An update of a popular blog post from October 24, 2016 Do you know how many different types of toothpaste are offered in the average grocery store?  A Consumer Reports article said 27 — and that’s just under the Crest brand. Colgate added another 32 (up from 25 when this post was first written). It’s… Read More

Good customer service is the goal of businesses everywhere – and one that is notoriously difficult to achieve consistently. I was interested to recently come across a technique used in Tivoli, the amusement park in the center of Copenhagen that is one of my favorite places on earth. This quote is from Meik Wiking (author of… Read More

An update of a popular blog post from January 19, 2009 Successful shopkeeping means paying attention to so many details.  For example, what does your restroom say about your store? The illustration above, which is based on what I saw at a branch of a well-known women’s clothing store when I first wrote this post,… Read More

The 4th of July this year will mark the 250th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Our shop was offered its first semiquincentennial item six months ago, and of course this winter’s trade shows will have many more.  This brings up two questions – how do you pronounce semiquincentennial, and should you… Read More

The start of a new year is the perfect time to set up a calendar of promotions so that you have lots to celebrate in your social media. Not all of these holidays and month-long observations will fit with your store’s product mi, But they are a good starting point! Here are a few examples… Read More

And so 2025 comes to an end – and what a year it’s been! It’s hard to imagine that we’d never really thought much about tariffs before the inauguration on January 20. According to the National Retail Federation, the impact of the new administration’s tariffs on our country’s independent retailers has been mostly negative, resulting… Read More

The word “free” is one of the most effective terms in advertising, but of course it’s not practical to continuously give away products. Fortunately most shopkeepers have something else they can offer: expertise.  What opportunities do you have to turn a retail transaction into a personal experience by teaching your customer something? These little lessons… Read More

An update of a popular blog post from October 20, 2015 It’s bad news when your store to gets in trouble for not paying overtime – but today there may be instances in which this extra expense is worth considering. Before making that decision, it’s important to make sure you’re in compliance with the current… Read More

Did you know that the average credit card interest rate is almost 23%? Some charge as much as a 36% APR (annual percentage rate). In contrast, the variable rate for an SBA loan this year is around 12%.  This means your interest will be about double if you use your cards as a source of… Read More

An update of a popular blog post from November 24, 2014 “We know you have a choice of airlines when you fly, and we appreciate you flying with us” was a popular phrase back in the day – but the truth in that statement is timeless. Customers have countless choices as to where they can… Read More