Chalkboards are a classic form of changeable signage, and the simple black and white look of chalkboard calligraphy is quite in fashion at the moment. But the drawback to chalkboards is frankly the fact that they use chalk, which smudges easily and can be accidentally or intentionally erased. We recently discovered that smart retailers are… Read More

It’s great fun to call a customer to say that he or she has won a prize in a store contest or drawing. And if you aren’t doing promotions in your store that involve prizes, you’re missing a good way to build up your customer list.  Just be sure to include a line on the… Read More

Repetition is pleasing to the eye, and multiples of almost any item can make a great backdrop for a merchandise display. If you don’t have enough of one product to hang dozens in the back of your window, take a trip to a Dollar Store.  For $24 you can get two dozen of just about… Read More

Do you have boxes of old invoices and other financial records taking up valuable space in your shop’s storage area?  If you’ve been in business for over four or five years (to say nothing of our store’s 40 years), you probably have accumulated a lot of paper. We have always kept 7 years worth of… Read More

Is your store in need of a makeover?  In order to get a fresh start, the owners of the failing bakeries featured in the TV show Save My Bakery relinquish control to the “Queen of Cakes”, Kerry Vincent.  Like all reality shows, this Food Network series exaggerates what is possible in 48 hours – but… Read More

Sending an email blast to your customers doesn’t do any good if your message doesn’t get opened.  And yet even with a permission-based list of people who have asked to receive emails from your shop, you would be doing well to get an “open rate” of 20%.  Mailchimp is a large email marketing service, and… Read More

It took me aback to find my trusty Rolodex on display in a museum on my recent trip to NY. Happily it was in an exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt highlighting good design, not obsolete technology. But still, it made me realize that it might be time for a new approach to the challenge of… Read More

I had time to watch Shark Tank and in my hotel room during the recent trade shows (including an extra night stuck in Detroit on the way home).  I had never seen this ABC reality show, despite the fact that it’s been running since 2009. I must admit I didn’t love it enough to watch… Read More

What is it worth to you to bring your very best customers into your store? Do the math: common knowledge says that it costs five times as much to obtain a new customer as to keep an old one, and that 80% of your sales come from the top 20% of your customers. That means… Read More

Across the country, people are pooling their resources in what has been termed the “sharing economy”.  Need a place to stay? Rent someone’s bedroom through AirBnb.  Want a ride? Call Uber and someone will pick you up in their own car.  The sharing (or share) economy has been defined in many ways, but the one… Read More