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EU & South Korea Sign Trade Agreement
Page 1
Canada to Drop Textile Import Tariffs
Page 1
Kohls Opens 37 New Stores
Page 1
Business & Technology
Page 2
CurveNV
Page 2
Buyers' Best Sellers
Page 2
McPete Sez
Mailbag
Page 2
CurveNV Continued
Page 3
Magnet Bra
Page 3
Ask Kevin
Page 3
Ask Andy
Page 3
CurveNV Continued
Page 4
Gas Mask Bra Wins Ig Nobel
Page 4
New Zealand Continues Tariff Freeze
Page 4
CurveNV
Continued
Page 5
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Page 2
Business and Technology
Understanding Ecommerce
Part II
by the Gozooko Guys (Bryan and Karl)
This is a continuation of a multi-part series to better understand exactly what to look for in an ecommerce solution. In our last article we covered the basic hosting solutions along with their pros and cons. In this article we will cover availability, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
Is your business always available? What is “availability”? It is the time your system is running and available to be used as designed, it can also be known as “up time”.
Why is this important? Well, if your system is not up and running you are not able to sell or do business. It is the same as if you had a brick and mortar storefront and had the doors locked and the windows covered. No one can see in, it appears closed, or worse yet… out of business.
This applies to web sites as well. If someone goes to your URL and gets an error, or tries to move around in your store and can’t do it freely, or can’t purchase something, they might not be back. The availability of your site and how it operates says a lot about your business and what you think of your customers.
Don’t let this happen to you. Make sure the solution that you use provides you with maximum availability/uptime. Here are some important terms to help better understand availability as well as definitions for disaster recovery and business continuity.
Load Balancing
Is a technique to spread work between two or more computers, cluster of computers, network links, CPUs, hard drives, or other resources, in order to get optimal resource utilization, maximize throughput, and minimize response time. Using multiple components with load balancing, instead of a single component, will increase reliability through redundancy.
Clustered Hosting
This is the use of a group of servers (hence the name cluster) to answer all web requests, file transferring, email service, etc. at extremely high speeds. By using clustered servers web access time is faster. If a server fails there is no downtime because there is another server answering requests.
Grid Hosting
It is a form of distributed computing whereby a "super and virtual computer" is composed of a cluster of networked computers, acting in concert to perform very large tasks. What distinguishes grid computing from conventional cluster computing systems is that grids tend to be more loosely coupled, heterogeneous, and geographically dispersed.
High-Availability
This is a system or component that is continuously operational for a desirably long length of time. Availability can be measured relative to "100% operational" or "never failing." A widely-held but difficult-to-achieve standard of availability for a system or product is known as "five 9s" (99.999 percent) availability.
Disaster Recovery
This is what is done to bring your website back to normal operation after it has stopped functioning. This means the service is not available to be used by your organization or your customers. For an online business this can mean no money coming in and your customers going elsewhere. Not a good situation. A disaster recovery plan will help you get the service back up and running as quickly as possible. Sometimes this can be done in a very short time period (1 or 2 hours), but other times it can mean days or even weeks. In a high-availability/Business Continuity environment this would be part of a Business Continuity solution but is definitely not acceptable by itself.
Business Continuity
This is the processes and procedures an organization puts in place to ensure that essential functions can continue during and after a disaster. Business continuity planning seeks to prevent interruption of mission-critical services, and to reestablish full functioning as swiftly and smoothly as possible.
This means that for your organization and customers there is no impact, or limited impact, to the services you provide. It should be business as usual. The only one who should really know there is an issue is the person fixing the service that is not functioning. For an online business this is what is needed. Any time your service is down you are missing opportunities to make money and you risk losing customers.
At Gozooko, we combine Load Balancing, Clustered Hosting, Grid Hosting, High-Availability systems and components, and Disaster Recovery, to create complete eBusiness/eCommerce Business Continuity solutions. We have servers geographically distributed throughout the US and Europe to ensure that no matter where you do business your business is always open.
