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BBB ETHICS AWARD
Kerstin receives BBB Ethics Award
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Buffalo Exchange was one of four southern Arizona businesses recognized for their commitment to trust in the marketplace at the sixth annual Better Business Bureau Ethics Awards on May 1, 2008 at the U of A Eller College of Management in Tucson. Fifteen area companies were nominated for this year’s award. “These companies don’t just submit a glitzy entry and hope for an award,” says Tom Collier, CEO of the Better Business Bureau. “Each of them must demonstrate - through an exhaustive submission - how they use ethics in everyday interfaces, whether it’s with customers, employees, vendors or the community as a whole.”
DOWN TO THE AP WIRE
The Associated Press profiled Buffalo Exchange in a story that syndicated on CBS News online and scores of dailies such as The Boston Globe. “Teens turn to thrift as jobs vanish and prices rise” (various titles) was published on Apr 17, 2008: “Kerstin Block, president and co-founder of Buffalo Exchange, a Tucson, Ariz.-based chain that sells second-hand clothing, said Gap jeans there run $9 to $20. A new pair runs $50 to $60. Block noted that buying second-hand is also appealing to a growing eco-friendly sentiment among teenagers.” One of the five photos was captioned: “Alyssa... sells her shoes and shorts to store manager Monika DeClay at the buy counter at Buffalo Exchange in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles... Second-hand clothing chains like Buffalo Exchange have seen business surge this year as teens and their parents buy popular brands like Gap, Banana Republic and Juicy Couture at a fraction of the regular price.”
RECOMMENDED BY THE TODAY SHOW
The Today Show on NBC mentioned BX on Apr 4, 2008 at 8 am in an 8-minute segment “Sell your stuff” with Constance White, style editor of eBay: “I love consignment stores. There are all kinds. There are those that offer designer clothing like Ina here in New York and Buffalo Exchange which is around the country, where there are more affordable things. Talk to them first about what their specialty is and what your cut will be.”
PRIMUS TIME
Buffalo Exchange won its second PRimus Award from the Southern Arizona Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America at a ceremony in Tucson (Apr 8, 2008). The award recognizes special event tactics in Buffalo Exchange's Serena Ryder download card promotion with Viva La Rock and Atlantic Records. The entry scored an average of 99 points out of a possible 100 from three out-of-state judges, one of whom wrote: "Really an amazing, creative, innovative, gutsy partnership."
BIG GREEN PURSE
The book Big Green Purse: Use your spending power to create a cleaner, greener world (New York: 2008) recommends Buffalo Exchange in Chapter 8: Eco Chic; Use Your Big Green Purse, Reuse - Buy Gently Worn Clothes, Vintage Garments... or Swap: “Buying used clothing offers another green alternative to new duds - and may ultimately conserve the most resources.” Under Green at work section: “The green work ethic is alive and thriving at Buffalo Exchange, the Arizona company that encourages consumers to recycle their clothes rather than throw them away.”
LUCKY CONSPIRACY
Lucky Magazine online recommends Buffalo Exchange employee and local designer Rose Sylvester, aka Rose Green, for bikinis in Lucky's weekly local listings on Mar 3, 2008 for Philadelphia, Hot Item - Conspiracy Showroom: "Perfect for those spring vacations (or dreams of summer), the handmade bikinis from local designer Rose Green's The Farmers Daughter line are now available at this Northern Liberties boutique. We adore the polka-dot styles, which come in multiple colors."
NEW YORK MAGAZINE: "YOU CAN'T DO BETTER"
New York Magazine recommends Buffalo Exchange in “See NYC: New York’s Guide to Visiting New York,” Top 5 Lists, Top 5 Designer Discounts: “If you crave a Williamsburg look, you can’t do better than this secondhand shop where goods are largely bought, sold, and traded by the locals.” As of Mar 5, 2008.
DOMINO EFFECT
Domino Magazine's Feb 2008 issue recommends Buffalo Exchange in "my green life: the nice know-it-all," which describes "simple, totally digestible ways to do the right thing." In a day-in-the-life for Jen Boulden of IdealBite.com fame, Domino writes: "8:30 a.m. Pull on a shirt from Buffalo Exchange, a cool chain that buys and resells vintage clothing."
HOW COOL IS THAT?
Buffalo Exchange was chosen for two awards among a select group of Merit winners in HOW Magazine's inaugural In-HOWse Design Awards, Feb 2008 issue. We were the only winner representing Arizona in the international competition, which attracted 4,000 entries from companies in all industries. Judges from HOW Magazine chose “the cream of the crop in each industry... that rivals the best of the big design firms”: a Best of Show, 50 Merit winners and 50 Honorable Mention winners. Two awards in the Consumer category were given for our Off-Kilter Stationery Package and the 'Style File' Newspaper Ad Campaign. This is Buffalo Exchange's fifth year designing in-house; the team is composed of Michelle L. Livingston, creative direction, and Kristin L. Welk, graphic design.
