncut
Hello
Voque UK
MacLeans
London Review of Books
Time
BBC Top Gear
Halifax Magazine
BBC Music
National Enquirer
Mojo
US Weekly

 

Further to my last post on how kind our customers are, we've been touched yet again by more thoughtfulness. One customer made sure he came in before he moved away to say " I officially wanted to say thank-you for being so gracious." Another dropped off a sweet card plus some yummy chocolates because she appreciated the phone calls letting her know her publication arrived. How lucky we are to have so many great customers.

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Musings

by michele 15. April 2011 09:30

Recently there have been several occurances that have lodged themselves in my mind:

Twice now this week our customers have warmed our hearts by coming back to the store to let us know we haven't charged them properly! After an engaging conversation at the cash, a lady got home and realized that one of her magazines wasn't rung in. Down her husband came to pay. Today a customer ate a chocolate bar in the store and then came to the counter with a second one. He paid for it, left and actually made it across the bridge when he realized that he hadn't paid for the one he consumed . Immediately back he came, all for $ 1.48

How fortunate we are in our customers, our gratitude for your kindness....

Just the other day a customer came to the counter carrying a Lapham's Quarterly. I thought I heard his companion ask what the magazine was about. It appeared to me that the customer was struggling to reply. It was great to be able to let him know how Lapham himself describes it.  At a conference I attended, his quip was " The council of the Dead." The magazine is like no other and is beautifully executed, from its single themed issues, unique simple covers, paper quality to the contributors of course. Abraham Lincoln, Charlotte Bronte, Virgil, Pliny the Elder, Karl Marx, Zhuangzi, Emile Zola are just a few.

 

Scotia Bank currently has online, the " Small Business Big Impact" challenge. I LOVE Local Halifax has signed up believing we are doing the right thing for our community, customers and businesses by collaborating on marketing initiatives and community projects.

Please take a minute to support I love Local HFX and add your vote.  

http://challenge.getgrowingforbusiness.scotiabank.com/entry/4188459

 

 

 

 

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The Promise of Spring

by michele 23. March 2011 14:48

Is in the air

We sure can see each season's pending arrival even before it is truly here. Our baseball & gardening sections are bursting with abundance. Magazines have fresh greens and bright colours. Our cooking magazines are heralding spring dishes and Bon Appetit proclaims "Spring Finally! 33 Market Fresh Ideas" Of course with Spring comes cleaning but I think most people really like the act of airing out their homes and the work that accompanies that. I certainly do. Real Simple would like to help us make the job easier with their "Spring Cleaning Shortcuts." V magazine arrived with covers that really remind me of Easter colours ( even though the subject isn't exactly sweetness and innocence!)

Bring on Spring.

 

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What a great week

by michele 18. February 2011 07:55

Lots of great new issues

I love Tuesdays, which we call Magazine Day. It is our largest shipment day so it is always interesting to see if anything intriques us on the covers while we are trying to process the magazines. It can get quite distracting at times. With teasers like "Google, Is the coolest company already over the hill?"- Canadian Business; " 1 Million Workers, 90 Million iPhones, 17 Suicides...Should you care?" - Wired and " Just Food, How to fix our food system" - Alternatives, I was indeed intriqued. Plus there was " Print me a Stradivarius, The manufacturing technology that will change the world" - The Economist and Why machines will never beat the human mind" - The Atlantic. Now it is just a matter of figuring out when I am going to read them! ( I just linked the magazines and strangely the first three were previous issues that were still listed as current issues on their websites. Nice to think that newsstands have the magazines available first!)

 I am also very proud to let you know that we received the Bronze Award for Small Business of the Year at the Halifax Business Awards. The Chamber of Commerce put on a special evening

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And the Winner is......

by michele 21. January 2011 03:29

We'll find out next Thurs.

Next week is the Halifax Business Awards put on by the Chamber of Commerce. We have be nominated for Small Business of the Year along with Be Well Spa, Bishops Cellar, DSM Telecom, and Moksha Yoga. I am so pleased to have our business nominated and really feel that that is the award in itself. It is wonderful to know that someone thinks enough of our business to put our name in. There is a very satisfying sense of validation that comes with this nomination.

 

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About the author

I was born in Yarmouth and grew up in Chester. I have lived on a sailboat, travelled to Zimbabwe, and lived in England where I worked in a fabulous country house hotel. While in England I met Stephen and then brought him home to Nova Scotia. Now I am a wife, mother of two great kids, and a businesswoman. Life is good.