Ecommerce

Shark (Vacuums) Corporate Office

Shark Vacuum, also known as Shark Ninja, actually got its start about 100 years ago in Europe making sewing machines. The business expanded to Canada, where 3rd generation CEO Mark Rosenweig, decided to make an offshoot of the company and move it to Massachusetts. Rosenweig developed a unique type of vacuum cleaner, as well as a blender called The Ninja in 2003.

The company created a different type of easy to use, lightweight vacuum called The Shark. This vacuum quickly became so popular that within 5 years, it outsold the previous #1 selling vacuum made by Dyson.

It was rumored in 2017 that the company was up for sale and later that same year, CDH Funding, a private equity firm, invested $1 billion in the company for a significant equity interest.

In early 2018, the company introduced their robotic vacuum to compete with company’s such as Roomba. In the May 2018 edition of New York Magazine, the Shark Ion robotic vacuum was listed as the best such vacuum for picking up pet hair.

In August 2020, Amazon customers stated that the Shark vaccum beat Dyson’s hands down.

The corporate office for Shark is currently found in Needham, Massachusetts.

Shark

History

It was rumored in 2017 that the company was up for sale and later that same year, CDH Funding, a private equity firm, invested $1 billion in the company for a significant equity interest.

In August 2020, Amazon customers stated that the Shark vaccum beat Dyson’s hands down.

The corporate office for Shark is currently found in Needham, Massachusetts.

Uncommon Goods Corporate Office

In 1999 David Bolotsky visited the Smithsonian Museum craft show and marveled at the unique, handmade goods on display. He believed that there was a great demand for such items while recognizing that many artists traveled great distances to sell their wares.

This led to the creation of Uncommon Goods. Bolotsky began by traveling and purchasing items he found at arts and craft shows, then listing and selling them. The demand became so great that he soon outgrew his apartment for business use.

The company offers environmentally sustainable, handmade or minimally machined items online. Uncommon Goods also publishes catalogs, often suggesting gift ideas or products that compliment each other.

Amazon is the company’s main competition, but Bolotsky believes that his superior selection of items, faster shipping, and customer service will win customer’s over. Amazon, as Bolotsky notes, does not do catalogs, something many people still find appealing.

Uncommon Goods is also known for being a “B” company, as well as paying higher than required wages. Employees who feel good about their jobs do better at their jobs is the motto at this ecommerce retailer.

Headquarters for Uncommon Goods is located in Brooklyn, New York.

Uncommon Goods

History

Headquarters for Uncommon Goods is located in Brooklyn, New York.

Spirit Halloween Corporate Office

Spirit Halloween stores were founded by Joe Marver, who thought Halloween costumes should be for more than just kids. He opened his first pop-up, seasonal store in the Castro Valley Mall, in Castro City, California, in 1983. Within a decade, he had more than 60 pop-up locations across the country.

The company has an online site that offers an enormous number of costumes for children, pets, and adults, as well as both indoor and outdoor Halloween decor. They also rely on empty stores and pop-up locations in malls and other sites to sell their products. Most stores open sometime in mid-August and close a few days after Halloween ends.

Spencer Gifts purchased the company in 1999 and has grown the business substantially to more than 1,100 locations, making it the largest Halloween retailer in the nation. It is estimated that the company will earn $9 billion in sales in 2018.

A large sinkhole was found in one Kentucky location in 2019, forcing the store to close for a short time. It is unknown how the sinkhole occurred, but no one was injured.

The company states that top Halloween costumes for 2019 include Stranger Things, Fortnite, and Baby Shark Doo Doo.

Headquarters for Spirit Halloween are located in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.

Spirit Halloween

History

A large sinkhole was found in one Kentucky location in 2019, forcing the store to close for a short time. It is unknown how the sinkhole occurred, but no one was injured.

The company states that top Halloween costumes for 2019 include Stranger Things, Fortnite, and Baby Shark Doo Doo.

Headquarters for Spirit Halloween are located in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.

Birch Lane Corporate Office

Birch Lane is an offshoot of the popular online furniture and home decor store Wayfair. This new venture was launched in 2014. It offers more traditional furniture selections with “updated” styling and colors.

The company is hoping to appeal to a wide range of customers with a wide range of products. Birch Lane offers traditional furniture at “attainable prices.”One likely customer demographic for Birch Lane is made up of women between the ages of 35 and 55.

Birch Lane also issues annual catalogs, as well as specialty catalogs during certain times of the year.

Despite spending more than $500 million in advertising and seeing an increase in sales of more than 50%, the company posted a net loss for the second quarter of 2018 of $100 million.

Birch Lane is housed in the same corporate office building as Wayfair, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Birch Lane

History

Birch Lane also issues annual catalogs, as well as specialty catalogs during certain times of the year.

Despite spending more than $500 million in advertising and seeing an increase in sales of more than 50%, the company posted a net loss for the second quarter of 2018 of $100 million.

Birch Lane is housed in the same corporate office building as Wayfair, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Schwinn Bicycles Corporate Office

Schwinn Bicycle Company was originally founded as Arnold, Schwinn and Company in Chicago, Illinois, in 1895 by Ignaz Schwinn and financial backer Fredrick Arnold. Before the automobile, bicycles were common and Chicago was the heart of bicycle manufacturing.

By the early 1900’s, however, bicycles fell out of fashion and sales declined to about 25% of their previous high. Schwinn survived by acquiring competitors and building a state of the art manufacturing facility.

In 1954, the company introduced the “Corvette” bicycle, a style that was so popular, it continued to be made for the next 10 years. In 1963, however, sales for the Corvette hit rock bottom when the Sting Ray model was introduced. The Sting Ray remained the #1 selling bicycle for the next 20 years, however, tastes were changing and people were more interested in streamlined bicycles and, later, mountain bikes.

Schwinn encountered serious problems including unionization of workers, steep inflation, and cheap imports from other countries. In September 2001, Schwinn and GT were sold at a bankruptcy auction to Pacific Cycle.

The company currently sells two styles of bicycles under different names through a variety of retailers, such as Walmart and Target.

Schwinn hopes to win over new customers with the introduction of a new electric bicycle.

Due to the increased popularity of bicycles during the coronavirus, Schwinn created an indoor bike that cost one third of the popular Peloton.

Company headquarters are located in Madison, Wisconsin.

Schwinn Bicycles

History

The company currently sells two styles of bicycles under different names through a variety of retailers, such as Walmart and Target.

Schwinn hopes to win over new customers with the introduction of a new electric bicycle.

Due to the increased popularity of bicycles during the coronavirus, Schwinn created an indoor bike that cost one third of the popular Peloton.

Company headquarters are located in Madison, Wisconsin.