Image property of Chute Gerdeman

In celebration of National Cheese Lover’s Day, we’ve decided to share our latest finds in cheese shops with you. While we love the dairy delight, there’s nothing we’re more passionate about than retail! So here’s a combination of both retail and cheese!

Recently out and about in Brooklyn, our resident retail intelligence agents, Bess & Jay, spotted Stinky Bklyn and The Bedford Cheese Shop.

Continue reading “Celebrating National Cheese Lover’s Day” »

Images via frame.com, mwnails.com

Editor’s Note: Once in awhile we come across something noteworthy and we we want to share it with our readers. However, due to a variety of reasons (it’s too new to obtain research, it’s in a far-away land that we can’t quite reach, etc.) we don’t quite know what to do about it other than tell you “Hey. This is amazing and you should know about it.” Show & Tell is a collection of those recent things.

1. At one time just for moving cargo, the shipping container is now used frequently as a stand alone retail structure, a pop-up space inside a store or as a permanent fixture. Starbucks’ recent introduction of the shipping container takes it to a new level complete with a drive-thru. Built to LEED green building standards, Starbucks has converted four used containers into a drive-thru pop-up shop in Tukwila, Washington. According to a Starbucks spokesperson the company wanted to recycle the shipping containers that ship the brand’s coffee and tea around the world. Check out the Business Insider or the The Seattle Times to read more.

2. MWnails, a new nail salon in London, takes customers to first class with an airplane interior design. Created from a real American Airlines Boeing 737, the menu of services is displayed on a ticker-like board with all treatments cleverly travel-inspired with names like “The Mile High,” “Shanghai Shape” and “Fiji Full Set.” Employees are dressed for flight in 1970’s style flight attendant attire and frequent fliers are rewarded with MWmiles (loyalty cards). Gift certificates were even created to look like old-school boarding passes. Book your MWnails flight and stay up to speed by following them on Facebook.

3. Three nostalgic items of Dutch culture—bread, cheese and tulips—get prominent display in the new retail space at the Schiphol Airport Lounge 3 in Amsterdam. The “Say Cheese” area utilizes a circular counter mirroring the shape of the traditional cheese wheel, and the windmill-inspired “Bread” area uses an ash wood shelf system for displaying the product. “House of Tulips” brings new meaning to the word “pop-up” by incorporating a pulley system that allows the glass greenhouse to elevate during business hours and then descend when the space is closed. Check out this YouTube video to see it in action.

© 2011 Google, Map Data © 2011 Google. Inset image property of Chute Gerdeman.

While I was home in Toronto for the holidays, I did what I do best—shop, and take spy shots!

The most noteworthy store I spotted on my outing was the new Loblaws grocery store that opened in the old Maple Leaf Gardens.

Home to the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, the arena was built in 1931 for hockey games, basketball games, concerts, boxing matches and many political events. I saw my first concert there—Bruce Springsteen. The center had been closed for years since the new Air Canada Centre opened, but over the holidays, Maple Leaf Gardens re-opened as a retail center which includes a Joe Fresh clothing store, a LCBO liquor store and the 85,000 square feet of amazing Loblaws!

Continue reading “Loblaws takes over a historical landmark” »

© 2011 Google, Map Data © 2011 Google, Sanborn. Inset image property of Chute Gerdeman.

Probably no city boasts more restaurants per capita than San Francisco. That said, there is usually no shortage of exotic olfactory stimulation in every neighborhood. So I was bit surprised (but decidedly happy) when my nose caught the undeniable scent of grilled hamburgers right on Market Street. Like the burger-hound I am, I followed the scent to a hip little enclave appropriately called Super Duper.

Continue reading “Love at first bite” »

Image property of Chute Gerdeman

Happy Holidays from all of us at Chute Gerdeman.

We’ll be taking a hiatus from blogging over the next two weeks, but we look forward to bringing you more posts after the new year.

1. A tiny, little broom car that sweeps up pencil shavings. It’s from a former client who has art supply stores in Japan.

2. A wooden cow that has no particular significance whatsoever. She is named Buttercup.

3. A wooden gavel that I use to pound on the wooden car.

4. The kazoo that I played for Bruce Springsteen. I’ve been friends with Bruce since back in my Jersey girl days and I had the chance to horrify him with a kazoo solo at sound-check.

5. Blue Tic Tacs to enjoy when I’m out of blue gum. They’re my favorite flavor—blue.

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And here’s a little bit about the lady behind this desk…

Gayle is first and foremost a team player. She’s on the front line of our business development efforts and is often the first point of contact for potential new relationships. Her positive outlook, strategic mindset and sly sense of humor make life-long connections out of many of her clients. Always quick with a smile or a story, Gayle’s a great listener, is brutally honest and can locate the bright side of any situation. Now in her second tour of duty with CG, she’s proud to be part of the Chute Gerdeman team again.

To read more about Gayle, please visit The Gist.