Tag Archives: pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Retail lends its support to Small Business Saturday® and drives commerce to small businesses.

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Pittsburgh, PA – November 6, 2016 –  Pittsburgh Retail today announced its participation in this year’s Small Business Saturday, taking place on November 26th. Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting local small businesses and strengthening and celebrating communities across the country.

On Saturday, November 26th, Pittsburgh Retail will be working with a local paper, The Northside Chronicle, and the local businesses within the Northside of Pittsburgh for a day of shopping with a special contest for prizes available for free in the monthly hyper-local paper, and additional pop-up events for shopping, broadcasting, and attracting customers to the vibrant business districts within the community from 11AM-6PM.

Created by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday serves as the ceremonial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for small businesses across the United States. In 2015, 95 million consumers shopped at small businesses on Small Business Saturday and spent an estimated $16.2 billion at independent retailers and restaurants on the day, according to the 2015 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey.1 The day was also championed by elected officials in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., including President Obama.

Pittsburgh Retail recognizes the importance of supporting small businesses, the jobs they help create, and the culture they instill in local communities. According to the U.S. Small Businesses Administration, as of 2014, small businesses nationwide accounted for 63% of net new private-sector jobs created and represented 99.7% of firms with paid employees.2

Merchants and consumers can learn more about Small Business Saturday and how to get involved by visiting ShopSmall.com.

Contacts:

S Lauren Stauffer
Pittsburgh Retail
pghretail@gmail.com

American Express
212-640-8055
Jane.e.dileo@aexp.com

ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

November 26th marks the seventh annual Small Business Saturday, a day to support the small businesses that can create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday was created in 2010 in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: more customers.

1Estimates are based on consumer self-reported data from the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey by National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and American Express (November 30, 2015) and do not reflect actual receipts or sales.

2Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy Frequently Asked Questions, March 2014.

Pittsburgh Summer Event Opportunities

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For those just getting in to the open air markets for extra cash and experimentation of retailing products, or are fully fledged seasonal caravans of scaled product lines and banking wholesale accounts; between May and December you’re getting busy or booked.

Pittsburgh has seen a surge of outdoor markets expand and new venues come to life.

PGHretail has been blessed enough with the opportunity to assist in developing markets and connecting commerce players: consumers + makers.  Cedar Arts Market began as an assistance to the flea market that had been slowly picking back up through volunteer organization in the Allegheny Commons East Park.

Through CAM, we joined the Deutschtown Music Festival for their annual July show full of free music provided by 150+ bands, street vendors, beer gardens, and community engagement for the last two years in the same park.  Now in their fourth year, the festival organizers are calling all artists to join them this year.

http://deutschtownmusicfestival.org/vendor-booth-request/

Last August, CAM sponsored the Pittsburgh VegFest in their first-ever event in Allegheny Commons. With their loyal and eager audience, the all-vegan experience has expanded with twice as many vendors and is also in July for 2016. Vendor spaces are strictly for vegan friendly products and

https://pittsburghvegfest.org/vegfest-2016/

Having moved to organizing a new workshop series after the 2015 CAM outdoor market season closed, PGHretail helped to connect I Made It! Market to the Northside at the new Nova Place (Allegheny Center).  With their partnership, the annual IMI! for the Holidays was held for the first time on the Northside. The breadth of artists that Carrie Nardini, owner and organizer, works with is inspiring and central to how IMI! (and Neighborhood Flea) is able to expand and be part of almost every neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

New markets for IMI! this year are: Wholey’s on the weekends, Open Streets,  and Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank Feed More Festival.

http://imadeitmarket.com/events/

Specific to the Northside and not a regular selling opportunity; the Block Party Pgh hosts a once of month outdoor block party! The organizers are looking for hyper-local artists and crafters interested in holding a table with kids and/or adult art and/or craft projects.  These interactions can be viewed as practice talking about your art, using member participation to build your art, or providing a canvas for public art for the community.

http://blockpartypgh.com/

Interested artists can contact: ben@blockpartypgh.com

If you’ve made it through to this sentence, you may have ascertained that Cedar Arts Market has been placed on hold for 2016 as we make room to work on other projects and allow our partners to expand on the collective networks built to support communities, in common interest and on common ground.

Stay tuned for the next announcement!

Historic Deutschtown Business District

Recent developments in the Northside for retail are growing with new urban mall re-branding, lofts, hotels, breweries, and more. Local groups collectively developed a marketing video to highlight one of the most prominent business districts in the Northside community, East Ohio Street, which is part of Historic Deutschtown.

Learn more about the neighborhood and business opportunities from the links highlighted at the end of the video:

deutschtown.org/

pittsburghnorthside.com/

nscdfund.org/

northsidechamberofcommerce.com/

This video was also sponsored by The Buhl Foundation‘s #onenorthside campaign and The Sprout Fund.

Register for October 28th Square Workshop

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NEW! CAM: Building Micro-Entrepreneurs

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SUPPORT OUR FREE WORKSHOP SERIES
As a big THANK YOU! to everyone who donates, we will send you an email report after the workshop series with what was shared, what we learned, and what’s next! So, even if you’re unable to make a workshop, you’ll still receive a part of each class.

https://www.ioby.org/project/cam-growing-micro-entrepreneurs

Our local sponsor, The Sprout Fund, will match your donation up to $1,000.  Your contribution is greatly appreciated!

Monthly workshop series beginning in September through December 2015.

Location: Crazy Mocha (Northside of Pittsburgh)
2 E North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Wednesday’s from 5:30PM – 7:00PM
Arrive early and grab a warm tea latte, or enjoy a handmade sandwich, to support our local venue for hosting these free micro-workshops.

