NEW HARTFORD — The gift shop, The Indigo Tree, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 8 with the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce to formally celebrate its new location in the New Hartford Shopping Center in New Hartford.

The Indigo Tree opened its new store to customers on Sept. 1. It had previously been located in New York Mills.

The retailer says shoppers can find unique gifts for their friends, boss, significant other, and themselves in the shop. The Indigo Tree sells risqué socks and towels, jewelry, dolls, and more “one of a kind items”. It carries products from companies including Nora Fleming, mudpie, and Stonewall Kitchen, and also features items from 12 local artists.

Citizens Bank, a top 10 bank in the Utica–Rome and Syracuse markets, has launched a new digital lending capability that it says will make it easier for small-business customers to apply and receive approvals for loans. 

The new service will enable small businesses to apply for loans and lines of credit through a “simple” online application, Providence–based Citizens Bank said in a news release. In most cases, customers are notified of approval decisions on the same business day, and loans are funded within three business days.

The digital lending service is offered through a collaboration with Fundation, a digitally enabled lender and credit-products provider. 

Fundation will also offer credit to some customers that do not meet Citizens’ credit guidelines. The service will also be rolled out in other channels including retail branches.

“We understand that our small business customers are busy running their businesses and serving customers, so there’s little time left for lengthy applications, documentation, meetings and waiting for answers,” Jack Murphy, president of business banking at Citizens Bank, said in the release. “With our new digital lending technology, we have simplified the process of applying for smaller credit requests and are making it possible for more businesses to access the credit they need online, with rapid decision making and funding.”

The service offers an all-digital experience, including electronic closing, an online portal to manage the loan and funds deposited directly into a Citizens Bank business checking account. Customers can also talk with a Citizens relationship manager to “guide them” through the entire process, if they would like.

Citizens Bank said it made this new digital lending capability available to some small- business customers in September. The bank expects to make it widely available to all small businesses across its customer base over the next several months.

This partnership with Fundation follows Citizens Bank’s previous launch of a digital advisory service called SpeciFi, which offers customers integrated banking and digital investment services.

Citizens Bank’s parent Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CFG) had $151.4 billion in assets as of Sept. 30. Citizens Bank operates about 1,200 branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. 

Citizens Bank ranks eighth in deposit market share in the Utica–Rome metro area, where it has four branches, and 10th in deposit market share in the Syracuse metro area, where it has eight offices, according to the latest FDIC statistics.