If you have any topics you would like to see addressed in this column,
or have any questions, please send us an email at GozookoGuys@gozooko.com
3/13
CurveNV
CurveNV Las Vegas 2009 showcases international lingerie, swimwear and men’s furnishings to over 2,500 buyers
CurvExpo 2009 wrapped up a whirlwind show during Las Vegas Fashion Week having added a new success to its already impressive track record. While some of the items featured at the industry’s hottest lingerie and swimwear show might have been a bit skimpy, the numbers definitely were not. 2,552 buyers, a 13% jump from 2008, crowded the ballrooms at the swanky Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas from August 31 through September 2 for a first glimpse of the latest fashions in lingerie, swimwear, daywear and men’s underwear. The recession was nowhere in sight as fashion professionals from the US and international markets enjoyed a crisp, organized presentation of trends and products that facilitated doing business.
The opulent atmosphere of the Titian Ballroom at the Venetian Hotel was an appropriate setting for the must-attend event of Curve Las Vegas 2009: The “So Curve “ Fashion show that kicked off the three-day CurvExpo on Monday evening Aug 31. More than 450 retailers crammed this standing-room-only happening, a slick, spectacular and ultra-professional production by A Suivre Paris !
On display were the best new intimate looks from the leaders in lingerie such as Wacoal, Chantelle , Le Mystere, Prima Donna, Natori, Carole Hochman , Hanky Panky , Cosabella , Marie Jo and more. A Trends Seminar presented by Concepts Paris gave a sneak peek into what fashion-forward customers will likely be buying in 2010, while a Bath and Body presentation offered insights into another growing product category. Leading brands in Men’s Underwear such as Hugo Boss, Diesel, Puma and Hanro were also represented, as were many famous swimwear lines, all under one roof.
Curve takes place in both New York and Las Vegas twice a year; this marks the show’s third year. This 6th and latest iteration of CurvExpo cemented its already stellar reputation among those in the intimate apparel industry as the biggest and best trade show of its kind. While the show has enjoyed popularity across the US since its inception, it also has a growing international clientele, with 20% of attendees at CurveNV Las Vegas 2009
traveling from the UK, Australia, Canada, Mexico and Japan to be part of the action.
All in all, while much of the fashion industry was in the summer doldrums this year due to the economy, August 2009 was a very good month for Curve, with two amazingly successful shows in New York and Las Vegas. It seems that when it comes to quality intimate apparel, both commercial buyers and consumers still want the very best, and are willing to pay for it.
CurvExpo is already gearing up for its next shows in February 2010, with a return appearance at the Venetian in Las Vegas on February 15, 16 and 17 and a show at New York City’s Javits Center Galleria on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th.
Note: by clicking on the photo's
below, it will bring you to
their web-site. or to their e-mail if no web-site exists.
Photos by Jerome Hamilton
Remember
to tell them you saw them here.
Ann Huang stands by her display of fashionable body
shaping garments by AFAP. sales@AFAPfashion.com
Jane Webb of The Brag Company.
jane@thebragcompany.com
M Claire Miller and Catherine Poiner hold garments by
Body Bark.
info@bodybark.com
The Catherine Regehr booth. inquiries@catherinereger.com
Laurann Claridge and Lizbeth King of Claridge & King.
lizbeth@claridgeandking.com
Stephen Berzan and
Jennifer Cutler of Elita.
stephen.berzan@elita.com
CurveNV continued on page 3
22/24
3 Mile Long Bra Chain
A chain of bras measuring more than three miles was strung across Great Bentley Green in the name of charity.
The sponsored bra challenge was staged by Clacton Lions in aid of the chemotherapy unit at Essex County Hospital, Colchester, to improve the conditions for patients who have breast cancer.
On Saturday, the Lions managed to lay out 3.08 miles of bras, but the lack of time and space stopped them making it longer.
