Always Upward

Pack it up, honey...time to move

2008-12-17T22:36:00.004-06:00

It’s official. The Always Upward blog has moved to new digs.

I’ve wanted to do this for a while now, but needed to get a couple of other projects wrapped up first. Well...that, and to try teaching myself enough php code to make it function without having to ask for help.

Yeah. Like that’s a good idea.

Bottom line, the blog is now located at:

AlwaysUpward.com/blog

Still have some squeaky floorboards and a couple of loose screws (hey now...I heard that), but all in all, we’re good to go. My previous posts are repeated there, along with some new material, so you won’t be losing anything in the translation.

Pack it up. Wave goodbye. It’s time to head to Always Upward.

2009: The Year of Quality without Complication

2008-12-17T08:45:00.002-06:00

This past year’s been interesting.

For me, 2008 was pretty terrific, albeit filled with too many third party political agendas (and I don’t mean election-related). For my friends who own retail stores, however, it was an uphill battle filled with enormous challenge--in most cases becoming critical as early as June.

Regardless of whether your year fell into the “terrific” or “challenging” category, it’s safe to say 2008 was complicated. Reeeeally complicated. The past twelve months generally gave a lot of pretty smart folks some pretty serious headaches.

Which is why I’m declaring 2009 The Year of Quality without Complication.

Think: Quality without overthinking. Quality of life plus quality of business. Quality that spills over to those around you in a sincere, productive way.

So what do you say we all unite under the following declarations?

In 2009, I, the undersigned, promise to:

1. Focus on what my customers need from me more than what I need from them.

2. Better understand the 80/20 rule, then buy according to that principle (and if I don’t understand that principle, I need to contact Cinda).

3. Take five minutes each month to send a hand written thank you note to someone who’s made a positive difference in my business. If I’m feeling particularly cheerful, I will write two.

4. Create a braintrust of me and four other local business owners, then meet for brainstorming breakfasts once per quarter where we’ll drink too much coffee, eat calorie-laden sticky buns, kick around wild ideas, listen to each other’s concerns, and find ways to grow each other’s businesses.

5. Try at least one new internet-based marketing method...even if it scares the hell out of me. If that requires relying on my 13 year old nephew for explanation, I will. If it requires hiring the 13 year nephew, I will.

6. Stop dead in my tracks when things begin to spin too quickly...take a breath...and regain control. Life can only race as fast as I allow it to.

I have read the above, agree to it with all my retail-lovin’ heart, and sign here in black ink (because red ink is no fun):

_________________________________
Name

__________________
Date

Now, print...sign...and tape to your office wall. Or your forehead. Your call.

Color me a Pandora junkie

2008-12-16T13:26:00.010-06:00

I’m strapped to the desk today, which means it’s going to be a Pandora afternoon.

If you haven’t heard of Pandora, you’re really missing something. Simply put, it’s a free online service that plays music based on the songs you like. Today, I’m listening to Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong and the like singing Christmas songs, simply because I typed in “Santa Baby,” then selected the Eartha Kit version from the menu that automatically appeared.

This is crazy easy to use (and free):

1. Go to Pandora.com
2. Create an account (no, they don’t spam you)
3. Type in a song name to create a new station (aka: playlist)
4. Sit back and enjoy the music, baby

I’ve created about a half dozen “stations” in my Pandora account, running the gamut from the Rolling Stones to Ella Fitzgerald. The system remembers these stations so that all I have to do upon returning to the site is click on the one that sounds good that day.

Don’t ask me how, but they nail the mix 99.99% of the time. On the rare occasion that a tune pops up you don’t like, just click on the little thumbs down symbol and it goes away forever.

(Mac users have two additional options: You can download Pandora Jam--a free standing player that connects from your desktop--by visiting pandorajam.com, or hit the App Store to pick up an iPod/iPod Touch version.)

Pandora’s great for those times you’re stuck at your desk, tired of store music, or in the mood for a fresh mix. A music playlist--custom built for the listener--is a pretty sweet treat and very hard to beat (see what a great mood it has me in?).

Now-—go try it out. I’m off to sing along with Bing and his buddies. Oh yeah. And get some work done.

When Mom goes mum

2008-12-14T11:28:00.003-06:00

This morning, Lee Scott (CEO and President of WalMart) appeared on Meet the Press as part of a 5-person brain trust discussing the economy and where it’s headed. A comment he made really resonated with me; to paraphrase, when WalMart moms stop shopping for themselves--choosing instead to defer spending in lieu of their kids’ and spouse’s--it’s a sign of serious pull-back in the consumer market. As much as it pains me to say this, the leader of WalMart is dead-on-right.

Each Christmas, we marveled in the store over the “one for them, one for me” pattern our female customers exhibited this time of year-—more than during other seasons, although not exclusive to fourth quarter. The better the economy, the higher the likelihood “one for me” cost more than the original gift. Even last year, as the economy was slowing down, we still saw self-gifting continue, albeit at slightly reduced price points.

Now, however, self-gifting deferral seems to be the rule. Even I, who typically splurges for a $300-ish technological gadget of some sort this time of year, succumbed, opting instead to pop for a $25 calculator.

(Yes, that’s just as pitiful as it sounds, but hey...the old one was losing some of its digits on display screen, which made it a necessity item.)

Was I disappointed? Nope. Didn’t occur to me to be. Which is exactly my point.

The fact that a calculator made me (almost) as happy as an Apple Time Capsule proves that I, too, am deferring self gratification in favor of splurging on my nieces and nephew. Doesn’t mean I don’t still want nice things...but does mean that whatever I buy myself will be a more affordable splurge than in days past. At least for now.

Revlon knows this, and provides a good model to follow. Whenever the economy goes south, they begin cranking out more dramatic colors in both lipstick and nail polish...then watch their sales spike. As money becomes tight, women tend not to spend on spa trips and new clothes, but still want to feel pampered, vibrant, confident, and attractive. Thus, the appearance of affordable fashion items...and dramatic nail polish and lipstick that make a statement.

Think I’m nuts? How many women have you seen sporting near-black nail polish on t.v. and in the halls lately? Point proven.

How’s this translate to gift retailers? Think like the WalMart mom or the 30-something woman sporting OPI’s “Black Cherry Chutney” nails. If it looks like a perk and it feels like a perk, then it is a perk that will be purchased...at under $20. Once the winter gift show circuit kicks in, items that replace more costly options in ways that improve the consumer’s lifestyle at a painless price point will be the hit that brings cash flow.

Given how late most retailers are pushing purchases right now, odds are good you’ll be buying for Valentine’s Day as well as Mother’s Day, graduation, and Father’s Day. Think: bold color, comfort, fashion, and experience-replacement purchases. Look for microwavable lavender neck wraps that will replace spa visits...for dramatic colors in scarves that will replace larger clothing purchases...and for high impact gifts that don’t need to be replaced (ie, refillable and reusable), then pair them with loyalty refill programs.

Don’t think this applies to higher priced boutiques? Guess again. Even luxury stores are choking as their previously cash-heavy customers pull back.

So how do you do this in an upscale environment? Here’s an example: Let’s say you currently sell $75-$100 cashmere scarves in a wide selection of colors. To tweak things a bit, consider paring down the color selection to black, white, red, and the top two or three colors seen in the current fashion magazines (so you don’t lose that particular customer), then add in a line of $35 or $40 silk scarves in twice as many colors. You’re still appealing to upscale customers while giving them high quality, fashion forward options that can be more easily justified.

If you can provide products that allow consumers to defer the more expensive alternatives by purchasing your current offerings instead, you’ll be ahead of the game. Give them options that are bold, confident, and affordable. If you don’t, well...they’ll look elsewhere. Remember, sacrifice eventually wears thin for most consumers.

Now...off to freshen up my “Eiffel for This Color” nails. They’re all the rage, you know.

I can name that tune in...um...how many notes?

2008-12-13T08:02:00.001-06:00

Sure, this video has been around for a couple of years, but it never ceases to amaze and delight. Consider this my stocking stuffer for all you stressed out retailers in the world....

Enjoy!

Green Paper Company

2008-12-12T08:44:00.005-06:00

It might seem there’s no safe haven in retail right now, but those of you selling paper know that green is gold these days. If you’ve got great recycled options, you’re ahead of stores who don’t.

Enter Green Paper Company.

Joan Schnee, owner of GPC in Chicago, got a big thumbs up today as the only line mentioned by name on the Good Morning America segment “Just One Thing,” featuring quality recycled stocks and holiday cards. Not a bad endorsement to have on the resumé...even when the resumé is already crowded with lots of great endorsements and placement requests.

Green Paper Company is about more than just holidays, though. Their line of blank and printed stock is expansive, and truly green. Offering both consumer packaged stationery and blank bulk stock, there’s plenty to choose from, regardless of whether you sell only boxed goods, blank stock to DIYers, or provide in-house design and production services.

Joan’s done a lot of homework about what is--and is not--good for the environment, and knows more than just about anyone I’ve ever met. As a retailer (her store, On Paper, has been a Columbus, OH destination for more than a decade), she “gets” what stores want, need, and rely on from vendors. If there’s a better combination out there, I haven’t found it.

Don’t wait until the winter shows to look for GPC; check out their site, give ‘em a call, and get your hands on this...now.

Where in the world is...?

2008-12-12T08:20:00.001-06:00

It’s been a little quiet on the AU blog this past week, in part because my schedule’s been upside down, and in part because I’m working on a move from Blogger to the Always Upward website. This is no small undertaking-—especially for someone who doesn’t live, eat, and breathe code.

Until the new digs are ready, I’ll continue posting here. As soon as I think the floor is solid and the roof won’t leak, you’ll be the first to know it’s time to move over to the new address.

Think good thoughts. This is turning out to be a much more complex experience than building my own websites has been. Much more complex.

Conquering Kate’s

2008-12-11T17:52:00.006-06:00

For those of you familiar with Kate’s Paperie in New York, it’s no secret what was once the shining star of stationery came upon tough times this past two years. After handing the reigns over to the next generation, Leonard Flax watched his beloved boutiques fall into financial disrepair and near extinction.

