Savvy Store Solutions
Veteran retailer Carol Schroeder shares her experience and perspective on the ups and downs of being a gift retailer.
Small Business is Big
Independent retailers nationwide are basking in the glow of the attention focused our way by Small Business Week. A full roster of activities in major cities around the country is being sponsored by the SBA, and many local organizations are saluting the top small businesses in their area. Google is even providing a place for us to "hang out" virtually all week with panels of experts in... Read More
Comments (0)YouTube for You
Did you know that YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world? The first is of course Google, which not accidentally owns YouTube. If you want your shop to have a robust presence online, you undoubtedly already have a web site with good SEO (search engine optimization) so that your store comes up at the top of a Google search. But how is your vidseo? That stands for video with... Read More
Comments (0)All Over the Map
Setting prices is sometimes more of an art than a science, but MAP pricing is a tool that manufacturers use to try to standardize the retail prices for their products in all outlets. MAP stands for minimum advertised price, which is different than MSRP-the manufacturer's suggested retail (or list) price. Suggested retail prices are often artificially inflated so that stores can appear to offer a d... Read More
Comments (0)Morning Rituals
"Start your day a little bit better" was a sales slogan for cereal back in the day (here's a video, in case you're curious). But unless you are running a big box store that is open 24/7, your store could undoubtedly benefit by getting each day off to a little bit better start -- and I'm not talking about serving the whole staff big bowls of Post Toasties Corn Flakes.One of my favorite a... Read More
Comments (0)Color Blocking
When it comes to fashion, the web site Quora states "Color blocking isn't for the faint of heart...or for the short of stature." Happily neither of these cautions apply for retailers wanting to use color blocking in window and store displays -- good news for those of you, who like me, are not very tall!What is color blocking? Quora defines it as taking bold opposites on the color wheel... Read More
Comments (1)Storefront Photography
An excellent image of your storefront can be useful in so many ways: on your Facebook home page, in your print advertising, on your web page, in entries in competitions such as the Gifts and Decorative Accessories Retailer Excellence Awards, and even on your business cards. Professional photographer Peter Patau recently took the stunning photo of our shop shown above, and he has very generously of... Read More
Comments (0)Pop Up Shops
Looking for a way to experiment with owning your own shop, for a short foray into retailing, or for a way to test (or introduce) a new product line? Perhaps instead of using a kiosk or cart, you could open a pop up shop. These temporary retail outlets often take advantage of vacant storefronts (which is why landlords love them), are set up inside another store, or are built as a freestanding struc... Read More
Comments (0)Baby on Board
With Mother's Day coming up soon, this is a good time to take a look at your store's maternity leave policy. Ideally you should have a policy set in your employee handbook before you need it, and you should think about including adoption and paternity leaves too.Your goal in creating a parental leave policy is to be fair to your employees and to protect the needs of your business. In most cases... Read More
Comments (0)Educating Your Staff
Customer service is one of the most important factors contributing to the success of independent retailers. And of course a cornerstone of good service is product knowledge. You won't find in-depth information about merchandise in most big-box or discount stores (if you can find someone to help you, that is). But online retailers provide access to a wealth of information, so it's important that... Read More
Comments (0)Celebrating the Earth
The celebration of Earth Day on April 22 dates back to 1970 -- and clearly progress is being made on many fronts, including the way retailers run their businesses. I wasn't in business quite yet, but even in the mid-1970s I know we didn't have products made from recycled materials, low-energy light bulbs, and many other options available today.What will your store be doing to celebrate Earth Day?... Read More
Comments (1)Hop on the Bike Trend
Americans are increasingly using bicycles as a means of transportation for work and errands -- in fact we're making progress in some cities towards catching up with Scandinavia, where the Danes average three bike rides per day (according to the Cycling Embassy of Denmark). What are you doing to make your store bike friendly?The first step is to work with your city or mall to make sure that there a... Read More
Comments (0)Trade-in Tips
"Cash for Clunkers" (officially known at the Car Allowance Rebate System) was designed to help stimulate the U.S. economy -- and even if you don't have $3 billion to spend, you can use the trade-in idea to help stimulate your sales. Not only will this type of promotion bring customers into your store, but you can use the trade-in items to help those in need.Leather Inc. has been conducti... Read More
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