Don't Be a Victim of Identity Theft!

A great number of travelers and consumers end up being victimized by electronic pickpockets and in most cases never even know it. Credit card companies have started embedding RFID (radio frequency identification) chips in credit cards and the U. S. Government also uses this technology in passports. The reason is that the cards can hold more data than the cards with magnetic stripes and they also can be read much faster.

Electronic pickpocketers can pick up information from RFID-enabled cards in your pocket or purse. The eavesderopping thieves can glean this information using relatively cheap equipment. Just by passing on the street, thieves using a card reader and netbook computer can steal your personal information. Card skimming works especially if you are only carrying one contactless card. It is possible that your card could be read from up to 3 feet away.

To combat this threat, credit card companies use powerful encryption techniques to make it harder for your information to be stolen. However encryption requires extra processing time and some companies who value speed may choose not to use the encryption. Regardless, the thieves eventually develop their own technology to offset whatever protections are implemented. As fast as credit card companies come up with new ideas, the bad guys find some new way to steal from you.

Even if the electronic pickpocketers find they can’t use the card account, they often are able to find outlets for other stolen card information. With the right know-how and the correct information the thief can view all the information on the front page of your passport.

The credit card number and expiration date are all we need to pick up a phone, call an 800 number and make an purchase. A Visa representative calls the risk associated with certain RFID cards a major concern.

So, what can you do? One way to protect yourself from identity theft is by blocking the radio frequency tags that are embedded in the credit dards. This can be accomplished by using one of the new Aluminum wallets to carry your credit cards. These indestructible aluminum wallets are safe from elctronic pickpockets and we have the best avaialable at Willow Tree.

These aluminum wallets offer a great alternative to the traditional leather wallet. The are sleek and will fit easily into a back pocket or purse. They are available in different colors and make great gifts.

Don’t be a victim. Do whatever is necessary for peace of mind and protection from electronic pickpocket thieves

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

We'd like to wish all of our customers a very Merry Christmas, and a happy and healthy 2012.

We sincerely thank you for your support over the last year, and hope for many more opportunities to work with you in 2012!

Think Local and Buy Local When You Can!

Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!

Willow Tree and Chelsea are locally-owned independent businesses that are committed to improving the quality of life in our region. We support our Wyandotte community businesses and collaborate to benefit the common good.

When you support your local independently-owned businesses, you support good business for a great community.

Thank you for choosing to do business with us. Friends and neighbors depend on each other to keep our community strong.

Wyandotte is One of a Kind!

10.Encourage local prosperity: A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.

We Try to Get to Know You!

9.Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

8.Put your taxes to good use: Local businesses in downtown districts require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.

Invested in the Future

7.Invest in community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.

Great Service

Get better service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers

JOBS!

5.Create more good jobs: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.

Help the Environment!

4.Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.

Keep Wyandotte Unique!

3.Keep our community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun -- all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. People generally seek out destinations that offer them a sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic Preservation Trust

Locals Support Their Own Communities!

2.Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.

Why Buy Locally Owned?

There are many well-documented benefits to our communities and to each of us to choosing local, independently owned businesses. We realize it is not always possible to buy what you need locally and so merely ask you to Think Local FIRST!

Top Ten reasons to Think Local - Buy Local - Be Local

1.Buy Local -- Support yourself: Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms -- continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community

Welcome Back Tommy!

Tommy Bahama has been a favorite of the Chelsea shoppers for a long time and is finally just as fabulous for women! We have a great selection of sweatshirts, sweatpants, and t-shirts in a variety of colors. The fabric is amazing! The colors perfect for the season.
We've also got some cruise wear just in today. The halter dress is spectacular. The skirts and tops perfect. Add to that a collection that includes a nifty "safari" jacket, dress and skirt. What a great coordinated group! They're all perfect for travel! Come in and check out our Tommy Bahama "Department". You're sure to love it as much as we do!

Think Local First!

"Think Local First" is a term developed to refer to the commitment to supporting local communities. Rather than simply promoting "buying" local, we suggest a larger role as advocates for the "movement".

By thinking local, we can make choices that have dramatic impact on our local community, on Wyandotte, Downriver, Michigan.....our own economy and environment. We know and understand that we may not necessarily be able to buy everything we need or use from local independent businesses, but are suggesting that we all think local FIRST.

A Local First campaign educates consumers about the economic and social advantages that independent and local businesses bring to a community. The goal is to create a thriving local economy by maximizing the potential of local businesses, and transferring market share (business, government, and consumer purchases) from non-locally owned businesses to local independently owned businesses.

One of the greatest things an individual can do to support his or her local community is to patronize its locally owned businesses. Compared to their national competitors, local independent businesses recycle more money back into the local economy and give greater support to a community's nonprofit and civic needs. They are better positioned to respond to the special needs of the community, and they are more tied to the community's future. Additionally, a community with vibrant independent businesses retains its unique character as a great place to live and visit. In promoting a Local First campaign, a community supports a thriving local economy and its way of life.

So, let's get on board! Eat at Joe's rather than McDonalds. Enjoy dinner and watching your favorite sporting event at Lion's Tigers and Beers rather than Buffalo Wild Wings. Shop at Chelsea and Willow Tree rather than Mens Wearhouse and the Mall!