Limited seating to 12 people, first come-first serve basis.
Workshop Series Registration Here

October 28th:  “Square Reader; Outside the Box”

November 18th: “Minimal Prep to Maximize Your Write-Offs: Utilizing Google Docs”

December 16th: “Open Help Session & Holiday Party”

2016 Workshops
“Hobby-to-Home Business Prep”
To be held in early 2016. If interested, fill out the registration form to get on the mailing list. Workshop Series Registration Here

Crowdfunding For Free Skill Sharing Events

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As of today, we need just $96 more dollars…

to unlock our matching funds and reach our ultimate goal. Each donation, no matter how large or small, will receive an emailed report on all events in the series that you get whether you can attend the workshop(s) or not. Support this programming by donating a small investment of your own at:
https://www.ioby.org/project/cam-growing-micro-entrepreneurs

NEW! CAM: Growing Micro-Entrepreneurs
Register for the first workshop here: http://goo.gl/forms/wuCWnFRlMG

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Pittsburgh Retail worked with community groups on the Northside of Pittsburgh to bring another year of Cedar Arts Market to Allegheny Commons East Park.  With the help of a supporting grant we were able to sponsor and introduce the first Pittsburgh VegFest this past August.

When offered the opportunity to raise funds for an extension of the program, it was a great time to begin a different series of events that offered skill-sharing for organization and fundamental bookkeeping by using the best available mobile and tech applications out there.

Micro-entrepreneurs aren’t a new thing, what is different though, is the latest technology.  Now more than ever are individuals easily able to make a quick investment with rewarding outcomes.  Software companies are releasing new partnerships daily that overlap functions to streamline user access, time, and return value on often free programs.

That is where CAM’s new series, Growing Micro-Entrepreneurs, is focusing on and highlighting specific applications, benefits, and tips to streamline the back-end of your retail business.  Hey Baby! Boutique owner, Karyn Pope, who creates, markets, and sells her wares throughout Western Pennsylvania has set up a system based on her knowledge and past experience as an accountant.

These workshops are open and free to the public, are intended for beginners and seasoned retailers.  If you are new to, or interested in learning more about, mobile POS systems,  preparing business taxes, utilizing applications and updated features of favorite office tools like, Google and Excel, then this workshop series is for you.

Summer Sponsored Markets 2015

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PGHRetail has been organizing and sponsoring community events and markets since 2011.  It’s gratifying to be a resource for opportunities and networking to grow our local economy in a multitude of ways.  When groups of people come together for a similar mission, great things happen and attract future prosperity by nurturing those endeavors. Your support means the most to each individual involved, and for that I’d like to thank anyone and everyone who’s been part of this five year journey.  To many more moments together for our mutual dreams that no amount of money can buy.

Our organized events will be held in the North Side of Pittsburgh in Allegheny Commons Park.  Check out the Events Page for more details about the Cedar Arts Markets.

For more local on-going summer events around the city, there are a few resources PGHretail has worked with in the past below. Many other resources are out there if you’re not seeing events in your neighborhood. Check with your businesses and community groups for their events and opportunities to partner.

Second Shift Crafters
I Made It! Market
Neighborhood Flea
CitiParks Farmer’s Markets

Augmented Reality for Retail Advertising

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Featuring Layar, a scanning app for print media, adding more digital layers to your shopping and reading experience.

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We were excited to try out our print advertising for Designer Deals Downtown in the November and December editions in the first local magazine in Pittsburgh, and nationally, to use this new technology in their printed media.

Find NightWire every month at a local distributor and download the app to view more to the ads: videos, websites, and deals!

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Want to know more about how to use this new technology for your retail business? Email pghretail [at] gmail.com for your first free consulting meeting.

NEXT Pittsburgh: California Markets

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I was delighted to talk to Traci Cierto earlier in August about the the California Markets and it’s future in the California Ave. Business District in Brighton Heights. 

You can read more about ourBiz Buzz project and others here ===>> nextpittsburgh.com/

New! The Cedar Arts Market

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Cedar Art Markets in the Northside of Pittsburgh this summer!

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Join us for the new Cedar Arts Market in the Allegheny Commons Park East every Second Saturday this summer beginning on June 14th.

In partnership with the Community Alliance of Spring Garden and East Deutschtown, the Cedar Arts Market will be joining the annual Allegheny Commons Flea Market from 10:00am – 4:oopm.

Early birds can begin their shopping at the Allegheny Commons Flea Market from 8:30am – 2:00pm

Markets are located on the corners of Cedar Ave. at E Ohio St. at the end of East Deutschtown Business District.

Special TRIPLE EVENT on July 12th with the 2nd Annual Deutschtown Music Festival! Check out the Cedar Market page for more details.

Interested vendors can apply at the Become A Vendor! page.

Visit PGHretail Facebook to join and share the events with your community:

June 14th
July 12th
August 9th
September 13th

Connect Card Rewards

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The Port Authority of Pittsburgh has made leaps and bounds by activating the Connect Card program to make bus fare more efficient and data collection to adjust routes.

PGHretail was able to sit down with Port Authority directors to discuss retail marketing initiatives, primarily, the rebranding of their Riders Rewards.

The Port Authority is moving as quickly as they can to meet demands of public transit riders and partner with local businesses to add value to users of the Connect Card.

You can see a list of current participants of Connect Rewards here.

What deals would you like to see on there? Any local businesses you frequent often on your bus routes you’d enjoy additional rewards at? Go ahead and let us know right here in the comments or by email at pghretail [@] gmail dot com.