Well folks, take heart. Someone’s come in to save the day.

Angelica Berrie, the former CEO of Russ Berrie & Co., has written the check and holds the keys to all five Kate’s locations. With plans to overhaul the design of each store, update the company’s website, and create strategic partnerships with style-makers-and-shakers, odds are there will be all sorts of gawkers during next spring’s National Stationery Show.

Spring Street--the store where Leonard began the tradition--is first in line for a face lift, followed by the others throughout 2009. Part of Berrie’s plan to step things up includes commissioning artists to create window displays worthy of a museum...or by someone who’s already been in a museum, starting with sculptural artist Zoe Bradley.

Something tells me we’re in for a real treat...at least those of us who aren’t stationery retailers in Manhattan. If Kate’s can be reinvented to mirror the service and selection Leonard built, they’re gonna be pretty tough competition.

Once again, the queen returns to the throne.

Back home...for the moment

2008-11-25T13:15:00.003-06:00

Just a quick post before I head back out of town to let you know the GHTA conference in Sanibel was terrific. The information shared was beyond helpful, and there were lots of open ears when it came to what retailers are going through these days.

I owe a huge thanks to the independent store owners who participated in the Retail Realities survey. Your wisdom and candor made all the difference, and allowed a lot of pretty big players in the gift, stationery, and home accessory industries to better understand what you need from them...both now and in the future.

Which brings me to the title: “Here and Now...and Tomorrow.” If you’d like to view a PDF of the slides used, visit the AlwaysUpward.com resource center (linked to from the “See Cinda” page). Will try to put together an audio counterpart upon returning home from Thanksgiving travels, to fill in the blanks.

Gobble, gobble, all.....and knock ‘em dead on Black Friday.

Photo credit: Carol Schroeder

Don’t forget....

2008-11-21T06:00:00.002-06:00

There are still a few spaces available; once we max out, though...that’s it.

For: Retailers who want to stay upright and breathing through this economic melt down
When: Monday, November 24, 2008
Time: 8:00 p.m. E / 7:00 C / 6:00 M / 5:00 P
Duration: 1 hour
Presenter: Cinda Baxter, Always Upward Consulting and founder of RetailSpeaks

Description:
Retail has never been harder, nor the risks greater. Learn the five vital things you need to do right now to protect you and your investment as the consumer market twists and turns. The goal of this session is to assure that you’ve stacked the deck in your favor, prepared and protected-—regardless of how the game plays out.

Cost:
$37.00 per enrollment
Space is limited; feel free to have multiple people listen in on a speaker phone. (Note: This seminar is structured for retail business owners; some information may be more sensitive than what you typically share with employees.)

To subscribe to this session:
Click here to be taken to the Always Upward home page, then click on the event link. Major credit cards and PayPal credit accounts are welcome.

Not a retailer?
Feel free to spread the word to anyone you think might be interested in protecting their investment; the more stores who protect themselves now, the more that will still be around tomorrow.

The GHTA conference

2008-11-20T08:11:00.003-06:00

Today’s the big day--the start of the Gift and Home Trade Association national conference, in Sanibel, Florida (yeah, tough gig, I know). For those of you not familiar with the GHTA, this is a collection of CEOs, Presidents, owners, and upper management representing the most influential vendors, manufacturers, sales agencies, and trade magazines in the gift and home accessory industries.

On Saturday, I’m presenting two seminars called “Here and Now...and Tomorrow,” detailing the realities that concern retailers today, what concerns them about the next year, and how those concerns are going to impact the way they continue to do business. Thanks to the contributions of an advisory group of independent retailers representing a cross section of stores nationwide, the data is as “of the moment” as it gets.

Thanks to those of you who answered the call, sharing your wisdom and suggestions for the sessions. This is one of those cases where you’ve got a captive audience of real decision makers; together, we can help them decide what will help independents most in this unprecedented economic climate.

Morning media

2008-11-19T09:08:00.005-06:00

This morning, the Today Show did a segment about how to save money this holiday season. As expected, the usual items were on the list--pay in cash instead of credit cards, discuss pulling back on gift giving as a family, begin with a budget, etc.

Two suggestions, however, nearly had my head spinning like a whirling dervish: (a) that consumers should begin shopping online right away, for as much as they can, since that’s the best places to find great gifts, and (b) that consumers should go to local stores to look at items in person, then return to the internet to place their order or pass along the websites as their wish lists.

Yes, you read that last part correctly. Please use your community stores as free showrooms for online retailers.

I can't begin to tell you how that made my blood boil...especially since this segment came on the heels of a piece about the shortage of seasonal retail jobs due to the economy's impact on small business.

Duh...but how about the impact of the media on small business?

Newsflash. It's not just the economy that's kicking retailers in the teeth. It's you. It's your continual recommendations to forego local retailers and jump straight to the internet. It’s forgetting that a community is the sum of its parts, not just the residential side. And it’s playing cheerleader for the very thing doing the most damage to independent businesses while bemoaning their disappearance.

I’m headed to the national Gift and Home Trade Association conference today, where I’ll be presenting two seminars to vendors and reps about the concerns of independent retailers this weekend.

Might add a section about stemming the tide of bad press, as long as I have their ear.

I’ll post from Sanibel, where it’s at least 40 degrees warmer than it is here....

November 10-14 coupons

2008-11-14T14:34:00.009-06:00

Here’s the inbox pile for this week:

Galison/Mudpuppy
Tel: 800.670.7441
wholesale.galison.com
Still stocking up on holiday merchandise? Get 5% off with this offer. Use coupon code WONE (good one time only per account). No expiration date shown; check with vendor.

Marsupial Press
Tel: 425.251.8558
Fax: 425.251.8998
marsupialpapers.com/imprint_new.htm
They’re becoming a regular on the Shopping List. This time, it’s 15% off any purchase, excluding custom invitations. Use coupon code #1001. Offer expires November 20, 2008.

Heartstrings
Tel: 334.887.6514
heartstrings.net
Better dial ‘em up fast; this only lasts tomorrow, and the rules are nit-picky. Get a 10% discount on all personalized engraved orders (due to the late notice, only current accounts will be able to do this). Now...for the fine print: (1) You have to use their special “One Day Sale” order forms; (2) they must be “faxed to the correct department;” (3) they “must be received by midnight, November 15;” and (d) this maxes out at 25 engraved and 25 embroidered items. Best advice? Grab the phone immediately, call them up, and ask that the “special” form be faxed to you right now. They’re in the eastern time zone, so move quick. One day sale-—Saturday, November 15 only.

Epson
EpsonStore.com
Epson Stylus Photo printer RX680 on sale now for $89.99, after $60 instant rebate -and- exclusive $20 discount with coupon code 8ZNASE. Expires November 17, 2008.

And a heads up for Jon Hart customers:
If you didn’t get the email about holiday orders, the 2008 cutoff date is Tuesday, December 9th. Most of us recognize that as a week later than in years past...which might just be a saving grace this year. Contact Jon Hart for additional information.

Happy buying!

*As always, some offers are limited to current dealers. If you don’t carry the lines, take a look anyway. Might be a good time to add fresh product to your lineup.

Don’t write that check

2008-11-13T08:07:00.009-06:00

Once again, I see a familiar name making the rounds in the stationery industry, coaxing retailers to join their “guild” and, by extension, their website, with promises of better Google results, more visibility, and heightened customer awareness. They’ve been trying to get this concept off the ground for two years, but only recently were able to actually produce the site itself. I do not endorse their program, and for that reason, will not mention them by name here. Rest assured, this is not a vendor.

Before you write a fat check to any third party offering inclusion on their website, seriously consider the following:

1. Links are golden, yes. But do the math. If you link to them from your site, link to them from your blog, link to them any time you write an article, and link to them any time you appear in a press release, they rack up more and more links. That brings them more and more visibility in Google searches. You, on other hand, still only get one link from their site, via the store locator. Not a very equitable trade. This will not pop you up the Google list.

2. Their new website is, admittedly, very elegant. It incorporates many elements that every stationery store website should include-—and my own did, during my retail storefront days. Explains why in web searches for “personal stationery Minneapolis,” “wedding invitations Minneapolis” or similar, my store was consistently one of the top two listings. Every time. Why pay to promote someone else’s website-—that includes your local competitors, by the way-—instead of investing in your own site, promoting only you in an equally elegant, equally information-rich, and equally professional manner, simultaneously pushing you up the Google list?

3. The suggestion that inclusion in their site significantly helps consumers find you is pretty thin. Think about it-—when a bride is looking for invites, she’s going to Google the term “letterpress wedding invitations Omaha,” not search for some association website she doesn’t have a connection to in hopes there might be someone listed nearby. Equally likely, she’s combed through wedding websites and publications, is going directly to vendor sites, then using their “find a retailer” function to locate the exact look she wants.

4. SEO, SEO, SEO....Search Engine Optimization. That’s a big term that freaks a lot of retailers out. Bottom line: Google (and other search engines) continually change their algorhythms-—the math used to search out sources and pages on the web-—so that no one...NO ONE...can hold those top positions hostage. There are a lot of SEO folks out there who claim to provide top-of-listing results, but they don’t guarantee it in print. They can’t. The algorhythms change faster than you change your socks. It’s like a meteorologist promising .253 inches of rain will fall at exactly 7:42 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Good luck with that.

So how do you find your way to the top of the listings? To customers’ eyeballs? By (a) hiring a knowledgeable web designer who builds attractive sites, understands search engine optimization, and provides references that can verify the success of both; (b) incorporating rich content into your site, including placement of applicable keywords in the text and metatags; and (c) frequently updating your site with fresh content. There aren’t any shortcuts, but once the site is built and running, the rest is a lot easier.

As for the articles, press releases, etc....? If you’re going to spend time writing anything, write it in support of your own store, not for another website. Include a link to your store site in everything that appears online; that helps build your Google visibility. Start a blog. Today. And visit PRWeb.com to learn about how easy it is to promote yourself through press releases (their free Press Release 101 section is terrific). Each press release should include links to your store too, again, raising your search odds.

Sink the money into you. Into your store. Into your website. That, dear friends, is your best investment, hands down.

