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Tuesday, November 27th, 2007If you’re like me, you love your work so much that you even enjoy thinking about it in the off hours. I love retail, and I love watching movies and TV shows that include retail scenes. Below, check out a few of my favorites.
5. Bed of Roses (Florist Shop)
4. You’ve Got Mail (Book Store)
3. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Candy Store)
2. The Lost Boys (Comic Book Store)
1. Clerks (Convenience Store/Video Store)
Any others to add? Am I missing some obvious ones? What about holiday-specific titles?
Post-Holiday Travel
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007Like I said before, I’m definitely planning on traveling once the holiday craziness dies down. Prices tend to be pretty good in early/late January, and the retail business slows down substantially once the initial holiday return period has passed. I should definitely have time to get away then.
For my readers in Europe, you should check out Holiday Hypermarket for great deals on travel. I’m a huge fan of last minute deals, as I like the thrill of finding something totally unexpected at the last minute. I’m not much of a planner, though. I know a lot of people are. Holiday Hypermarket has both last minute packages and all inclusive deals, though, so you can figure something out regardless of your preferences.
What’s the last great trip you took? Do you have any great plans for once the holiday season is over?
Female Products
Monday, November 26th, 2007No, I’m not talking about THOSE female products. I’m talking about products like exercise equipment, diet pills, makeup, travel accessories, and makeup. Do you carry them? Do you feel like they have a place in your store? Depending on your layout, I’d argue that most stores could do quite well with any of those products.
Think about your typical customer. It’s probably a middle-aged female with a husband, children, and ever-expanding waistline. That’s pretty much the standard in nearly all parts of the country. Assuming that you make a good “flow” between your typical gift products and other items, it’s worth giving unorthodox products a chance. You never know, it could work.
Chinese Product Scares
Monday, November 26th, 2007Right now, it seems like everyone is concerned over Chinese products and possible lead contamination. While the danger may actually be quite minimal. Unfortunately, the danger to your business could be significant if you are held responsible for the contents of your products. So, how is a small business supposed to protect itself?
Some companies offer machines that will give readings of the lead content in a product. Unfortunately, those machines cost several thousand dollars, even for rental. That may be perfectly alright for a massive company like Wal-Mart, but it’s more than rent at most smaller retail outlets.
I’m curious. What are you doing? Are you doing anything? How should small businesses balance the need to protect customers with the need to stay in business?
Payday Loans at Christmas
Monday, November 26th, 2007While payday loans have often gotten a bad rap in the past, they serve an important function in our society. Suppose you own a retail store and your credit stinks. Obviously, no matter how sincere you are about paying your debts, you can’t fix your credit immediately. Now, suppose it’s Christmas and you need both inventory and equipment for your store, but you’re coming up a little short. If you arrange for loans payday comes a little bit sooner. You can use the money you get to re-invest in your business, earn a return, and pay back the loan.
The same thing applies for certain personal situations. As with anything, be sure to read the fine print. Pay day loans, like anything else, can vary in their appeal. If you’re careful and you don’t just borrow for the sake of additional consumption, you can use them to your advantage.
All I want for Christmas…
Sunday, November 25th, 2007At this point, I’m ready for Christmas to be over and I haven’t even gotten through the first post-Thanksgiving week. Between the cooling weather and the busy shopping season, I’m ready for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Somewhere warm is sounding pretty good right now. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good vacation, and I could definitely use one. What about you? Any great plans for when the holiday shopping season is over?
Internet Sales Tax Issues
Sunday, November 25th, 2007Whether you’re an online retailer or brick and mortar retailer, it’s important to be aware of the issues involving Internet sales tax for retail transactions. Even if you don’t sell items online now, you may want to in the future, and the issue will affect you. Imagine doing business with the added costs of sales tax in addition to shipping and the general wait for products in the mail. Below, I’ve pasted an article that should fill you in on the basic details.
Auto Accessories?
Friday, November 23rd, 2007The other day, I found myself in a gift store that sold things like cards, stuffed animals, candles, and chocolates. No surprises there. Then, I moved back a bit into the store and noticed sheet music. That was a little odd. As I got to the back of the store, I saw that they had an entire display for auto accessories - LED lights, safety equipment, some kind of Dodge Charger accessory, orange cones, etc. It really made no sense at all. I had to find out what that stuff was doing in there.
I asked the owner, and she said it was simple. She operates her store within a small town, and certain things aren’t available anywhere else there. So, in addition to doing brisk business with her gift items, she also did very well with her auto accessories. Since she isn’t fond of the auto stuff, she just moved it to the back so she could surround herself with the things that were most important to her.
Somewhere in that story, there’s a lesson. I think it’s awesome that she found something so strange that worked so well.
Good News for Online Retail…
Friday, November 23rd, 2007I never know if I should believe the reports or not, but I did think that this year’s outlook was pretty interesting. In years past, I don’t remember hearing nearly as much about online retail, but I’m glad to see it’s getting some attention. Hopefully, those of you who own real, brick and mortar stores are also taking advantage of the Internet as a sales channel. Given the minimal costs involved with making sales online, I can hardly see a reason not to.
