Red Lion’s Downtown Keeps Adding On

A new specialty bakery and handcrafted gifts shop in Red Lion is one of many additions to what is becoming a busy downtown scene in the borough.

“It’s something that’s been steady over time, but seems to be really picking up as we go,” said Carol Leas, owner of George’s Famous BBQ and president of the Red Lion Area Business Association.

When Ashley Bonhoff decided she wanted to open her own storefront in the downtown area, just a short distance from her own home, it seemed like the perfect location, she said.

The idea for her business, called And Everything Beyond at 101 S. Main St., came after years of compliments from her friends and family who enjoyed her homemade birthday cakes and other treats.

Read more: http://www.ydr.com/business/ci_28289326/red-lions-downtown-keeps-adding

Pennsylvania Sales Tax Solution Sought

Traditional merchants are suffering a 6 percent disadvantage over their Internet-only competitors this holiday season.

Though the Supreme Court recently affirmed the right of states to tax online purchases made by state residents, it really didn’t help small-business owners.

Online appliance sellers routinely boast they sell appliances free of sales tax and often offer free delivery on big-ticket items despite a requirement that Internet merchants collect the 6 percent sales tax on anything they sell for use in Pennsylvania, said Brian Sutton, part owner of Maidencreek TV & Appliance in Maidencreek Township.

“They do it all the time,” Sutton said. “We’ve been dealing with this for years.”

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article/20131216/NEWS/312169981#.Uq8i_vRDsxI