How important is your business to your vendors?  An unexpected bonus of the trend towards direct overseas sourcing by big box stores is that orders from independent retailers have became essential to the success of many American vendors and sales agencies.  But smart retailers know that they can increase their clout with a line by… Read More

How much of your time is spent working in your business rather than on your business?  Studies show that businesses fail because they don’t make the right decision at the right time — but most of us spend the majority of our day dealing with the myriad of details involved in running the shop. I… Read More

We all make mistakes, and hopefully become better buyers by learning from them. What are some of your favorites? I’ve been around long enough to remember saying that I thought the pet rock was a dumb idea that would never sell.  And that was just one of my earliest blunders. The secret to surviving mistakes… Read More

If you want your customers to see your shop through a different lens while shopping online, Seth Godin’s brainchild Squidoo may be just what you are looking for.  Squidoo, which is now 5 years old, is a user-generated website that allows anyone to create single pages (called lenses) on subjects of interest. The concept behind… Read More

HO, HO, HO — holiday’s over, holiday’s over, holiday’s over.  What are you doing this month to bring customers to your store, and to your shopping area?  And I hope your answer isn’t a sale, because today’s shoppers are getting pretty jaded when it comes to discounts.  Winter lasts a long time, especially here in… Read More

Move over, paid vacation, sick days and personal time off. There is a new perk now being offered by some small businesses: v.t.o, which stands for volunteer time off.  And unlike others benefits, this one is a win-win for the employee, the business and the community too. The idea behind v.t.o. is that your company… Read More

Smart phones are becoming common companions in the shopping experience, and are changing the nature of our interaction with our customers.  Have you thought of ways to take advantage of this recent phenomenon? The Orange Tree Imports customer in the photo above is using his iPhone to send his mother a photo of an apron… Read More

Bringing shoppers into your store should be the goal of all your promotional efforts — and if your promotion benefits a worthwhile organization at the same time, it’s a win-win situation!  Yesterday we hosted an event in our store that raised $1,000 for scholarships for my alma mater, the U.W. Scandinavian Studies Department.  And I’m… Read More

“I personally recommend this” are very powerful words in the interaction between a salesperson and a customer. (OK, not as powerful as “free,” but we need to stay in business!)  Shoppers are eager for ideas about what to buy, and as specialty shop retailers we are in a unique position to make meaningful personal recommendations. … Read More