“Buy American” is a wonderful goal, but chances are good that a very high percentage of the items in your shop are made in China.  Any changes in the availability and pricing of Chinese-made merchandise could have a big impact on what you are able to offer to your customers, and thus to the viability… Read More

Every small business owner needs a trusted mentor from time to time to help face the challenges posed by today’s economy — but it isn’t always easy to know where to find one.  If you haven’t checked out SCORE, you should definitely see if this organization can give you the assistance you need. They have… Read More

Time is sometimes as precious as money to today’s shoppers.  A high school friend recently posted this on Facebook: “At retail stores and the supermarket, why not have an express line based on time and not the number of items…..? PLEASE let me leave with my 5 items in 60 seconds. No checks, no ’20… Read More

It is the most powerful four-letter word in advertising, and perhaps the least widely used in our field: FREE!  The expression “don’t give the store away” has frightened a lot of retailers, and kept them from giving anything away for free — but as a promotional tool, free can be very cost effective. A classic… Read More

I’ve heard that some people actually fish with it (including, I’m sure, my nephew Ben). But for those of us in the retail trade, fish line — or monofilament, as it is properly called — is a an essential tool for doing displays. Crate and Barrel makes extensive use of monofilament in their in-store and… Read More

Monday seems to be the new Sunday, with ‘closed’ signs in the windows of numerous of small shops and restaurants. I empathize with the business owner who feels the need for a day off, and decides to close on Monday since it’s the slowest weekday.  But as a friend recently said to me, “If I… Read More

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a few words can really help you tell a display’s story.  The store next door to ours, Art Gecko, has recently added some compelling text to their colorful and engaging window displays. I happened to walk by one evening and watched their graphic artist at… Read More

Are you ready for National Licorice Day tomorrow? It does seem odd to me that it falls during National Egg Salad week, and right in the middle of National Florida Tomato Month.  But I’ll take any excuse for a celebration — especially one that can be turned into a quick and easy Twitter and Facebook… Read More

FOLLOW THE LEADER Unless you are Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber or Mel Gibson (the top Twitter celebrities of 2011), you are going to need to work to get customers to follow your postings on social networking sites such as Twitter.  This sign at a CB2/Crate & Barrel store in Chicago caught my eye, because it… Read More

I love serving on the United Way of Dane County Marketing Committee, because I get to help a great cause and at the same time I always learn something new from the marketing professionals who also volunteer their time.  This week I we were working with Art Barnard of NBS Solutions on what questions to… Read More