Specialty retail organization Brixy launches

Jane Kitchen -- Home Textiles Today, 1/6/2013 5:14:00 PM

Boston - Brixy, the new trade association for independently owned stores in the juvenile industry, is set to formally launch at the beginning of December.

Executive Director Jill Cartwright said initial benefits package will include group discounts on operating expenses such as shipping and credit card processing, email marketing tools, manufacturer discounts, a member message board and more.
"We want to make the transition to Brixy as seamless as possible for members of existing buying groups, so we're working with manufacturers to extend their existing offers to Brixy members," said Cartwright. "We're confirming those offers now and will list the active ones in the Brixy Member Benefits Guide released on January 2nd."
Annual membership dues for Brixy will be $500, and Cartwright said each member can achieve more than $12,000 in savings through those discounts, as well as free admission and lodging at the Spring Educational Conference in Las Vegas in May.
"Our goal is to make this accessible for any qualified retailer who wants to join Brixy, so we've negotiated discounts to help offset the membership dues and will offer payment plans as well," said Cartwright.
Brixy has also formally announced its membership criteria and timeline for accepting applications in anticipation of its official launch this month.
"Our focus is on helping juvenile brick and mortar stores to grow and thrive," explained Cartwright as she outlined the membership criteria.