It’s a lot smarter than handing someone else a fat check that pushes their site higher while yours languishes on the bottom of page 14 on Google.

P.S. In a search of just one city in their store locator, I’ve already turned up a discounter, who used to be storefront but is converting to all-internet as we speak. So much for vetting. Caveat emptor, folks.

Taking control of your future

2008-11-10T12:31:00.007-06:00

At the request of several retailers, I’m presenting the following teleseminar in two weeks. Please forward this to any store owner you think might benefit from the information....

Audience: Retailers who want to stay upright and breathing
When: Monday, November 24, 2008
Time: 8:00 p.m. E / 7:00 C / 6:00 M / 5:00 P
Duration: 1 hour

Description:
Retail has never been harder, nor the risks greater. As a store owner, you have a lot on the line-—from inventory to your home mortgage, odds are just about everything in front of you is tied up in what happens the next few months...or few weeks.

This teleseminar boils the “What do I do now?” list down to five vital actions that need to be taken to protect you and your investment as the consumer market twists and turns. The goal of this session is to assure that you’ve stacked the deck in your favor, prepared and protected-—regardless of how the game plays out.

Cost:
$37.00 per enrollment
Space is limited; feel free to have multiple people listen in on a speaker phone. (Note: This seminar is structured for retail business owners; some information may be more sensitive than what you typically share with employees.)

To subscribe to this session:
Click here to be taken to the Always Upward home page, then click on the event link. Major credit cards and PayPal credit accounts are welcome.

Not a retailer?
Odds are you know someone who is. And odds are, they need all the help they can get. Feel free to spread the word to anyone you think might be interested. I hope to see as many of you as possible; there’s no time to waste.

Lead with a loss

2008-11-09T09:25:00.007-06:00

Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear, announced a new program to address tightening budgets-—beginning today, the pre-adorned bears will drop in price to only $10.00 each. Whether that means all of them (including the $25 pink one) or just the basic brown version, I don’t know. The announcement is recent enough that the B-a-B website has yet to be updated.

In tradition retail terms, the $10 bear is called a “loss leader.” You offer one item at a discount-—usually a deep discount, nearing cost-—to bring in shoppers who are likely to continue buying other products at full price. In this case, the inexpensive bear acts as an effective vehicle for the full price add-ons that can quickly push the price of a simple toy into the stratosphere. Some consumers will come in that otherwise might not have...and a fair number (both new and regulars) will use the savings as justification for adding an extra piece or two, which more than likely will price out above the $10 saved up front.

That’s the idea behind loss leaders. Hook the customers, then let ‘em keep spending. It’s inconceivable that Grandma Liz would just buy the naked bear. That’s not what B-a-B offers. The moment granddaughter Madison gets the thumbs up, additional purchases are guaranteed.

Which gave me an idea. What if stationers were to offer deep savings on the price of the reception card in wedding orders? Deep enough to make it reeeeeally tempting, but not so deep you’re exceeding your comfort level. What bride needs just a reception card? To get the deal, they’ll also need to pick up the rest of the invitation suite, at full price.

Bait and switch? No. You aren’t hiding or raising prices on anything. You’re simply putting a sale price on a portion of the order that requires the remainder of the order to be complete. Kind of like a naked bear who needs pom poms.

If you have a young niece or daughter, you know what that means. If you don’t, well...don’t dwell on it.

Monday, 11.10.08 editor’s note: I see that today, Build a Bear is running actual commercials promoting the special. Look for this to be the first of many big box loss leaders coming your way.

NO.

2008-11-07T08:06:00.001-06:00

Many are the unexpected notes I find in the mailbox each day that put a smile on my face.

This was not one of them.

For the record, I am nowhere near “a certain age” yet. I am, however, going to give my postal carrier permission to start screening my mail.

Damn.

Stimulus Plan

2008-11-06T08:52:00.003-06:00

This week’s email included an interesting item from Open Table, the convenient restaurant booking site. Not surprisingly, diners are thinning out as budgets grow snug, which inspired them to launch the “Appetite Simulus Plan,” a price fix program running five days, mid-November, in several cities across the country.

The lineup is fairly eclectic, offering something for everyone. Prices for the special three course meals run $24 for lunch or $35 for dinner, regardless of location. Better yet, diners booking through Open Table receive double the usual points for booking the special, as many times as they like.

This is a good example of cross promotion. The restaurant gets business. Open Table gets business. Customers get a good deal, with enough selection to make it fun. Win/win/win.

Look around at the businesses who neighbor your own. Look at those across town. Consider those that naturally connect by product type, or by customer base. Think of a creative way to work together beyond the norm. (Note: If you’re in the wedding industry, be sure to consider which elements of the event are booked before yours, so you aren’t connecting to customers too late in the timeline.)

Don’t limit yourself to holiday fare only; now’s the time to be planning your 2009 marketing strategy too.

That’s one way to put it....

2008-11-05T08:33:00.002-06:00

Nine hours in a car gives you a lot of time to sample local radio stations, most of which offered pretty predictable fare over the weekend. From Minnesota to Nebraska, contemporary to country, very little surprised me-—with the exception of two spots on KRGI FM in Grand Island:

Ingenuity Award
A 30-second spot paid for by the local Chamber of Commerce touts the many ways Grand Island is not being negatively impacted by the current economic slow down. From a rock-bottom foreclosure rate to a growing employment rate, this statistic-loaded PSA serves as an impressive way to bolster continued cash flow while comforting nervous concerns.

“Aren’t I Special” Award
KRGI’s own 15 or 20-second spot, boasting (and I’m quoting as closely as possible here) they’re “ranked number one among listeners who said they like this station best.” Hmm. One would certainly hope so. Being ranked number two by that crowd would be pretty depressing.

I certainly don’t suggest mimicking the second option, but the first...? Why not roll out a campaign of your own, listing ten ways life continues to be stable, happy, and secure in your store in spite of the real world willies? Use them as bag stuffers...create a big window banner...send out an email newsletter with them...just get the good word out.

Better yet, turn it into a top ten list (a la Letterman style) building up to the number one reason life is good at Anderson’s Card Shop: We like it here...and you will too.

Just DO IT

2008-11-04T08:58:00.000-06:00

A little reminder aimed at those for whom subtlety has no meaning:

If you don’t vote, you can’t bitch. Period.

Sorry ‘bout the language, but having seen Canada clock in at a dismal 59.1% voter turnout, I’m pretty fired up about pushing folks out the door and into the booth.

Now....GO.

Treats without tricks

2008-10-30T13:19:00.004-05:00

Quick trick or treat promotion for your grown up customers:

1. Buy one of those kitchy little plastic Jack-o-Lantern candy buckets
2. Buy a bunch of shiny little star stickers in three different colors (gold, silver, red?)
3. Put gold stickers on the the back of one or two...silver stickers on a few more...red stickers on a whole bunch of ‘em (or all the rest, if you prefer)
4. Let adult customers select one candy bar without peeking inside the bucket

Gold sticker = $100 gift certificate, good through 12/24/08
Silver sticker = 20% off any non-personalized purchase before 12/24/08
Red sticker = 10% off any non-personalized purchase before 12/24/08

Have a second bucket with non-stickered treats for kids, just in case. Use different candy so no one accidentally hands a four year old the $100 gift certificate.

Note the expiration date for each is 12/24/08. We’re working on holiday sales here-—once we hit January, it will be time for fresh offers and ideas.

I’m going to be off the grid for the weekend, headed home to Nebraska for my father’s 70th birthday. Catch you on the other side!

1P at half price

2008-10-30T09:06:00.004-05:00

Attention all Mac users: If you haven’t tried it yet, here’s your chance (and a question: What the heck are you waiting for???). The world’s best password manager, 1Password, is being offered at half price through MacZot, today only. It’s no secret I’m a big fan; of all the utility programs in my world-—and there are many-—this is the one I absolutely, positively can’t live without.

To read my earlier post about the virtues of 1Password, click here. To grab this baby at terrific savings, click here.

Heads up, though...this deal expires at midnight tonight, so you’d better grab fast. After that, you’re on your own with the first graders and stale candy corn.

The upside to price fixing

2008-10-29T08:39:00.003-05:00

Back in August, the Supreme Court handed down a decision that, while not favored by discounters and online retailers, protects independent stationers in ways they’ve dreamed of for years. With the blessings of the high court, manufacturers are able to not only set MSRP, but are also allowed to set a minimum threshold for prices on their products and enforce them.

Translated? There’s finally a way to stop discounters and home studios from eating your invitations business alive (assuming your vendors step up and do the right thing).

This summer’s Supreme Court ruling, based on a lawsuit between a discount store and a purse manufacturer, reverses a 1911 precedent that made price guarantees illegal. According to the modern court, such assurances aren’t automatically breaks in anti-trust law, but ways to protect manufacturers (and, by extension, full service retailers) from predatory pricing schemes that devalue their products and business. To see the full Wall Street Journal article explaining the decision, click here.

How does this protect you, as a full service stationer? Simple. It pulls the plug from vendors’ protests that they can’t force home studios and discounters to charge full price. With the exception of Crane’s (who wisely prints “Property of Crane and Co.” on the cover of every album), endless vendors have chanted that anti-trust logic while continuing to enjoy income from discounters, to the fiscal dismay of their full price, brick and mortar retailers.

With the new ruling, however, vendors are allowed to set firm minimum prices, then close the accounts of discounters who continue to price below them. Period.

Imagine the reaction of home studios who rely on discounts to lure customers to their basements and kitchens, or internet invitation discounters, who have been riding the coattails of traditional retail stores for years, essentially using them as free showrooms to make their own online sales.

Paper-related discounters aren’t the only ones crying foul; operators like Brian Okin, owner of an online home improvement store, claim minimum price policies are responsible for him losing sales and substantial revenue. In Mr. Okin’s words, “It just makes it so difficult to compete.”

Huh. Kind of like when online discounters undercut full price storefronts...?

Now...whaddaya say we get those books out of Suzie Smith’s basement studio once and for all?

Start with your head....