ARTIST MARTIN QUINTANILLA WINS BUFFALO EXCHANGE ARTS AWARD
Janet K. Miller's plaque for Martín Quintanilla
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Martín Quintanilla, member of the Tucson art collective Raices Taller, was presented the 2007 Buffalo Exchange Arts Award for $10,000 by the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA) in Tucson on Dec 6, 2007. The Museum of Contemporary Art generously donated their facilities for the event. A prolific artist, Quintanilla’s work is represented in collections ranging from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico to the Arizona State University Art Museum. Quintanilla has received numerous honors and awards and has exhibited throughout Mexico, Cuba and Arizona. Since 1994, nearly $110,000 has been given to arts educators and emerging performers and visual artists through Buffalo Exchange’s award fund held at the CFSA. Artists are nominated and selected by an anonymous panel composed of experts who are familiar with the local arts scene.
AAA: "HOT STOP FOR SHOPPERS ON A BUDGET"
Via, AAA Traveler’s Companion, recommends Buffalo Exchange in “Cash and Carry,” Nov-Dec 2007 issue, “If you’re going... shopping”: "to find treasures that truly earn their space in a suitcase or carry-on, experienced travelers head for the smaller, more distinctive places overseen by passionate shopkeepers and craftspeople. Here are some tips from experts in the field.” Listed under “Apparel old and new section”: “Buffalo Exchange. Thirty-one stores in 12 states. This 33-year-old, family-run chain is a hot stop for shoppers on a budget. Buy, sell, and trade clothes and accessories, both new and secondhand.”
LOVE YOU BODY+SOUL
Body+Soul magazine recommends Buffalo Exchange in “Clothes Encounters,” Oct 2007 issue, whole living section, p. 26: “Paying for clothes is so last season. Chic, savvy, conservation-minded consumers now update their wardrobes by taking part in clothing swaps. All you have to do is gather up gently worn items from your closet, bring them to a central location, and choose from others’ castoffs. Everyone gets the chance to find new looks without contributing to the rampant waste in the textile industry. Organizations such as... Buffalo Exchange (buffaloexchange.com) set up the fashion-exchanging events.”
READYMADE SAYS TO TRADE
ReadyMade magazine recommends Buffalo Exchange in “A Flash in the Can: how to rid yourself of stuff that can’t go in the recycling bin,” Apparel section, Aug/Sep 2007 issue, p. 66: “ReadyMade enlisted the help of Ideal Bite, a daily email newsletter devoted to ‘light-green living,’ to create a crib sheet for those with the urge to purge... Free up some closet space by giving away that big sack of old threads... If you want to trade, invite friends over for a frock swap, or haul your garb to a Buffalo Exchange store (www.buffaloexchange.com).
INK IN INC. 5,000
Buffalo Exchange has been awarded a rank of 4,412 by Inc. magazine in its first-ever Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America, Sep 2007 issue. The Inc. 5,000, an extension of Inc. magazine's annual Inc. 500 list, recognizes the most dynamic, growing entrepreneurial companies that are changing the business landscape. Companies are ranked according to the percentage growth of their revenue from 2003 through 2006. Companies must be based in the U.S., independent and privately held, with a full four-year sales history. Buffalo Exchange is one of 142 Arizona companies on the Inc. 5,000, and one of only 10 Arizona retailers on the list. Eleven Tucson companies made the 2007 Inc. 5,000 list. Buffalo Exchange leads Tucson businesses in the revenue category, ranking second only to recently closed First Magnus. Among Arizona retailers, Buffalo Exchange ranks second in highest revenue. According to Inc.com, Buffalo Exchange is growing because “constantly changing and hand-picked inventories keep customers coming back on a regular basis. And the company has been opening stores in new areas, including New York and Chicago.”
OH SO LUCKY!
Lucky Magazine recommends the new Buffalo Exchange in Bellingham, WA, September 2007 issue, Seattle regional insert page 374, "the lowdown," recently opened: "The buy-sell-trade chain Buffalo Exchange... has unveiled a new area outpost offering a hip array of new and gently used clothing and accessories."
