Can you guess the source of this quote?  “Many businesses also underestimate the importance of an actual “Open” sign. However, it’s vital that you clearly communicate to potential customers that you are open and ready to serve them. If your store is dark or obscured from easy view, passersby may assume that you are closed… Read More

Working in one of Jack Mitchell’s clothing stores must be wonderful.  He and the other members of his family have made an art of making their employees feel appreciated, including personal touches such as knowing the names of everyone’s children and pets, recognizing their accomplishments, and doing everything possible to make them feel appreciated. Jack… Read More

Successful shopkeeping means paying attention to so many details.  For example, what does your restroom say about your store? This one, at a branch of the women’s clothing store Chico’s, says: we will never, ever run out of paper towels.   Is this really the main message they want to convey?  By using the customer… Read More

I have just ventured to the seamy side of the wholesale gift market…a closeout show.  Have you ever wondered where the dollar stores go to buy their merchandise? It certainly isn’t the Atlanta Gift Show or the New York Gift Fair, where vendors try to outdo each other with the newest, brightest and best merchandise.… Read More

Forget New Year’s resolutions, the Rose Bowl, or black-eyed peas as New Year’s traditions.  In our shop, New Year’s means one thing: inventory.  It’s all hands on deck to physically count everything that is still on hand after the holidays.  To avoid a mutiny, we now do inventory on the Sunday after New Year’s Day,… Read More

The home page for lululemon athletica, a chain of stores selling technical clothing for yoga, dancing and running, does not show any of its products. Instead it features rotating images of its customers talking about what what inspires them in life.  This type of relationship retailing, rather than hard sellling, is typical of the creative… Read More

Every family has its holiday traditions, and many of ours revolve around working at our store.  Although Katrina doesn’t look very happy at the prospect of being part of the Christmas season at Orange Tree Imports in this photo, as a young adult she’s actually quite nostalgic about all the time she and her brother… Read More

We entered the social networking world of Facebook last week, and I’m slowly watching the number of “fans” of my store increase. I hadn’t really thought about using Facebook or MySpace to reach new customers, but we’ve taken the plunge (thanks to my son Erik, who created the two videos on our page while he… Read More

What I want to know is, why do so many retailers act as if they are in a witness protection program when it comes to showing their face on their store’s web site? We know that successful independent retailing is all about forming personal relationships, so it stands to reason that you need to let… Read More

Three of the top factors in choosing a line of merchandise today may be that old retail adage: location, location, location. The cost of freight is of course one of the considerations in giving preference to a supplier that is not on the other side of the country, but another major advantage of buying from… Read More