5 Things You Need To Know Today

Five Things: Cyber ‘Mob,’ Free Alex & Ani

Your guide for life in East Greenwich today, July 7.

Trash & Recycle holiday schedule: If you had trash and recycle pickup on Friday this week, your pickup takes place today because of the 4th of July holiday. EG 'Shop Local' Cyber-Mob: This is an extension of the “cash mob” movement that swept into town a few weeks ago. At 8 a.m. this morning, a local store’s website will be announced on Facebook and we’re all invited to “mob” the store. Don’t worry, if you aren’t a big online shopper, you are more than well to visit the bricks-and-mortar site. Click here for the Facebook page. Blood drive at Felicia’s: This is a good deed you get to do lying down. And the good it will do! Turns out as hard as they try, scientists still haven’t made a suitable synthetic blood substitute. So those of us in …

• Photos (1)

Main St. Retailers Say People Shopped Local Over Holidays

Some credited good weather and the “Alex & Ani” effect as well.

Call it a perfect retail storm: good weather, a national “shop local” movement and a hot jewelry store. The combination resulted in better sales, according to several Main Street merchants. Unlike December 2010, which saw more than one snow storm, December 2011 was mild and dry, making a stroll on Main Street a pleasure rather than a hardship. And the holiday season kicked off with the American Express Shop Local campaign that returned some money to buyers who used their Amex cards at certain smaller retailers. Shopping local became a slogan that extended beyond the Amex campaign – several retailers said that customers told them they were trying to do more of their shopping at smaller stores this year. But the most interesting “plus” for …

• Photos (1)