Spendthrift is a confusing word — it sounds like it should refer to thrifty spending, but it actually applies to a person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way.  And while we might think that shoppers with buyer’s remorse are spendthrifts, there are many other causes. Buyer’s remorse sets in when a customer gets… Read More

In honor of our store’s 40th anniversary, we decided to send out a card to our extensive mailing list (rounded up using a rented list of potential new customers) offering 40% off any one item during this month.  The response has been overwhelming, and I thought I’d share some tips in case you decide to… Read More

Last year the number of views of videos uploaded directly to Facebook reached one billion per day.  If you are a regular user of Facebook or Instagram, you know how eye-catching the “start arrows” are on videos — it’s very tempting to watch one as long as it is short. Creating a video with music… Read More

Google’s search engine has always performed in mysterious ways, using complex and every-changing algorithms that determine what comes up first in any given search.  There are specialists who make their living assisting businesses with SEO, which is short for search engine optimization — the art of making sure that a potential customer lands on your… Read More

With apologies to Jim Henson, today it really is easy for a shop to be “green”. There are so many tools available to us that there is no excuse not to take advantage of them.  And since most of us don’t sell merchandise that is essential to daily living, minimizing the carbon footprint of our… Read More

One of my favorite articles for New Age retailers suggested starting the day by smudging the store, and burning a candle with a slip of paper under it listing the day’s sales goals. Although these are not traditional approaches, I appreciate the fact that they acknowledge that preparing to unlock the door in the morning… Read More

Chalkboards are a classic form of changeable signage, and the simple black and white look of chalkboard calligraphy is quite in fashion at the moment. But the drawback to chalkboards is frankly the fact that they use chalk, which smudges easily and can be accidentally or intentionally erased. We recently discovered that smart retailers are… Read More

It’s great fun to call a customer to say that he or she has won a prize in a store contest or drawing. And if you aren’t doing promotions in your store that involve prizes, you’re missing a good way to build up your customer list.  Just be sure to include a line on the… Read More

Repetition is pleasing to the eye, and multiples of almost any item can make a great backdrop for a merchandise display. If you don’t have enough of one product to hang dozens in the back of your window, take a trip to a Dollar Store.  For $24 you can get two dozen of just about… Read More

Do you have boxes of old invoices and other financial records taking up valuable space in your shop’s storage area?  If you’ve been in business for over four or five years (to say nothing of our store’s 40 years), you probably have accumulated a lot of paper. We have always kept 7 years worth of… Read More