Imagine that you are a traveler looking to buy a neck pillow for your overseas flight. The airport shop has a nice selection (even for those who don’t find a monkey quite their style). And they’re only $10 each!  But no — if you only need one, which for most of us is the case,… Read More

Our fall staff meeting was this evening, and it was so nice to gather  everyone together and get psyched for the holiday season. We provided a light dinner (and one of our employees baked a carrot cake for my husband Dean’s birthday). After some time socializing, and a few general announcements, I asked several employees… Read More

APPLE PAY The iPhone has been conspicuously absent from the smartphones offering “mobile wallet” options due to its lack of NFC (near-field communication) ability. But Apple may have just been waiting to roll out Apple Pay, its own version of the mobile wallet which made its debut on October 20. The new iPhone 6 and… Read More

On a recent art museum visit we noticed several guards staring at their smartphones, oblivious as to whether anyone was intent upon mischief or even theft.  And it’s understandable that these digital devices offer a relief from the boredom that must come from sitting in the same room with the same art all day long.… Read More

Facebook has been featuring many ads for “Shopify” over the past few months, and if you’re like me, you don’t have any idea what it is.  Some new startup program, I assumed, but it turns out that the Canadian company Shopify is celebrating its tenth birthday this year. In the online world that’s a ripe… Read More

The predatory nature of Amazon has led more than one retailer to the words of the famous Serenity Prayer: grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. A recent article in Isthmus by Jim Hightower outlines the… Read More

The world of private labeling (PL) has an identity problem. On the one hand you have stores with a great reputation putting their names on products that fit their prestigious image, and on the other hand you have big box store brands offering private label merchandise as inexpensive (basically generic) alternatives to major brands. The… Read More

More and more retailers are having their employees ask shoppers to go online to fill in a customer satisfaction survey when they get home.  I’ve asked whether this information garners any benefits to the person handling my transaction, and often the response is that the individual can get a special recognition if they have a… Read More

Life does not always go smoothly for those we care about, and this includes members of our staff.  The way that your store handles a crisis in the life of an employee can have a long-time impact on how that individual feels about working for you. When you hear about a staff illness or medical… Read More

The Pinterest boards for Eggshells Kitchen Company, “the kitchen store for foodies in Little Rock, Arkansas”, led me to their excellent store blog.  My favorite “blog-shell” is the one shown on the right entitled Top Six Wedding Gifts. What do I like about it? For starters, it is mostly crisp, colorful photographs — which ties… Read More