Welcome to the Blog!
You don’t have to be an independent retailer to find value in these posts (but it helps).
This blog is for you. If there are any topics or questions you want addressed, let me know and I’ll cover them.
The October 1st List
October 1, 2019Do you have an October 1st List? If you’re a holiday-driven retailer, you should. What is an October 1st List? An October 1st List is all the things you need to remember to do for the busy fourth quarter. It is a growing list, one you add to each fourth… Read more
The Conundrum of Choice
September 17, 2019I used to advertise the heck out of the fact Toy House had the largest selection of toys under one roof of any store in the area. In our heyday we had over twice the selection of a Toys R Us and five times the selection of the Walmarts, Targets,… Read more
A Simple Game to Help You Improve Your Store
September 10, 2019I was visiting a good friend and toy store owner in Lawrence, KS (The Toy Store – you should visit if you’re ever in the area) and she asked me, “Does visiting stores like mine make you miss being on the retail side?” My answer was an immediate and definitive… Read more
Inefficiencies Can Derail the Experience
August 30, 2019The line didn’t seem that long. I’ve been in longer lines waiting for food. The menu showed three lunch options, likely for efficiency’s sake. I expected the line to move along quite rapidly. Twenty-five minutes later the line felt more like eternity. There was one line and two windows (which… Read more
Trying to Give Great Service is NOT the Same as Actually Doing It
August 26, 2019Ever have that experience where you know what someone is trying to do, but they just keep missing the mark? You want to give them points for trying, but close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and atom bombs. I had that experience last week at a Barnes & Noble… Read more
The Death of Mom & Pop Retailers?
July 23, 2019Do you remember when the Sears Catalog was going to destroy all the Mom & Pop Retailers? Yeah, probably not. That was back in the early parts of the 20th century when you could even buy a house (IKEA-style) in the catalog and have it delivered right to your property.… Read more
Competing with Amazon
July 15, 2019I sit here typing about Amazon while millions of people are shopping on Amazon, taking advantage of the Amazon Prime Days specials. To say that Amazon disrupted the retail climate would be like saying Jesus got a few people to think differently about God. Here is something Amazon didn’t do.… Read more
Pricing Mistakes That Lose Sales
July 8, 2019Almost invariably when you compliment someone on the clothes or shoes they are wearing, they tell you the origin story of how they found that outfit. More often than not, you’ll also hear about the fabulous deal they got when they bought it. While deals and discounts are great for… Read more