2008-10-28T08:11:00.003-05:00

In a few weeks, I’ll be traveling to Sanibel for this year’s Gift and Home Trade Association national conference where I’ll be speaking about the current state of independent retail. Admittedly, it’s a tough year for many members—predominantly vendors, reps, marts, and media-—to justify the expense of attending, which begs the question “Will it really make a difference if I skip?”

Yes, it will.

Following is an email I wrote, later forwarded to the GHTA membership, explaining why it’s important they keep pushing ahead. To any reps, vendors, manufacturers who think curling up in a ball and waiting this thing out is a good strategy, well...buck up and get in gear. It’s time to be proactive about turning this industry around.

Times are tough for everyone in the gift industry, especially at the grass roots level. Now, more than ever, retailers need vendors, reps, sales agencies, and manufacturers to be plugged into resources that will help shore up our industry, from the top of the supply chain down to the stores and boutiques that rely on them.

And that's what the GHTA Sanibel conference is all about -- opportunities to connect as an industry, learn from one another, and forge new paths that lead us out of economic uncertainty and into productive partnership.

True, the world can't be reinvented in a three day conference, but groundwork can be laid for a year's worth of progress. Networking brings peers together who have never met before. Companies are exposed to fresh ideas and out-of-the-box thinking they can implement on home turf. And creative brainstorming opens channels to new ways of thinking, of doing, and of succeeding.

All of us on the retail side know the expense and time away may be a tough sell in such frustrating financial times. But the return on investment for those who attend with open minds, enthusiasm, and determination to learn will find that investment a sound one.

Please join us as we write the next chapter of this industry's history. Together, we can prosper.

Cinda Baxter 

It’s not too late to sign up; click here to get the ball rolling.

Push me, pull you

2008-10-27T08:39:00.006-05:00

The past ten days, I’ve spent a fair amount of time scoping out retailers large and small in the Twin Cities metro area, looking for patterns. From Mall of America to Main Street, there were plenty to see...one in particular was quite telling.

Last weekend, I noticed a lot of corporate stores stocking significantly less Christmas inventory than usual. It was equally clear that they saw the writing on the wall too late to cut back extensive Halloween offerings...but not too late to do so for for the December holidays. Given how many of those brands also sell through independent retailers, I set out to see what kind of shelf space they were getting at the grass roots level.

Sadly, what I found was both shocking and expected, based on observations at a number of markets the past six months.

See, one of my biggest concerns this summer was the hard sell many reps and vendors were pitching to buyers at each of the five markets I attended. From May through August, countless retailers were quietly pulling me aside to ask “Am I the only store having a rotten year?” as reps insisted orders were up and inventory was a necessity. Buyers were being hammered with “Other retailers are ordering big”...“Everyone else is moving lots of product”...“The worst of the economic slow down is behind us,” making them doubt themselves at the worst possible time.

At one point in Atlanta, I actually pleaded with a showroom vendor to stop telling retailers All is fabulous! since we were both aware of how many stores were already struggling.

Little did buyers know that while lines were hitting them hard for big orders, those same companies were simultaneously reducing their own 4Q commitments. Although locally Department 56 provides the most disparity between what their corporate store stocks versus what independents are saddled with, they are by no means the sole example. Time and time again, I found independent retailers hip deep in product that was next to non-existent in the same vendors’ corporate stores.

Herein lies the catch. To survive a lousy economy, an enormous amount of trust is required between buyer and supplier. It’s kind of like two people on opposite ends of a teeter totter. Working together, they take turns bobbing up and down in balance, but the moment one steps off to pursue their own agenda without mentioning it to the other, their counterpart lands on the ground pretty hard.

When you see a vendor say one thing, then do the opposite, the teeter totter analogy suddenly becomes quite real.

No one knows a store’s needs or limitations better than its owner. Vendors and reps who respected their independent retailers this summer (rather than opt for the hard sell) will be the ones buyers return to come January. They’ve successfully balanced their short term needs against a store’s long term goal. No one gets dropped in the dirt; the teeter totter continues to function.

Those who pushed large orders on teetering buyers this summer, however, will have to face them again in January, fresh off what will arguably be the most challenging holiday season in history. God help ‘em if their insistence on oversized orders didn’t pan out as lucrative holiday numbers...a roomful of retailers with still-stinging, slam-to-the-ground backsides might be a bit less than jovial to contend with.

And a lot less likely to order from the line ever again.

Yes, this year stinks for a lot of retailers. And yes, that means it stinks for a lot of vendors and reps too. But folks, we‘ve got to “honest up” and look out for each other on the retail teeter totter...or we’re all gonna end up in the dirt. Fast.

This week’s deals

2008-10-26T09:38:00.003-05:00

Here’s what hit my inbox this week; note that most are still playing that “blink and you’ll miss it” game, with offers expiring on Monday 10/27/08:

Epson Clearance Center
Epson.com > Clearance Center
Save an additional 15% on items already marked 40% off. Granted, most of what you’ll see are refurbished items, but might be a good time to replace an all-in-one or grab a good scanner at a rock bottom prices. Check out the R2400 if you’re thinking about stepping up your in-house print operation. Use coupon code 8XTCASE. Offer expires Monday, 10/27/08.

Impact Images
clearbags.com
For those of you using Impact Images’ 4x6 or 5x7 crystal clear cellophane sleeves or photo boxes (think: acetate boxes for imprintables or photo cards), they’re offering 5% off both the list and bulk prices. Use coupon code 577896. Offer ends 11/15/08.

Total Training
totaltraining.com
These are the go-to folks for training on any Adobe product, and in the spirit of helping folks out during tight times, they have three offers running:

CS3 training: Now that CS4 has shipped (yippee! yippee!), all CS3 training packages are on sale-—pick up DVD titles for $99 or less -or- multi-program bundles at 25% off. No coupon code is necessary, no expiration date listed.

All training, including CS4: Save $20 off your entire DVD purchase (coupon code: save20weekend). If you’re looking for CS3, be sure to compare this against the above offer to see which fits your specific order best. Offer ends at midnight, Monday, 10/27/08.

Online training: Go green with a one-year subscription to the Total Training library. Titles are constantly updated, which makes this a great option for stores bringing in the Creative Suite for the first time or those who have several enployees who need training. Currently, no CS4 titles appear, but one has to believe they’ll be added soon. To get 30% off your first year, enter coupon code “save30online” during checkout. Offer ends at midnight on Monday, 10/27/08.

Lucky Onion
luckyonion.com
303.877.9585
Their new holiday album is out, and available for $139 ($60 off). Their book is unique, covering more than just the winter holidays. In addition to providing personalized options, stores may also order boxed or bulk for off-the-shelf sales. Album quantity is limited, so don’t sit on this for long. Contact Lucky Onion for a link to the online preview. Offer ends on Thanksgiving or when albums run out.

And since you’ve been working so hard this week, here’s a bonus tip:

Wholesale Crafts
wholesalecrafts.com
If you haven’t found this site yet, take a look. Whether you have an upscale boutique or an Americana store, there’s a treasure trove of handmade gifts and jewelry here to be plucked from. Since this site is for legitimate retailers only, you’ll need to complete an online registration that includes either photos of your storefront or documentation proving you’re the real deal (truth be told, it’s harder to get into this site than it is to get into some of the trade shows). Once you’re in, though, it’s worth it-—especially if you’re looking for high end jewelry that won’t show up in the store next door.

Happy deal pouncing!

Sweet treats

2008-10-21T16:33:00.003-05:00

Congrats to Write Selection for making the Dallas version of Daily Candy. That’s quite a feat, but Write Selection is quite a store. Susan Foxworth and Betsy Swango understand quality product and extraordinary service better than anyone around; as someone who’s known them for many years, it’s an honor and a pleasure to see such good things come to such good people.

Well done, ladies. You’ve earned it.

Big box, little inventory

2008-10-20T09:33:00.003-05:00

I accompanied Mom to the Mall of America over the weekend (aka: The Big Retail Shrine), on her annual Christmas shopping visit to Minneapolis. While she looked for stocking stuffers and gifts, my eyes focused on inventory patterns and staffing...which were more educational than expected.

Because her visit is an annual event occurring the same week each October, I have a pretty reliable yardstick to measure one holiday season against the next. This one held some surprises that made it clear at least a few of the big boys saw a soft fourth quarter coming, and have adjusted accordingly...much to the dismay of hopeful shoppers.

Many stores--and by "many" I mean "a whole heckofalot"--are carrying far less inventory than usual, holiday and otherwise. For instance, the huge Department 56 store just outside of Nordstrom is normally jammed full of gift items by the third week in October, the front portion of the store so crowded with decorated trees, enormous baskets of trimmings, loads of little gifty items, and other non-Village products that it's almost impossible to turn around without bumping into a nearby display.

This year? Big, wide open spaces. Two of the Villages have been moved to share a small display in that area (Christmas in the City and Dickens, for those of you who know the line), which doesn't eat up a lot of room. Hardly any of the gifty pick-up stuff is there, and next to nothing is shown for decorated trees. Looking at that section of the store, I'd venture a guess they're stocking about 20-25% less than what's normally offered. The employee I spoke to said all their holiday is in, so...looks like this is it.

Mom also noticed the enormous amount of Halloween being shown by comparrison--which seemed disproportionately high, measured against past years. Nearly all of it was marked 50% off.

Another store that stuck out like a sore thumb was Crabtree and Evelyn. By the third week in October, this location is typically filled to the gills with holiday items and extra year 'round inventory. Like Department 56, it's show floor usually requires a shopper to be mindful of nearby displays while navigating the many options available for purchase. This year? The new India Hicks product has been given a big, airy display table, with loads of empty space all around. None of the familiar gift items are on the counter...the many show floor product displays are missing, along with the robes and matching accoutrements...and the entire children's line has disappeared, according to an employee we spoke to. At least 1/3 of the normal inventory level has dropped from sight.

These weren't two exceptions to the rule; they were examples of the rule, and that rule appeared in store after store after store, regardless of target market.

This seems to prove two things: Halloween isn't moving, to no one's surprise, given the economy. By the time "the powers that be" recognized a problem, it was too late to back down factory orders on ghouls and goblins, so pushing it out the door at half price is the only alternative.

