Just last week, I had a retailer tell me that staff meetings were a waste of time. I was shocked. I have heard many excuses why retailers don’t do them – but never heard anyone say that they weren’t worth doing at all. I asked why they thought so… and all the reasons were spewed out! Some were valid and … Read More
What are you doing wrong in December?
What are you doing wrong in December? Not knowing how much cash you will have at the end of the year. It is important to see how much cash you are on track to generate compared to how much you need to take care of bills. There is still time to take strategic action. I am here to help you. … Read More
What’s Your Return Policy?
Retail is about creating relationships. GOOD retail is about creating GOOD relationships. BAD retail is about creating BAD relationships. Now before you dismiss this as being obvious, please stop. Take a breath – in and out. Think about what kind of relationships the policies of your store creates. Many policies – if not most – are put in place to … Read More
Are You A Frog? Warts and all?
Are You a Frog? Warts and all? Let me guess. Your immediate response is… “NO! And I don’t have any warts!” Are you sure? The story goes that if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water it will jump out immediately. The frog recognizes that a pot full of boiling water isn’t conducive to a long, … Read More
Do It the Peppermill Way – 5 Ways to Connect With Your Raving Fans
The images of Las Vegas linger in my mind. Boy do they know how to do marketing there. Even in breakfast diners! Paul and I had spent the evening at the Venetian. We asked a bartender where to go for breakfast and her immediate response was “The Peppermill.” Then our cabbie on the ride home gave us the same advice. … Read More
Calling is NOT a 4 letter word. Really. Count it.
This is an actual conversation that I had with a retailer… “Cathy, my business stinks. What can I do?” “I would love to help you. Send me some information so that I can see what strategy you should take to explode your profits. In the meantime, can I give you one REVENUE-BUILDING-GUARANTEED tip?” “Please anything…I will do anything…the store is … Read More
The Single Biggest Mistake You Can Make!
What is the single biggest mistake you can make? I used to go to seminars about retail advertising and when they would start talking about target markets my eyes would glaze over. “I sell kid’s clothes and gifts. Everyone knows a kid. Therefore, everyone is my customer,” I would think.In one way that is true. But obviously at some level, … Read More
You’re Not Crazy – There Is Something That You Were Never Taught
One thing that store owners get frustrated with is feeling like retail should be a little easier. And you are not crazy….it is easier for some store owners. They learned something you might not have…yet! There is something that you were never taught. I learned it the hard way. When my sister and I opened our store, we were wildly … Read More
There is no difference between a markdown and a discount. WRONG. Have you been making this mistake?
There IS a difference between markdowns and discounts…..AND they are exactly the same. The difference is in how you track them, but they can mean the same thing. ANYTHING that reduces the price of an item is a markdown. A markdown is sometimes given different nicknames (reward credit, discount, loyalty dollars, etc.). Remember, YOU are giving the customer money to … Read More
One Way To Make Your Life Easier
One Way To Make Your Life Easier My goal is always to make your job easier and point out ways that you can do something once and re-use it! I know how many hats you wear and how much you have to do. I like to call this a “Rinse and Repeat”. Who doesn’t love that? Let’s dig in! … Read More