There are obviously many differences between running an upscale restaurant and a small independent shop. But in reading Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality, I came to realize that there are also some important similarities in the way we need to approach customer service. There are definitely less expensive, quicker ways for diners to get a meal… Read More

Did you know that Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25? That range of dates can impact the sale of seasonal merchandise, although you’d think that the Easter rabbit would make about the same number of stops whenever he’s hoppin’ down the bunny trail. Analysts at Deutsche Bank explained it this way: “we… Read More

The person delivering salt for our water softener recently left three 40 lb. bags in the middle of our front steps, blocking the entrance to our home. Did we complain? No, because we know that Culligan probably wouldn’t be able to find anyone to replace him if he was fired.  The current employee crisis has… Read More

Hardly anyone really needs a giant, 40 ounce insulated tumbler – and yet the Quencher has helped Stanley grow its annual revenue from $70 million to over $750 million in four years, according to CNBC. The video of shoppers snatching up the limited edition red Valentine’s Day cups at Target has gone viral, and there… Read More

How do you know it’s almost Leap Day? When it is only a hop, skip and a jump away.  That’s a corny joke, but we need all the laughs we can get in the depths of the long Wisconsin winter.  And we also need fresh ideas for promotions to bring customers into the store once… Read More

We all know that there is an acute shortage of retail workers.  But you may not have thought about the fact that there’s a correlation between this crisis and the lack of affordable childcare in the U.S.  Over 50% of store employees are women, and if those with young kids can’t find someone to take… Read More

Bringing customers into the store during the slower winter months is a challenge for many of us. This year our shop hopes to see a good return on the $10 gift cards we gave away on Small Business Saturday.  We noted on each card that it is only valid this in January, 2024, and customers… Read More

For most of independent shopkeepers, the 2020s have been quite a ride so far; starting with the pandemic in 2020, then the container crisis, the economy, and then more pandemic. There’s something about starting a new calendar that brings the expectation of better times – let’s hope that’s what 2024 has in store. But before… Read More

Credit cards, according to CNBC, now make up over 82% of all in-store retail transactions in the United States. Card-not-present payments such as Apple Pay are on the rise.  Digital currencies such as bitcoin may be the wave of the future.  Which brings up the question: do stores still need to accept cash? The downside… Read More

Budget Bicyle Center runs a couple of stores near us on Regent Street in Madison, Wisconsin – and their shop at 1230 Regent Street stocks hundreds and hundreds of bikes. This point was really brought home by a short, dramatic video created for them by drone photographer/videographer Oberon Jagodinski of OVJ Photography.  You can see… Read More