For better or worse, B2B sites such as Faire have changed the way some retailers buy. You may have recently heard about another entry into this wholesale marketplace – an Asian B2B company called Peeba. Launched in Hong Kong in June, 2020, Peeba is now publicizing their platform internationally. However their website states that for… Read More

Social shopping is back – and not limited to the holidays. One way to boost your sales throughout the winter months is to invite a group to come into your store to enjoy some refreshments while shopping. Offering refreshments that include some wine, or warm gløgg, helps create a festive welcome. It’s easy to host… Read More

Our shop is closed Boxing Day, which is on December 26, unless it falls on a Saturday. We just feel that we deserve two days off in a row after the busy Christmas season. But in many parts of the world, Boxing Day has evolved from being a day to give boxes of gifts to… Read More

Christmas is everywhere at this time of year.  And while many of us try to be more inclusive by saying “Season’s Greetings” and “Happy Holidays,” few stores carry much merchandise for Hanukkah.  There are of course good reasons for this – Hanukkah is not a major holiday in the Jewish year, and some areas don’t… Read More

A Google search for promotional ideas for business district reveals the fact that a large number of the most active communities have one thing in common: they are past or present participants in Main Street America. This program was started in 1980 as part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and focuses on older… Read More

Gratitude is on everyone’s mind this week as we head towards Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season. Despite concerns about inflation, recession, employee shortages and supply chain issues, we have much to be thankful for in 2022. I realized this recently when someone reminded me that only two years ago our shop was… Read More

Have you ever seen a product on TikTok and clicked through to buy it? If so, you are not alone. The so-called social commerce industry is expected to grow three times faster than traditional ecommerce in the coming years. This means that more and more consumers will be seeing a product, deciding to buy it,… Read More

Like most retailers, large and small, we’ve found our attempts to find part-time employees this fall have met with little success. My next move is to try to focus on retirees to see if that helps us find the help we need – we already have a number of excellent staff members who are in… Read More

We all want our businesses to operate in the black (i.e. to be profitable).  According to tradition, the Friday after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday because that is the day when most retailers’ bottom line went from red to black, thanks to the frenzied start of the holiday shopping season.  This turns out, however,… Read More

As a general rule, according to Business News Daily, 80% of your profits come from 20% of your stock. With much of your business investment tied up in inventory, it makes sense to make sure you’re making the best use of your money by managing your inventory well. Start by determining what merchandise makes up… Read More