Here is yet another threat from the online giant that is already having a serious impact on large and small retailers: Amazon could be setting up a “locker” in the vacant storefront next door to your shop. According to the Amazon web site, “Amazon Locker provides….a self-service delivery location to pick up and return your… Read More

Lands’ End, our business neighbor in nearby Dodgeville, Wisconsin, recently sent out an email blast about their “Cup of Customer” tradition.  The “Cup of Customer” is a message sent out to Lands’ End employees first thing in the morning, and is defined as “a pick me up” from a satisfied customer.  The cute image above… Read More

One of my sales reps reported facing a dilemma recently. She stopped in a store she sells to while out shopping with friends, and was surprised to find the young employee behind the counter listening to music on his phone — with headphones on. She was not sure whether she should report this to the… Read More

The idea of a flash sale may have originated in the world of commerce, but there is no reason why a bricks and mortar store can’t create a sense of urgency among its fans using this technique.  The key is to make the offer very exciting so that consumers feel the need to respond right… Read More

If you’ve borrowed money to capitalize your store, you are probably paying around 8% interest on the loan. Assuming you can’t negotiate that down to a lower rate, you may want to look at what you are paying for toilet paper. Yes, you heard me right.  If you can’t save money on your business loan,… Read More

“I don’t want someone who’s just friendly — I want someone who is knowledgeable,” posted a consumer in the comment section in a blog about what customers want.  As we all know, a cheerful staff is an important part of making customers feel welcome. But having a well-trained sales staff is a key  means of differentiating… Read More

One of the interesting social science experiments in Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton’s Happy Money has to do with expiration dates.  They discovered that consumers logically said they would prefer a gift certificate to a local pastry shop with a two month expiration date rather than a three week deadline. But in reality, only 6%… Read More

Every four years retailers in the US are faced with a challenging time as the public’s attention turns to the presidential election.  Although the impact may not be as bad in a year when an incumbent is on the ballot, we can see already this year is shaping up to be a difficult one for many stores… Read More

The 4th of July seems like an appropriate day to consider the challenge retailers today face in sourcing American-made products.  We  just got word that Peggy Karr Glass will be closing at the end of this month. We of course wish Peggy and Tim Karr all the best in their retirement, but the loss of… Read More

“Retail has a savior and, ironically, it’s a new type of technology,” according to Kenny Kline in a Huffington Post blog. And what is this new technology? Small devices called Bluetooth beacons, which can communicate wordlessly and wirelessly to customers as they walk past an enabled display.  These beacons take advantage of the fact that… Read More