Online retailing in the Mahoning Valley

Shoppers from around the country are coming to the Mahoning Valley to buy what they need.

A company in Washington state relies on a Canfield retailer for personalized retirement gifts. A Virginia ambulance company restocks its supplies through a Niles medical supplier, and people from all over buy wooden furniture and play sets from a Canfield company.

All of these buyers are reaching the local companies through the Internet.

“It’s amazing to sell online,” said Gail Meenachan, owner of Applegate Furniture Direct in Canfield. “People all over the place can see your products.”

Like all retailers, online entrepreneurs need quality products that have a niche in the marketplace.

Applegate sells Amish-made wooden swings, gliders and benches. The handcrafted quality of the products is appealing to buyers, Meenachan said.

Keepsakes Etc. of Canfield offers throw blankets and wall tapestries that feature more than 1,000 designs and can be customized with names and dates of special events.

Penn Care Medical Supplies of Niles sells bandages, gauze and other routine items, but it also supplies portable mortuaries and mass-casualty treatment centers to emergency response agencies.

For the complete story, see Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.