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 Pacific Merchants Acaciaware Square Bowl with Base, Made of Acadia Hardwood $14.95 Whether you're looking for a gift to give or a gift for yourself; whether you're looking for something for the holidays, special occasions or every day use, Acaciaware is an exceptional choice. The Acaciaware Square Bowl with Base is perfectly sized for serving sides, snacks and treats. It measures 7 by 7 by 3-inch. Acaciaware, by Pacific Merchants, is the highest quality and best valued Acacia woodenware available on the market; the bowls are hand turned from one solid piece of Acacia hardwood and the serving pieces are hand carved, making each one a unique, sculptured work of art! Acaciaware is a dense, naturally resinous hardwood which, by its very nature, resists penetration by water and will not absorb stains or odors. Acaciaware also means "easy care". Hand wash with warm soapy water and air dry. It doesn¡Çt typically require oil but, if for some reason it appears to be drying out, simply use a non-toxic mineral oil to restore the wood grain to its original beauty. Creating high quality woodenware is not Pacific Merchants only concern, they are also concerned about the environment. Their wood sources do not harm the environment by using "slash and burn" methods of harvesting trees. All of their wood is "harvested with care" meaning that the trees they use are harvested legally from privately owned lands, which are highly regulated and monitored by the government. Pacific Merchants cares about sustaining the environment and are constantly looking for environmentally friendly wood sources.  Acqua Di Gio By Giorgio Armani For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces $67.50 The vendor advertised this one as a perfume, when I purchased this product. But I eventually got a deodorant. The smell is not so great, but the worst part is the vendor would not refund my money or exchange the product. Eventually I had to file Anazon A-Z claim and that's when the vendor accepted this was a case of misadvertisement. I would never buy anything again from this vendor "Applibite Stores".  We Were Merchants: The Sternberg Family and the Story of Goudchaux's and Maison Blanche Department Stores $29.95 The words "Goudchaux's/Maison Blanche" conjure up a wealth of fond memories for local shoppers. At this landmark Louisiana department store, clerks greeted you by name; children received a nickel to buy a Coke and for every report-card A; families anticipated the holiday arrival of the beloved puppet Mr. Bingle almost as much as Santa; teenagers applied for their first job; and customers enjoyed interest-free charge accounts and personal assistance selecting attire and gifts for the most significant occasions in life--baptisms, funerals, and everything in between. While most former patrons have a favorite story to tell about Goudchaux's/Maison Blanche, not many know the personal tale behind this beloved institution. In We Were Merchants, Hans Sternberg provides a captivating account of how his parents, Erich and Lea, fled from Nazi Germany to the United States, embraced their new home, and together with their children built Goudchaux's into a Baton Rouge legend that eventually became Goudchaux's/Maison Blanche--an independent retail force during the golden era of the department store and, by 1989, the largest family-owned department store in America. With a mercantile line extending back five generations to a small shop in eighteenth-century Germany, the Sternbergs were born to be shopkeepers. In 1936, as Nazi harassment of Jews intensified, Erich smuggled $24,000 out of Germany and settled in Baton Rouge. His wife and three children joined him a year later, and in 1939, Erich bought Goudchaux's and set about transforming it from a nondescript apparel shop into a true department store. He made buying trips to New York for quality fashions and furs, introduced imaginative sales promotions, and coached his staff in impeccable customer service, while also training his children to follow in his footsteps. Hans details the manifold challenges of operating the store--from planning financial strategies and creating marketing campaigns to implementing desegregation and accommodating the repeal of blue laws. Through many transforming events--Erich's death in 1965, expansion into suburban shopping malls, the purchase in the 1980s of New Orleans retail icon Maison Blanche--the Sternbergs successfully maintained the company's core values: quality merchandise, employee loyalty, and superior customer service. At its height, Goudchaux's/Maison Blanche operated twenty-four stores in Louisiana and Florida and employed more than 8,000 people. With the economic downturn of the early 1990s, Hans made the difficult decision to sell the business, thus bringing to an end the Sternbergs' centuries-long mercantile tradition. Supplementing the fascinating narrative are the recollections of former customers and employees, a wealth of pertinent photos, and even Hans's tried-and-true guidelines for negotiating a business transaction. At once a family, business, and community story, We Were Merchants richly recalls a bygone era when department stores were near-magical wonderlands and family businesses commanded the retail landscape. |
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