Watches
Thursday, November 22nd, 2007In a brief departure from my usual wholesale/retail store talk, I wanted to draw attention to these gorgeous ebel watches. My significant other is a big fan of watches without metal wristbands, and they have some that are surprisingly stylish. I’ll definitely be looking into the one below for Christmas.
Despite the fact that most cellphones have clocks, I still think watches are very elegant. It’s so much easier to glance at your wrist than to whip out a cell phone.
Store Room Essentials
Thursday, November 22nd, 2007Moving into the holidays, it’s always important to make sure that your store/shipping area is in order. Just as a general guideline, here are the things I keep around to make things move smoothly.
A safety utility knife
A pair of scissors
A roll of packing tape
A roll of scotch tape
Extra boxes
Extra envelopes
Stamps
Ink pens
Packing list plastic envelopes
A small damp washcloth
A dustpan
Anything else you’d consider essential? It’s odd, sometimes, the things you end up needing that you never would have guessed until the need arose.
Top Holiday Songs for Your Store
Thursday, November 22nd, 2007When you’re trying to decide what kind of music to play in your store during the holidays, it’s important to consider your particular clientèle. If you get a wide variety of people in your store, you can always go for the classics and favorites. Personally, I’m going to use this list to create a set of songs. You really can’t go wrong with songs like “Silver Bells”, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”.
What are your favorites? Is there anything you would never include (or that you’d never leave off?)?
Name that Product
Thursday, November 22nd, 2007If you’re in the giftware market, you might just know what’s pictured below. Otherwise, it probably seems a bit…odd. Go ahead and take your best guesses in the comments section. The only hint I’m offering is that it is not for “naughty” purposes. It’s perfectly innocent and appropriate for all audiences.
Cell Phones for Business
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007Despite the fact that my cell phone provider actively claims to have the fewest dropped calls, I seem to get more than my fair share. Today, as I was trying to do a bit of business on the drive to my day job, my call dropped 4 times in a 15 minute span. I’ve heard that you can get a cell phone booster to help prevent that sort of thing, but I’ve always been skeptical.
For those of you who use your cell phones as primary business line, do you have similar problems? How do you deal with them? Does anything work, or is a land line just the best way to go?
Brain Power Products
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007The immense popularity of the Brain Age game series has led to success for a number of similar mind-exercising products. The Brain Power books from Pomegranate Publishing are one great example. The fact that they’re affordable makes them perfect for nearly any store. It’s pretty hard to go wrong with high quality and a low price.
If you’d like to contact Pomegranate, just call them at the number below.
Pomegranate
Josh Rifkin
Box 808022
Petaluma, CA 94975
Toll Free Phone: 800 227-1428
Phone: 707 782-9000
Fax: 800 848-4376
Email: joshr (at) pomegranate.com
Lighting Sales in Your Store
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007If you’re looking for more categories to add during the holiday season, you should definitely consider home lighting. Most people are eager to make their homes look as “home-y” and warm as possible, and lighting is one of the best ways to do that.
Unfortunately, I haven’t dealt much with the lighting industry. Any good suggestions for vendors? I’m open to all types of lighting manufacturers.
Black Friday Countdown - 2 Days
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007With just two more days left until Black Friday, it may seem like there’s nothing left to do but await the chaos. That’s not necessarily true, though. On Friday, try to get in early to arrange things efficiently, get gift wrapping materials ready, and make sure everything is clean, tidy, and festive.
With a little bit of last minute double-checking, your day should be smooth and profitable. Happy Holidays, and enjoy the day off tomorrow!
Drug Rehab
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007Unfortunately, businesses don’t exist in vacuums, and real life problems will always intrude. So, how do you keep going at your business when you’re dealing with very real issues like divorce, drug rehab, financial problems, or abuse.
My only advice is this. Deal with the real life issues first. Even if your entire business goes under, you can always start again. If your family and friends are hurt, sick, or dead, though, you can’t get them back. Remember that.
Last Minute Stocking Stuffers for Your Store
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007If you’re looking for some more last minute stocking stuffers for your store, you should definitely check out Notes & Queries. They have a variety of paper products and accessories that are great add-ons to increase average order sizes. You can browse most of their products online without registering, but you’ll have to get in touch if you want to find out about pricing.
If you want to talk to Notes & Queries, you can do so with the contact information below:
Notes & Queries
Alan Harnik
9003 L-M Yellow Brick Road
Suite H
Baltimore, MD 21237
Toll Free Phone: (800) 783-8870
Phone: (410) 682-6102
Fax: (410) 682-5397
Email: nandq@nandq.com
Black Friday Countdown - 5 Days
Sunday, November 18th, 2007I’m excited. Black Friday is less than a week away, and you know what that means. It’s okay to bring out the Christmas stuff without a crazy backlash at how early Christmas is coming each year. I always keep my Christmas trees and snowman decorations safely tucked away until the week of Thanksgiving, but after that, I say it’s fair game.
What about you? When do you think it’s safe to come out of the holiday decorations closet?
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