Christmas production, on the other hand, could still be cut back, given the later delivery dates. Judging by their displays and space allotment, Department 56 doesn't seem to be banking on much beyond returning Snow Village customers.

This bodes well for independent retailers, folks. If the big boxes provide less merchandise and less selection, odds improve that customers will seek options in their neighborhood stores and boutiques. If you haven’t set up your holiday displays yet, do. True, I’m not a fan of Christmas before Halloween, but given the holes I saw this weekend, my guess is 2008’s the year to break that tradition.

It's shipping! It's shipping!

2008-10-16T11:16:00.002-05:00

Several media sites are reporting that Adobe's CS4 began shipping today, in spite of last week's speculation they'd hold off 'til month's end.

Means I'm back to bouncing up and down at the door every time a delivery truck rumbles along the street....

If you haven't ordered yours yet, the $200 pre-order discount is still good for upgrades. Still not sure how "pre" fits when the item is currently being sold, but hey, who's gonna look that gift horse in the mouth?

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

All eyes on you....

2008-10-14T15:00:00.001-05:00

I was recently asked to comment on the top three qualities of a good leader. The audience in that case was a group of leadership experts, which tends to make one pause before responding. Still...was pretty easy:

1. Integrity, both personal and professional.

2. The ability to inspire others to do their best and the grace to recognize their achievements.

3. Clear vision, both of the future and the past; rewriting history robs us of our ability to learn from it.

Do you possess those qualities?

If you have employees who have been with you for years, odds are that you do. Rarely (especially in retail) do people stay put for bonehead employers.

It’s important to be the kind of leader that staff members want to work for-—right now, they’re you first line of defense against dropping sales or poor customer experience.

It’s also important to be the kind of store owner customers want to shop with-—in a world that seems to be swinging left hooks, they crave stability and confidence in their personal universe.

You owe it to them. You owe it to you. Allow your leader within to shine.

How to Bomb in Six Easy Steps

2008-10-14T08:14:00.003-05:00

You’re scared, I know. Much of life in Retail Land changed this year...but not everything. What you knew on Memorial Weekend continues to be true today. Just gotta get your groove back and start thinking with the head, not the nerve endings.

If, however, you’re determined to be eaten alive by current economic conditions, here are six easy steps to assure you’ll crash and burn by December 31st:

1. Make split second decisions
Fear breeds snap decisions. Snap decisions breed nightmare situations. That ought to kill you off by New Year’s. Or...take a moment to rewind. It may feel like the economy is running you over at 90 mph, but it’s not—a day still has 24 hours, a week still has seven days. And you still have the ability to make wise choices and savvy moves, just like you did before all this monkey business began. Put thought into your actions; this isn’t the time for business-related bungee jumping.

2. Put all your faith in the daily register tape
Want to freak yourself out? Hang on every number the register spits out. Or, as a more positive alternative (requiring less Pepcid AC), see it as a small piece of the big picture. Don’t let a lousy Thursday derail your plan for the remainder of the month. Examine which categories are moving, which are stalling, and what tweaks you can make to reshuffle the deck. Clearance out old product at fire sale prices. Bring in new product at the same time so people don’t think you’re closing. Offer as many free services as possible, adding value to each purchase.

3. Spend more money than you need to
You‘re ordering $254 worth of product, but if you bump it to $300, you’ll get free freight. Good idea? Sure, if you want it to be your last. If you’d like to see Valentine’s Day, however, consider this: Why pay $46 for more product when the freight would have only cost $24? If that $46 is burning a hole in your pocket, find another fresh new line to bring in that complements the first. Don’t cave into last minute specials or go deep on single vendors unless the numbers truly add up. Order what you need; let someone count the backstock in their year end inventory.

4. Bet the farm on someone else’s opinion
One of the best shortcuts to early retirement? Decision by committee, with a committee that has no financial risk in the outcome. The alternative? Remember there’s not a soul on earth who loves your store more than you, or understands it better. Sure, it helps to ask others for advice (within reason...fellow retailers, reps, vendors, consultants, yes...your Aunt Mildred who only shops QVC, no), but in the end, only you know what fits. Listen to their opinions and ideas. Consider their recommendations. Draw an old fashioned Pro/Con chart if you must. Then trust your gut—not the mailman’s.

5. Under-appreciate your customers
Just let ‘em drift; you’ll be gone in a couple of months anyway, right? Or...you could try remembering that customers need to feel the love, especially now. Connect to them without tieing a sales pitch into the message. Offer fresh baked cookies. Send handwritten thank you notes. Play happy music in the background. Welcome them with a confident smile (even if you have to fake it), an open ear, and a zero-pressure environment when they stop in. If they’re just browsing, provide them a place that’s comfortable and sane; it increases the odds they’ll return. Stores that provide great customer service and peaceful respite from the world will win the race.

6. Doubt yourself
If you’re planning to crash and burn by January, odds are, this one’s a cakewalk. HEY-—aren’t you the same fearless being who jumped into retail to begin with? Where’s that damn the torpedoes mentality you once had? The creative mind that came up with new ideas at the drop of a hat? You might be scared, you might be antsy, but you’re still the person your employees and customers look up to. Strut your stuff, act the part. Confidence in one inspires confidence in others; right now, you’re the person to deliver it.

Buck up, kiddo. It’s time.

Can we please stop with the P word???

2008-10-13T08:36:00.008-05:00

Panic. Panic.

Panic-panic-panic.

Enough already.

I know we’re in uncharted territory, but if I hear “the P word” one more time on the national news regarding retail and the upcoming holiday season, I’m going to lose it. Yes, consumers know things are tight, and yes, retailers are also abundantly aware of the fact. But c’mon....panic? That’s people sobbing in the streets and screaming through hallways. Haven’t seen that-—at least not around here.

Last week, WalMart launched a $10 toy sale, spurring price wars with their competitors. Somehow, the national media has tied that to the fact these same big boxes are putting out the first of their holiday offerings, claiming the juxtaposition of the two is proof positive retailers are in a panic, pushing holiday extra early.

Well, color me silly, but since when is it unusual to see big box behemoths put out Christmas wares before Halloween? Truth be told, if they’re just now unpacking the first boxes, they’re running behind their typical jump-the-gun schedule. Skelator and Santa side by side in aisle 12? Hardly a news flash. And hardly a sign of panic.

C’mon guys. Things are tough enough. Can we please stop with the P word?

End of rant. Thanks for playing.

CS4 release pushed back

2008-10-12T16:33:00.002-05:00

Crud. According to Toolfarm (one of Adobe’s Platinum Resellers), the new Creative Suite won’t ship until October 29th-—two weeks later than the original October 16th date publicized earlier.

Means I can take a break from bobbing up and down at the door every time I hear a delivery truck rumble down the street. Still...this is like Santa sending an email to say Christmas will be delayed until mid-January.

::: sniffle :::

Torch song

2008-10-11T08:37:00.002-05:00

Retailers are stressed. Vendors are stressed. Reps are stressed.

And consumers are stressed. Think holiday seasons past were doozies to get through? Just imagine what a couple of months of purse string tightening will do to Patty Persnickety’s mood.

Used to be something you wrestled with in the store or on the phone. The cranky shopper would face off with you, providing an opportunity to turn things around and reclaim the relationship. Today, however, you might hear the grousing third person...or thirtieth person, depending on how web-savvy the cranky shopper is.

So what do you do if you suddenly becomes the target of flame throwing on a blog or consumer review site?

1. Read between the lines
Get to the post as fast as you can, then try to identify who the upset customer is. Most times, you’ll be able to figure it out fairly easily. Contact them directly, by phone to talk about the situation. Getting a human voice in the mix is critical to put out ongoing flames.

2. Post a comment with your (real) name signed to it
Be patient. Be calm. Validate their feelings (not the same as validating their complaint) by saying “I understand why this is frustrating to you,” or something along those lines. Then calmly deal with the issue. Apologize? Offer to discuss on the phone if they’d please call (assuming you don’t know their identity)? Explain why things went the way they did? Whatever is most appropriate, step up and do it.

3. If you have a blog of your own, include that address in your response
This gives you an opportunity to move the conversation onto familiar turf--yours. Create a blog post noting the complaint, then follow it with your response. Again, be calm and kind. End on an up note. You want to get ahead of this thing, not continue to chase it through someone else’s yard. With luck, the original poster will follow you there. (Note: If there are flames flying, might be wise to set your preferences to moderate posts before they appear.)

4. Google for spiders
Quite often, a blog post can show up in more than one place. Copy the first sentence of the angry post, then run it through Google, with quotation marks on either end. If it’s repeated somewhere else, this should find it. Be sure to repeat your signed response on any other blog that repeats the post. You want to put out all the fires, not just the first one.

5. Check the Terms of Use associated with the site
If the complaint is particularly viscious (ie, uses offensive language, is a personal attack, etc.), read the site’s Terms of Use to see if it crosses the line. If it does, contact the site owner immediately to bring their attention to the post. Could take a few weeks to get them to pull the thing, but the effort’s worth it for content that falls outside the lines.

6. Stay on top of the buzz
Google has a sweet little service called Google Alerts. Enter the name of your store, or your name, then sit back and wait. Whenever those names show up online, you get an email linking to the piece. Admittedly, this doesn’t troll all blogs-—but it does get some of them. And some is better than none.

Regardless of whether or not you find yourself in this kind of sticky spot, I strongly suggest enacting #6. It’s always good to know when your name shows up in print.

Photo credit: RozzleDozzle

Coupon clipping

2008-10-10T15:54:00.007-05:00

A lot of special offers and dealer benefits land in my email box. Rather than horde, I’ll periodically post them here for your use.*

The grand plan was to save them up for a simple end-of-the-week list. Imagine my surprise this morning when, upon reading the fine print, I found that four of them-—four-—were only valid for 48 hours. A gnat’s lifespan is longer than that. Sheesh.

The “Don’t blink or you’ll miss it” approach is a sign of nervous vendors who don’t want to give anything away. Well, get over it. We’re all going to have give something away if we want to make it to January. Retailers aren’t going to jump at impulse purchases while counting the change under their desk to make payroll. You’ve got to give them time to process the idea, then fit it into their budget.

