The news has recently highlighted the fact that workers at some Apple stores and Starbucks locations are moving to unionize, an action that may come as a surprise to those of us who envy the benefits these retail giants are able to offer their associates. And while it’s unlikely that the employees at smaller independent… Read More

I’ve been charmed by this vintage postcard, which shows Lobster King Harry Hackney with his Lobster Waitresses in their prize-winning costumes for the Atlantic City Beauty Pageant Parade, ever since I wrote about using contests for window inspiration back in 2008.  As I said at the time, you can imagine the buzz in the kitchen as… Read More

A margin is usually defined as an edge or border, but in retailing the term has come to mean the difference between what you pay to acquire an item (also known as the Cost of Goods Sold, or COGS) and the price that you set to sell it to your customers. The difference between the… Read More

Social media platforms fluctuate in popularity, with Instagram and Facebook consistently showing up as top choices for independent retailers. But recently LinkedIn is getting a lot of buzz, which is perhaps a bit surprising for a program that is now almost 20 years old. During the past two decades it has primarily served as a… Read More

The last time I wrote about the ups and downs of owning a store with your spouse was fourteen years ago, and I’m happy to say that Dean and I are still at it. Orange Tree Imports just celebrated its 47th year of business on Monroe Street in Madison, WI.  Dean came into business with… Read More

The pandemic has helped make QR codes more universal than ever, because this technology is perfect for allowing consumers to use their smartphones to navigate to a web page without touching anything.  Just point your phone’s camera to QR code to bring up a menu, store hours, special offers or even payment options. The idea… Read More

My friend bristled when the salesperson looked at her large purchase and asked “Will that be all?”  She mumbled that she thought she was buying quite a lot, and that the young man’s comment implied that it wasn’t good enough. Upselling, which is defined as encouraging customers to buy more than they originally intended, certainly… Read More

Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, announced a few weeks ago that they’ve expanded the ability to add products tags in Instagram feed posts to everyone in the United States. This may have potential for increased sales for independent retailers, especially those open to selling to the public through this platform. Here is… Read More

Birthdays are the one special day everyone starts out with – even stores. And in case you think your shop’s birthday isn’t an event worth celebrating, consider the fact that 20% of all small businesses don’t make it to age one.  No matter how many years yours has been around, the anniversary of the day… Read More

I’ve often mentioned that retailers should periodically come through their own front door and look around as if they are a first-time customer.  But today a high percentage of shoppers will go to your website before setting foot in the bricks and mortar store.  If you approach your website with that in mind, what do… Read More