Ladies around the district had donated more than 5,000 bras. Some arrived in the mail, addressed Bras, Clacton. One special bra was devised by Clacton Amateur Dramatic Society for its next production, Are You being Served?
Adrian Robinson, one of the organizers, said: “Saturday was very blustery which always threatened to send the whole chain off into Suffolk.”
Sadly, the Lions were miles off the world record set in August this year in Bundaberg, south-east Queensland, Australia, of more than 166,000 bras stretching over 101 miles.
Despite not breaking the record, the money raised will help the cancer unit and the bras will be sent to the Third World and Eastern Europe, to be reused as part of the Lions recycling initiatives.
Eldorado Wins StorErotica’s Distributor of the Year Award
Eldorado Trading Company today announced that is has won StorErotica’s Distributor of the Year Award for 2009, marking the second year in a row Eldorado has been awarded this honor.
The StorErotica Awards are held annually during the International Lingerie Show in Las Vegas and recognize outstanding achievements in ten different categories representing every aspect of the erotic retail industry.
“We are incredibly honored and proud of the distinguished award presented to us at the StorErotica show,” said Eldorado founder and CEO Larry Garland. “It means even more to us as it’s the second year in a row. We want to thank all of our incredible customers, valued vendors, and exceptional staff for making this award possible. We are dedicated to exceptional customer service because we understand that the customer pays our paychecks. Everyone at Eldorado works with that in mind each and every day.”
“The StorErotica Awards are voted on online at www.storerotica.com
by retailers to decide who the best of the best are in the erotic industry,” said
 StorErotica’s Kristofer Kay. “We select the nominees and then it’s entirely up to the retailer who they vote for.”
As for what sets the ‘best of the best’ in the industry apart from the rest, Kay said, “In this modern day and age retailers are still looking for traditional customer service and loyalty. They count on big manufacturers and distributors to help them out as best they can. It’s a symbiotic process that retailers strive for and Eldorado really embodies that. It’s a matter of who gives the most to the retailer and who helps them the best.”
The 2009 ILS and StorErotica Awards were the largest ever, drawing over 2,000 attendees to the events.
“We’re really happy that, year after year, the awards are getting more recognition and respect,” said Kay. “Retailers and vendors alike are seeing that this award really means a lot because it is a direct voice from the retailers to the vendors.”
Located at the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, Eldorado is an award-winning distributor of adult toys and novelties. Eldorado offers a wide variety of distribution services and solutions including a state-of-the-art website for online orders, drop-shipping and fulfillment services that are among the most well-regarded in the industry, and a knowledgeable and experienced staff.
For more information about Eldorado Trading Company please visit www.Eldorado.net
or www.EldoradoParty.com.
Woops...
Hospital regulations require a wheelchair for patients being discharged. However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman--already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet--who insisted he didn't need my help to leave the hospital.
After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator. On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him.
"I don't know," he said. "She's still upstairs in the bath- room changing out of her hospital gown."
Buyers' Best Sellers
Attention
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and Online Store Owners
McPete Sez wants to know what is your hottest selling garment. What is selling out
because McPete Sez readers want to know. Please send an email to info@mcpetesez.com
and include your name, your store's name, city and state along with a phone number
and email, stating your best seller, and who the manufacturer is.
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If your email is chosen, you will be contacted and
your email will be posted in McPete Sez, along with your store
information.
**Retailers only - No manufacturers or wholesalers
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The McPete
Sez Mail Bag
From our Readers
To our Readers
For our Readers
Inquiries:
Some of our readers will have the answer.
Remember, our readers are in the same
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Retailers, Manufacturers and Sales Representatives
*Disclaimer - The McPete Sez Mail Bag is a comment column,
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2002
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2008? If so please e-mail them to me for posting
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End of Page 2
The McPete Sez
Lingerie Newsletter & Women's Wear Journal
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