That said, only two offers extended beyond the 48-hour window:

Marsupial Press
Tel: 425.251.8558
Fax: 425.251.8998
marsupialpapers.com/holiday.htm
Offer: Through Oct. 31st, buy any holiday product or custom holiday invite and receive 15% off the total. Must fax in a copy of the email (contact me and I’ll forward it to you). As long as you’re at it, give ‘em a poke about the typo (“i before e,” except in a promo?).

The online Epson Store
Last “stock up on supplies” special of the year-—10% off ink and paper. Use code 8ZTCASE to get the deal. True, it’s not big, but every penny counts, especially if you’re a stationer heavy into in-house printing. Their ink carts have a pretty long life span, unlike HP carts. To go straight to the ink carts page, click here. Offer ends 10/15/08.

If there are other vendors out there who’d like me to spread the word, drop me a line with the offer included. I’ll do my best to help you out.

*Obviously, many of these are limited to current dealers. If you don’t carry the lines, take a look anyway. Might be a good time to add fresh product to your lineup.

Just how safe ARE you?

2008-10-10T12:15:00.003-05:00

Given this morning’s plummet on Wall Street-—the entire week’s plummet, for that matter-—retailers are wondering just how well their back sides are covered. Sole proprietor...LLC...Sub-S...ee-eye-ee-eye-oh.... What was a simple tax question a few years ago is now a matter of legal protection, should the worst come to pass.

Nina Kauffman, a New York attorney specializing in small business matters, recognizes the urgency behind owners having a firm handle on their legal position. To explain the various options and implications, she’s presenting a free teleseminar next week:

“Are You Exposing Yourself? How Choosing the Right Business Form Provides Protections and Peace of Mind”
Date: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008
Time: 8:00 E / 7:00 C / 6:00 M / 5:00 P
Topics include (but are not be limited to):

The different kinds of business entities that will protect your assets
How to weigh and balance the options to choose what’s right for you
The drawbacks to handling business formation online
How to find advisors who can guide you to your goals

I’ve spent time with Nina and can assure you she’s (a) real, and (b) grounded, and (c) invested in your success. Personally, I can’t imagine a better time to get a grip on your legal situation and the implications of not being properly organized...and can’t imagine a better person to help you do that.

Space is limited, so don’t delay. Follow the link and get registered. Now.

See you on the teleseminar.....

You aren’t alone out there

2008-10-08T08:25:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, it’s the headlines alone. Sometimes, it’s the juxtaposition of two in a publication.

This time, it’s all of the above.

In Gifts & Dec’s weekly email newsletter, the following two stories appeared, back to back:

EBay Lays Off 1,000
Big Retailers Laying Off in Time for Christmas

At first glance, this doesn’t feel like good news. BUT...in my opinion, it is.

Think about it-—if big boxes are short staffed, that means customer frustration as they search high and low for someone to help them (already a major problem in several stores, especially Macy’s here in Minneapolis, where I’m convinced they train salespeople to hide in back). The more frustration, the better. Given how short consumers’ fuses are bound to be this holiday season (stress, stress, stress), any retailer who provides a sincere smile, great service, and a willingness to help will be a heaven-sent blessing.

And who does that better than small, independent retailers?

I know you’re stressed too. And I know you’re tiring of my constant “be positive” chanting. But folks, trust me-—this holiday season is going to be all about Mashed Potato Marketing and the psychology behind it.

Fortunately, being positive doesn’t require an invoice. Thank God.

Wal-Mart 2.0

2008-10-06T18:22:00.005-05:00

We’ve known for a long time the customer perception of big box versus neighborhood business is pronounced. Big Box = Evil. Small Business = Neighbors. Doesn’t mean they always shop that way, but the mental picture is certainly in tact.

Until now.

Wal-Mart has been talking about creating a smaller, local-feel environment in their big boxes for a couple of years now. Well, that talk has translated into reality with this week’s opening of the first four Marketside locations-—Wal-Mart’s new “smaller format” grocery stores, placed nowhere near a Wal-Mart. Marketsides don’t wear the parent company’s moniker...have a much more whimsical logo than the original giant...but still don the teeth of a large, big box operation (aren’t you proud of me for not using the word “fangs?”).

They aren’t alone. Loew’s began kicking a similar concept around during their annual meeting last month. If consumers nibble at this, you can bet there will be more, and they won’t be planted on major highway intersections; they’ll land smack dab in your very neighborhood.

For now, this appears to be aimed predominantly at hardware and grocery-—retail categories not previously impacted the way the gift and stationery industries have been (think: Paper Source, Swoozies, Blue Tulip, etc.).

Will it stick? Or is this something that will burn itself out? Time will tell, although a failing economy only makes it harder for the locally owned stores to hold their own if one of these Mini-Me boxes pops up nearby.

Good luck, fellow retailers...and welcome to the party.

Cranes...office furnishings?

2008-10-04T10:36:00.013-05:00

A friend emailed an article about Crane & Co. that appeared in this month’s issue of Inc. Magazine. Pretty interesting read. Makes that rumor about Taylor Corp wanting to buy Crane’s social paper division seem a whole lot more credible, which scares the willies out of most retailers (to put it mildly...and politely). To download the 2-page pdf, click here.

You can also read the article online, although it’s a bit hard on the eyes due to some bizarre formatting snafu on the Inc. site.

Thanks to Gregg at VendorTech for sending this over.

Editor’s note: Just got a call from Cliff Allen, Director of Sales at Crane & Co.

According to him, the rumor about Crane’s and Taylor Corp are “...not true. Crane’s could have sold this division a couple of times to fund [upcoming technology] for the currency division. Instead, [they] opted to work with capital investment groups,” keeping the company in tact. “The Crane family has a firm commitment to this industry,” added Allen. Bodes well for you stationery retailers out there.

Thanks for the follow-up, Cliff. Much appreciated. -— CB

No...not you.

2008-10-04T09:00:00.003-05:00

For those whose hearts came to a full stop during the VP debates Thursday night-—

Palin: “But when you talk about Barack's plan to tax increase affecting only those making $250,000 a year or more, you're forgetting millions of small businesses that are going to fit into that category. So they're going to be the ones paying higher taxes thus resulting in fewer jobs being created and less productivity.”

Reality check time.

According to the non-partisan group, FactChecker.org:

“...it's simply untrue that "millions" of small business owners will pay higher federal income taxes under Obama's proposal. According to an analysis by the independent Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, several hundred thousand small business owners, at most, would have incomes high enough to be affected by the higher rates on income, capital gains and dividends that Obama proposes.”

”Several hundred thousand” is, according to most experts, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.4% of all small business owners in the U.S.

Jump start your heart. You’re still on safe ground.

Get in their heads

2008-10-03T16:52:00.005-05:00

A friend of mine doing some reconnaissance work (aka: trolling the big boxes to see what they’re up to) commented about how poorly small retailers seem to be doing when it comes to making the customer feel appreciated. On her visits to discount chains, she’s welcomed with open arms. On visits to independent retailers, however, she gets next to no welcome, and very little warmth. In her words, “They’ve gotten lazy.”

My take? It’s more than lazy employees. More than having the right employees. It’s about fear...theirs.

In a big box or chain, there are several degrees of separation between the CEO and the part timer on Elm Street. Those employees don’t see the bottles of Advil and Pepcid AC lining an owner’s desk. They don’t see concern in the eyes of the person who actually owns the place. They don’t see a personal degree of risk as only one of 127 employees on the 20-hours-per-week schedule.

In an independent retail store, however, there’s typically no degree of separation between the staff and the person whose life teeters on the success-—or failure-—of the business. Employees know there aren’t multi-million dollar accounts spreading cross country to offset one location’s losses. They know the odds they’ll be the one “let go” are pretty high if there are only four others on the schedule. And they know that getting another 20-hour-per-week job in retail is gonna be kind of tough right now.

They’re as scared as you look.

So how do you fix this?

1. Explain to them that yes, this is a nerve wracking time, but that you have a plan. Walk them through the plan assuming they’re smart enough to understand it.

2. Explain how much pain your business can endure. In their eyes, you may be 98% of the way through the “buffer zone,” nearing life support when the reality might be that you’re only 10% of the way into the pool.

3. Explain the reason you’re ordering in smaller batches and not loading up on show specials (assuming you’re following my advice here and here) is because it strengthens the store’s cash flow. Your ability to be proactive is what protects the store from financial risk.

4. Explain the reasoning behind any other overt change in the way you operate the business right now. What employees interpret as crash-n-burn damage control might actually be a brainstorm you came up with six months ago.

You need to get that deer in the headlights expression off their faces so they’re more likely to look customers in the eye, smile, and welcome them to your store with sincerity. They need to engage with the customer, not cower from them, and make everyone feel welcome.

They need to behave as though they can breathe rather than be constantly holding their breath.

You comfort them. They comfort your customers. That’s what we retail types call a win/win.

Did I call it, or did I call it?

2008-10-03T09:55:00.005-05:00

In browsing through some of the old RetailSpeaks newsletters, I ran across my column in the January issue. Somehow, it seems more timely than ever...especially when you hit the part about Washington Mutual:

Let’s face it-—what shakes the economy shakes our stores. Many of us felt aftershocks from the mortgage crisis jiggle our registers; next up appears to be a wave of shakes from the very thing we love to see-—our customers’ credit cards.

Notoriously the last to admit risk, banking officials have been not-so-quietly whispering warnings of potential disaster in 2008. According to Newsweek, Citigroup has earmarked $2.24 billion to cover credit card defaults this year; Capital One, Bank of America, and Washington Mutual are each bracing for a 20% uptick in losses; and AmEx-—long seen as the home of financial sound credit card holders-—is boosting its default coverage reserves by a whopping 44%.

...I’d be the last to suggest anyone should be buying as if we were still in the cash-rich days of the late ‘90s (oh, to be there again!). But I do firmly believe the fastest way to store failure is to circle the wagons, hide the checkbook, and stop looking for new product....

Concepts like “open to buy” and “turns” have never been more critically important to independent retailers than they are today. It’s not enough to remember how last spring’s sales went; that was last spring.

