“The customer is always right” and “Give the lady what she wants” are both quotes attributed to Marshall Field, who established the eponymously named department store in Chicago around 1860. Field bucked the tradition of the time by providing an exceptionally high level of customer service and quality merchandise. The business survived being burned to… Read More

Gift cards are a great way to bring customers into your store, especially after the holidays. And they may also be a source of unexpected income, because according the advisory company CEB TowerGroup, quoted on MarketWatch, about $1 billion of the $130 billion gift cards purchased each year are not redeemed. Many people who do… Read More

Fidget spinners made quite a splash in the gift world, and there are still a few manufacturers coming out with new styles and colors. But how do you know if it’s still a hot category – short of investing in inventory and seeing how it sells? It turns out that Google offers a trend chart… Read More

How will you be celebrating Small Business Saturday this year? The 9th annual SBS will be held on November 24 – the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Last year, according to Business Wire, an estimated 43% of American adults shopped or dined small on Small Business Saturday. Why wouldn’t you want to be part of this… Read More

There’s an origin story behind every retail shop, and ideally you tell yours in the “About” section on your website. But chances are good that you won’t have the opportunity to tell it in a hard-cover graphic memoir issued by Workman Publishing Company. Julie Gaines and her husband David Lenovitz of Fishs Eddy in New… Read More

“Advertising moves people toward goods; merchandising moves goods toward people” is a great quote from businessman Morris Hite. As independent retailers, we know the importance of offering an inspiring selection of merchandise displayed in an enticing manner. But deciding about the most effective way to spend advertising money can be more puzzling. There was a… Read More

What role does your shop play in your community? Supporting non-profits in your area is an opportunity to build ties and to enhance your store’s reputation. It’s also great to be in a position to give back to those who support your business – and getting involved locally helps set your independent store apart from… Read More

The emails and letters from our vendors are starting to trickle in: “we’ve held our prices as long as we can” or “due to changes in trade policies, we regret to inform you that…” It’s been a while since we’ve seen across-the-board increases in wholesale prices, but higher tariffs usually mean an increase the cost… Read More

Everybody Googles – and if your shop is like many small businesses, Google is probably the primary way that potential customers are finding your store online. A recent analysis of our website showed that although thousands of people connected with us thanks to Google, we have a rather disappointing keyword ranking in the categories we… Read More

Autumn is here, and it’s time to think about what you can do to use the change of seasons to draw customers in. Even if you don’t sell Halloween or Thanksgiving merchandise, you should take advantage of this new period on the retail calendar. A change in the color or mood in your store can… Read More