OUR MARKETING DIRECTOR ONE OF 40 UNDER 40
Tucson Business Edge recognized Buffalo Exchange’s Marketing Director Michelle Livingston at the 3rd Annual 40 Under 40 Edgie Awards on Aug 8, 2007 in Tucson. Ms. Livingston was honored as one of 40 dynamic individuals under the age of 40 that excel in business and contribute to the betterment of the Tucson community. More than 110 nominations were received from Tucson’s CEOs, top executives and community leaders and an independent panel of five judges selected the finalists and winners. Buffalo Exchange’s Human Resource Director Lydia Kennedy was selected last year as one of the 40 Under 40.
TIME MAGAZINE: "FIND TRENDY FASHIONS AT A FAIR PRICE"
TIME Magazine profiles Buffalo Exchange in "The New Trend of Used Clothes," Jun 11, 2007 issue: "A secondhand-clothing shop called Buffalo Exchange [is] part of a growing chain of stores in a growing industry, and it just may be the cool place to find trendy fashions at a fair price this summer... Recycled clothes look fresher than ever these days... Buffalo Exchange, which earned more than $3 million last year on $43 million in revenue, has 32 stores nationally, making it one of the largest purveyors of recycled clothing in the country."
SILVER QUILL AWARD FOR MEDIA RELATIONS
The International Association of Business Communicators, Pacific Plains Region, awarded Buffalo Exchange its first-ever 2007 Silver Quill Award of Excellence on Jun 25 at IABC's International Conference in New Orleans. Buffalo Exchange's marketing director Michelle Livingston was the only winner representing Arizona at the Silver Quill awards. A total of 50 Excellence winners were chosen from 156 entries from 10 states, including chapters in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and more. Silver Quill awards recognize outstanding communication programs proven to boost revenues, save costs or otherwise contribute to their organization's success. Michelle also won Buffalo Exchange's first-ever Cactus Quill 2007 Award of Merit from IABC Tucson on Jun 7. Both awards recognize media relations tactics for Buffalo Exchange's first store in New York City.
BEST STYLE SWAP IN NEW YORK
Shecky's names Buffalo Exchange "Best Style Swap" in their guide Best In New York, featuring over 600 of the city's greatest treasures (published Dec 2006; available as of May 2007): "It's about time NYC got an outpost of this brilliant fashion recycling center... The inventory is always in flux and always amazing, so stop by often to score vintage finds and deep discounts... Buffalo Exchange is founded on do-good principles that encourage clothes-swapping as a means of recycling and protecting the environment."
FAIRCOMPANIES.COM: "OPT FOR A RECYCLED FASHION SHOPPING SPREE"
Faircompanies.com recommends shoppers "opt for a recycled fashion shopping spree," in the video “Beyond H&M or vintage: how to buy/sell/trade last month's impulse buys,” filmed at Buffalo Exchange's Haight Street store in San Francisco (as of May 7, 2007). Faircompanies.com says, "If you think buying used is not in fashion, think again." Watch Faircompanies.com's video.
LISTED FOR SUSTAINABLE STYLE BY VOGUE
In the May 2007 issue of Vogue, View - Sustainable Style section, Buffalo Exchange is listed as one of the "vintage stores in Williamsburg" visited by Jill Fehrenbacher, founder of environmental-design site Inhabitat.com. Jill recommends: "Wearing pieces from thrift stores is eco-friendly."
RESALE PRINCESS OF CHEAP
Source: The Tyra Banks Show
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Tyra Banks crowned Selena of Portland, OR as the first "Princess of Cheap" on The Tyra Banks Show on Jan 22, 2007. Selena explained to Tyra how she sells clothing to Buffalo Exchange for trade or cash, and Tyra said she has gone to a Buffalo Exchange store in L.A. From The Tyra Banks Show website: "Selena found a great new way to have fun with her girls and earn extra cash at the same time. Together they would make a trip to the Goodwill, where clothes are sold by weight. They’d purchase 50 pounds of clothes at 59¢ per pound and divvy up the total amount. But it doesn’t end there. They would take their new purchases and resell them at thrift stores, like Buffalo Exchange, where clothes are innovatively reworked into new fashions and resold." The live audience voted on four Princess of Cheap contestants: "With 69 votes, Selena’s buy and resell idea earned her the honor. Tyra put a tiara on her head embellished with $117 dollars, which could buy her 198 pounds of clothing to resell!"
BUFFALO BESTS
Buffalo Exchange has won many recent awards, ranging from Best Used Clothing Store in the Best of the Twin Cities 2008 in Minneapolis CityPages to Best Thrift Store Staff Pick in Las Vegas Review-Journal's The Best of Las Vegas 2008 to a listing as one of the Top 5 Designer Discounts in New York Magazine's “See NYC: New York’s Guide to Visiting New York,” as of Jan 31, 2008. Check out the latest Buffalo Bests.
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