In the end, and regardless of how the quarter played out, independents need to remember that looking behind never bodes well for what’s ahead. We have the ability to spin on a dime, allowing us far more flexibility than the big boxes, and can can tailor our product mix to the customers we know will keep shopping.

...Remember that this roller coaster ride we call “retail” has wonderful peaks as well as sometimes scary valleys.

Read that bold faced type part again. And again. Now’s the time to get smart, folks. Now’s the time to plan your budget, then stick to it. Now’s the time to switch from big, whale-sized orders intended to carry the entire quarter to a series of smaller re-orders that can be placed as cash flow supports them. Now’s the time to pay that credit card down as fast as you can. Now’s the time to reassure your employees that things are under control so they don’t scare off your clientele with deer-caught-in-the-headlights expressions on their faces.

And now’s the time to smile at your customers, no matter how hard it might be...after all, they can’t see your knees shaking when you stand behind the counter. You have to remember, the image they receive is the word of mouth they’ll take away.

Hang in there. You can do this. Believe it.

$50 off on airline tickets

2008-10-02T17:28:00.004-05:00

Got an email from PayPal offering $50 rebates on Northwest Airline tickets purchased with a PayPal account. Not sure if they’re doing the same with other airlines, but might be worth checking out.

According to the email:

Use PayPal to pay when you book your holiday travel with Northwest Airlines and get $50 cash back on each eligible ticket purchase over $250. Plus, you'll be automatically entered for a chance to win a $10,000 shopping spree.

You can get cash back on up to five eligible tickets, so the more you fly, the more you save.

Hurry, offer ends October 13, 2008

The best part? Read on:

Limit: $50 rebate is valid on the first five eligible tickets purchased on nwa.com using PayPal as the payment method.

That’s right. Up to five tickets. Travel must occur between November 15, 2008 and January 31, 2009. That means Thanksgiving...Christmas...New Year’s Eve...and most of the winter gift shows.

Bingo.

You have to be a WorldPerks member; if you aren’t just enroll first, book second. As one would expect, there are a few fine print rules, but none seem unreasonable.

To see the full list, drop me an email and I’ll forward them.

Advice, please?

2008-10-02T14:51:00.009-05:00

I can tell the stress level has jumped in Retail Land. My inbox is seeing more SOS emails than ever before from store owners who find themselves in tense predicaments with tight time frames--many of which have to do with controlling the message about how their store is doing. It’s not unusual to see an email begin with “Help! I have an emergency!”

Been there. Done that. And completely understand.

On-site consulting isn’t the only thing I offer; you can also opt for phone consults. Need me for a couple of days? No problem. Need me for a couple of hours? Still no problem.

I’m here to work for you....remember? Drop me a line; I’ll help with the heavy lifting.

Personal sanity in a retail life

2008-10-01T16:40:00.010-05:00

Yup. I watched Oprah again.

In all fairness, a friend called to instruct me (catch that? this wasn’t a request) to watch today’s episode about slowing down. Apparently my frequent travels have a couple of folks concerned I’ll misplace my trail of bread crumbs and get lost in the woods.

But I digress.

Admittedly, I “watched” the show while working on the computer (these are billable hours, after all), but managed to focus on what was arguably the most important two minutes of the whole thing. Norman Fisher, Zen master and author of “Sailing Home,” offered terrific advice for the overwhelmed and overworked:

“How are we doing with our state of mind? How are we doing with our happiness? How are we doing with our attitude? We don’t think about this. We think about all the things we’ve got to be doing and all the ways we’ve got to be perfect, but every day we’ve got to wake up and say ‘How’s my state of mind today? Am I losing ground? If I am, I’d better address that first because the rest of the stuff I do won’t be worth anything if I’m harried and hassled and in a bad mood.’

“And it has to do with telling yourself ‘I have got to take care of myself. I’ve got to make that a high priority.’”

Yes, that’s hard to do...especially if you’re trying to run a retail store while Wall Street telling you Main Street’s about to melt down. So what do you do to retain your grip on reality?

According to Fisher, you take 20 minutes...30 minutes...first thing in the morning. Get up before the kids, the spouse, or your normal alarm clock time. (Yes, losing the thirty minutes of sleep is a bummer, but not as big a bummer as dragging yourself through the day wanting to bite the heads off your customers, then spit them out on your employees.) According to Fisher, you should use the time

“...to breathe, to return to yourself, to digest yesterday’s emotions, to kind of take stock of yourself, and set yourself up for the day. Believe me, that amount of time [at the start of your day] saves you time during the course of your day.”

I buy it, partly because I’m pretty good about doing something similar to this. Took eight or nine years in the store to recognize boundaries weren’t going to prevent me from achieving goals, but were going to get me to them.

Try the twenty minutes thing, first thing in the morning, before you turn on the Today Show or say hello to your spouse. Slither out of bed, go to a quiet spot in the house where you can be completely alone, then breathe in. Breathe out. Take stock. And know you just invested in the best asset you have-—yourself.

Remember Forgotten

2008-10-01T10:00:00.002-05:00

I’m on a roll...or at least have some good karma rolling my direction. Already, I have another terrific vendor to write nice things about (gotta love that).

Forgotten Shanghai is a line of Asian-inspired home accessories, gifts, bags, and other sophisticated items, many constructed from exquisite imported silk. A year ago, I might have strolled past them without pause, but since my trip to China this spring, all things Asian tend to catch my eye.

Thank goodness this one did. Forgotten Shanghai is terrific. Terrific worksmanship. Terrific colors and fabrics. Terrifically fasionable pieces that elevate a home, office, or one’s personal style.

During a visit to their booth at NYIGF in August, a couple of us got into a conversation about smoothies being sold upstairs at the Javitz. On a dash to grab one, I snagged a few extras to take to their booth, as thanks for the warm welcome they’d extended me.

Imagine my surprise when now, a few weeks later, a lovely handwritten thank you note appears in my mailbox, along with a couple of lovely silk treasures in the package. The first thought that crossed my mind was “They didn’t have to do this,” immediately followed by “but I’ll remember them forever because of it.”

And this, dear readers, is the lesson we all should learn. I was already impressed by the line. Everyone in their booth was beyond gracious. The product is stunning, the quality is dead on. I didn’t need to be sold; they already had me.

Still, they took things a step beyond the expected, and sent a handwritten thank you note. This seemingly small gesture assured that Forgotten Shanghai will absolutely never be forgotten in my mind. They nailed it.

To Shannon and Margaret: You rock.

And yes, I love the treasures...will be showing them off at dinner on Friday night. Thank you.

Classic Move

2008-10-01T08:48:00.000-05:00

There are vendors who read the tea leaves and discuss them. And there are vendors who read the tea leaves, then do something about them. I’m happy to report at least one vendor who falls squarely in the second category.

Classic Impressions is an embossed stationery line many of us recognize as “those nice guys who left that other big, frustrating company” (you know who you are). Steve and his crew decided to strike out on their own years ago, determined to create a business built on positive retailer relationships, quick turn around times, and great product. Suffice it to say they succeeded, on all counts.

Times are tough, and they know it. In spite of producing a line that doesn’t have huge margins, and in spite of rising fuel costs, they just lowered their shipping charges.

Yes, you read that right. Lowered. As in less money. And that’s in addition to their normal “no drop ship fees” policy.

If you’re a Classic Impressions account who hasn’t received the updated shipping chart, call them. If you’re not a Classic Impressions account, check them out. These are the good guys, folks. You’re missing the boat if you don’t carry them-—especially during a holiday season that’s bound to be as price conscious as this one.

Cell hell

2008-09-30T09:43:00.004-05:00

Getting nervous about all the emails warning that your cell phone is about to be inundated with telemarketer calls? Who wouldn’t be? Those missives are written with an “end of the world as we know it” tone that would scare the incisors off of Count Dracula.

The reality is that there’s no D-Day for cell numbers. According to this posting by the FTC, cell phone numbers are not being released to telemarketers. There is no now-or-never deadline to register your cell number with the Do Not Call database (of which there is only one, by the way, contrary to the plethora of numbers being emailed around). And there’s no reason to fear autodialers will start cranking out your cell number since that’s just plain illegal.

As for that pesky “Wireless 411” directory we’ve heard rumors of.... Yes, it might happen someday, but it will be an opt-in program; if you don’t opt in, your cell won’t be listed. The FTC has made that abundantly clear to cell providers and telemarketing firms.

Regardless, you can register both your home and cell numbers on the official FCC Do Not Call list. The registrations last until the numbers are either disconnected or reassigned...or a couple of other odd situations regarding changed calling plans. Check out this link on the FTC site for specifics...and rumor busting.

Politics aside...

2008-09-29T07:21:00.002-05:00

Those of you who know me personally know where I stand politically.

Those of you who know me through this blog or my G&D columns most likely don’t (at least that’s the plan since the last thing I want is to turn this blog into a torch run).

Regardless of what your views are, check out a blog I tripped over this morning, written by Luke Russert, son of my recently departed hero, Tim Russert. His style is fresh, sincere, and full of the enthusiasm we all held in our twenties...and still should long after that. As a correspondent for NBC and XM Radio, he reports on the campaign trail through the eyes of a youthful, engaged, interested American guy who says it like it is. The prose slip comfortably from eloquent historical quotes to straight forward cut-the-cr** realities often shared with friends and neighbors.

This guy can write, but more than that, he gets it. He‘s smart without being a dweeb, he’s clever without being annoying, and he’s got the bullseye insight his father demonstrated with such ease during the golden years of Meet the Press.

Take a peek, then bookmark him. You’ll be glad you did.

And to play off his most impassioned plea: Get out there and vote, folks. You have absolutely no excuse not to.

Photo credit: J. Scott Applewhite for Associated Press

To CS or not to CS?

2008-09-28T16:45:00.007-05:00

Several of you in the stationery world are using Adobe’s Creative Suite, typically either CS2 or CS3. Much to our collective consternation, Adobe has sped up the development cycle, already announcing CS4-—a scant 18 months after its predecessor. At several hundred dollars a pop, that’s a bit quick for stores on a budget.

