Hook ‘em & Reel ‘em – Two Different Skills
Let’s acknowledge right off the bat that getting back to business as usual may not be quick or easy.
Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman is not about the Arthur Miller play, but an acknowledgment that traditional selling is dead. ... Selling therefore, must become consultative. In fact, let’s just drop the rep from Sales rep and call them what they must become, Sales Consultants or Merchandising Consultants.
Pearl Harbor
The other night I watched the movie Pearl Harbor. I have to admit that I was a bit down that day, feeling, like everyone else, a helplessness creeping in.
Living off the Fat of the Land
For perhaps the first time in my life, I’m here to tell you that having too much inventory might just be a good thing. For now.
Times Like These
It is during times like these when we are tested as owners, managers, employees and members of our community.
Don’t Leave Fish to Find Fish
Our guide said, "Don’t leave fish to find fish." I turned around and said, "What was that?" He repeated, "Don’t leave fish to find fish. When we find a spot where the fish are stacked up like this, we keep fishing. Many people just take a single pass at them and move on."
Leaky Buckets and Low-Hanging Fruit
It’s a common question we hear from retailers, “how can I get a larger piece of the pie from my trade area?” Many search for answers in new vendors or merchandise offers, a different ad agency or the next cool promotional idea. While these changes can and often do deliver sales increases, they come at a price.
People, Who Need People…
COCOONING: Consumers are running for protection from the unpredictable realities of the outside world. We were staying home, curled up with books, watched movies and hunkered down. 30 years later, that definition seems quaint.
Up, Down and Even, Christmas 2018
Every year we see different results for individual companies when comparing this year’s numbers to last and 2018 was certainly no different. I can’t even say that the wide swings were terribly unusual (from up nearly 100% to down 45%).
No One Noticed but the Bottom Line
Improving your bottom line is a challenge for many retailers. We tend to follow the same patterns of behavior over time (years and even generations) and therefore, markup and discounting wind up becoming a part of our culture, rather than having a net profit strategy.