To upgrade or not to upgrade...that is the question. In the past, my experience has been that to successfully jump from an older generation of software to the next, one has to ”step up” through each incremental stage (ie, moving from version A to version C required also buying version B, which can be pretty darn pricey). This time, thankfully, you can leapfrog over CS3 and jump straight from 2 to 4, which is what I’m opting to do. In fact, Adobe’s feeling particularly Santa-like these days, also allowing the original CS crowd to catapult all the way from chapter one to chapter four without paying the piper. Sweet.

Thankfully, they’re offering a pre-release discount for upgrades, whacking $200 off the price. Just visit their site then scroll down and click on the “Upgrade Eligibility” link to verify your dusty copy of software can be whipped into shape for $599 instead of the $799 full price tag. The “pre-release” moniker has me a bit stumped, though, since all the press I’ve found says the release is coming any day; this preemie offer runs through February 2009.

Also...do some trolling online and you just might find additional savings. I managed to locate a promo link that ran me through the Adobe store, but sliced yet another $89.85 off. If you’re interested in the same, drop me an email (on the right). I’ll shoot you the link.

At the end of the day, is it worth it? Can $600 be justified so soon? You bet. The changes made to InDesign alone get my vote. For the skinny on those, visit JimD’s rundown on CreativeBits.org. He’s been playing with a beta copy for a while, and has a pretty good nuts and bolts review of that part of the CS4 package.

Now, if only I could find a way to explain to the FedEx guy why I’m bobbing up and down like an over-excited puppy every time I hear his truck rumble up the street....

Gimme my CS4. I’m ready to roll.

Off the grid

2008-09-28T16:41:00.002-05:00

Yes, I’m still out here in the world. Actually, “out here in the world” is why it’s been quiet on the blog front lately-—the past three weeks have basically been spent in seat 2A, 35,000 feet in the air, racing from point A to point B. It’s all been good...just not conducive to regular blogging.

This week, I’m back in the office, with a couple of deadlines looming. Promise to get back in the saddle as fast as possible so you aren’t left dangling any longer.

Doors

2008-09-15T08:30:00.003-05:00

This one’s not going to make sense to anyone but Melissa, who’s having trouble with attachments....

Bear with us, folks; a little online consult session is underway.

Waaaaaay out of the box marketing

2008-09-13T10:43:00.008-05:00

Sorry to have been silent for so long; I returned home from a consulting trip sick as a dog (killed one week in its entirety) then took off for several days in Kentucky. Now that I’m home, a little “blog catch up” is in order, starting with the single most out of the box marketing campaign on earth.

A retail operation specializing in home medical equipment, scooters, lift chairs, and the like is probably not someone that comes to mind when thinking about creative advertising. They cater to primarily to seniors with limited mobility or other health concerns, after all. Should equate to your typical ho-hum, kinda-sad-kinda-drab television spots tucked into late night programming, between ads for Golden Oldies CD sets and some type of miracle towels.

Well, folks, someone at Freedom Medical forgot to read that memo.

I just watched a mid-Saturday morning, 30-second spot featuring very fit, very spry 80-somethings horsing around with oxygen masks, pretending to tee off with canes, and holding races in lift chairs, scooters, and wheel chairs (the latter two dodging floor display units along the way). Honest to goodness, these stores look like great places to hang out, with seniors who’d liven up any backyard barbecue. I actually rewound the TiVo to watch it again, the thing was so funny. Not goofball funny, but sincerely entertaining.

The whole point is that sometimes, you need to look twice at who your customers are, then figure out who they want to be...how they see themselves in their mind’s eye. Freedom’s tag line, “You’re Only as Old as You Feel” couldn’t be more perfect, exemplified by the clever visuals and upbeat music. By marketing the stores as happy places where customers can hang out with their vibrant peers, laughing and having a good time, they’ve taken the sting out of aging. At least out of this part of the process.

I’ll contact Freedom Medical about getting permission to post the spot here.

For a little 3-store business based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, they’ve sure blown the curve. This is the kind of stuff that ought to be in a Harvard case study. Brilliant.

Pick your poison...then cash in

2008-08-31T16:38:00.006-05:00

Some of the best advice I’ve ever received came from my friend Al Fahden several years ago, as I was bemoaning the fact a (smarmy) discounter had relocated to a store across the street from mine. He reminded me that retailers make a choice to be one-—at most, two-—of three things: a price leader, a product leader, or a service leader. You can’t be all three at once. Just isn’t possible.

He was right. I opted for product and service, then kicked butt against the price princess less than 250 feet away. Sweet.

I’m reminded of that often, as retailers struggle with how to approach the flagging economy. Al’s advice stands true today-—pick one or two and go for it. Apparently, Virgin Atlantic’s CEO, Steve Ridgeway, is of the same ilk, believing that if you offer quality product and great service, customers will come.

Well folks, the proof is in the pudding...or the profit, as is the case here. VA’s annual revenue is up a whopping 38% among airline competitors that appear to be racing to the bottom of the pile as fast as they can, slashing everything but the toilet lids along the way (just wait...they’re next).

And to what does the wise Mr. Ridgeway attribute this growth? Instead of trying to make money by cutting out everything but the bare necessities, he reminds us:

...the winners will be those airlines that focus on offering the best customer service. We have ... focused on providing the best product in Upper Class, Premium Economy and Economy....

Granted, it’s not as simple as “If you build it, they will come;” you still have to market the heck out of your product, then provide seriously great service. But pull that off and you’ve got a fighting chance at making some money.

And that, my friends, is true for retailers. Great product is vital, but more than that, service, service, service is the key. Customers are frustrated by the economy. By the election. By the stuff that just pulls them down. Give them a safe haven where they can hang out, laugh a bit, and feel like they’re the most important person in the room, and you’ve got a winner.

A little hospitality never meant more.

Why I’m hiding in the house

2008-08-31T06:50:00.002-05:00

Returning home from my consulting trip in Alabama, I found this at the entry to baggage claim in the Minneapolis airport.

Pretty much sums up why I’m spending the week planted on my back deck. Having a few thousand wound up politicos swarm into town for a multi-day cheerfest is more than enough incentive to find anything-—anything-—to do that doesn’t require crossing my property line.

Make no mistake-—I haven’t skipped voting in an election since my eighteenth birthday; simply don’t feel the need to witness this circus act first hand. Besides, a few of us are still a bit miffed about the molasses-slow pace federal funding is taking for reconstruction of the fallen I-35 bridge. President Bush stood at the river’s edge and assured us there would be no delays.... Who knew a full year later we’d still be waiting while his party’s Big Party rolled into town?

Could be an interesting week. Especially if Governor Pawlenty gets the nod for V.P. (Edit: He didn’t get the nod, although he-—and most everyone else on the planet-—is wondering why Palin did.)

Nonetheless...won’t get me past my front yard. At least not until Friday.

Sit down and Stand Up

2008-08-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

I’m going to ask you to do something simple. Sit down, then stand up...as in Stand Up To Cancer, a campaign being run simultaneously on ABC, CBS, and NBC at 7:00 p.m. Central time next Friday night (September 5th). The three major networks are donating an hour for a sky’s worth of luminaries to demonstrate that coming together can make change. And “change” is all you need; even those unable to afford a significant contribution can help out by launching stars honoring loved ones for the bargain basement price of $1.00 each.

The lineup of actors, musicians, media folks, and artists participating is mind blowing. It promises to be one heck of an evening.

One of every three women will be diagnosed with cancer. Half of all men will be too. My dad’s been there. I’ve been there. Too many people I love have been there. Do you really want to go there too, or hedge your bet by supporting further research? We’re on the edge of so much good...every little noodge makes a difference.

So sit down, Stand Up, and let’s do something good.

Weddings Etc.

2008-08-28T07:06:00.001-05:00

If you’re in the Homewood neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, pop into Weddings Etc. on 18th Street. Owner Melissa Hill has created a smart, chic, retail boutique built on great product and even greater customer service. She knows her stuff, and is happy to share the wisdom. In my humble opinion, this is a retailer to watch, folks; she’s got big things ahead of her.

After you enjoy the store, take a stroll down to Zoe’s Kitchen for a glass of (addictive) limeaid made from fresh lime juice and cane sugar, with an order of chicken salad. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven...

...until you bite into the requisite chocolate cake, at which you’ll realize heaven is located in Homewood.

You’ll thank me for this. Your bathroom scale, however...well...that’s your problem.

Photo: Melissa and her trusty manager, Meghan Ratliff

Pin Head

2008-08-20T20:48:00.000-05:00

'Nuff said.

For the full story, click here.

Photo credit: Reuters Pictures

I need this (NYIGF edition)

2008-08-20T19:46:00.002-05:00

Of the numerous companies making drop-in organizers for briefcases and bags, this one makes the most sense. Pouchees have more structure than the simple wrap around strips, are equally light weight, and have more functional pockets/slots that actually fit things-—when it comes to cell phones, pens, lipstick, tissue, credit cards, etc., one size certainly does not fit all.

Each Pouchee has light weight hoop handles that make pulling one out of your bag a snap, unlike the wrap around styles that require two hands; also, the squared shape tucks nicely into the corners of totes and briefcases, using every inch of usable space. I can easily see women swapping these from bag to desk drawer then back to bag on a daily basis.

If you order,go for the lighter weight fabric styles; the leather Pouchees weigh more and, frankly, don’t have the color intensity I’d prefer. Bright colors will be easiest to find in the dark depths of even the deepest tote.

I want this (NYIGF edition)

2008-08-18T19:27:00.004-05:00

It might sound nuts, but Tod Young has figured out how to turn color into fragrance. Seriously. This works, folks.

With a background in interior design, he’s created the Palettes Collection, a series of six “aromatic tones” that tie to color groupings found in beautiful home environments. They’re not simple one-noters; these are complex, rich combinations that ring true to their namesakes.

I told you this would sound nuts. You’re going to have to trust me. This works. In fact, it works so well, there’s a patent pending on the concept.

Nuts and bolts:
Soy based candles, 80-hour burn time...room sprays that tie in, with elegance. Great packaging, great story. The company V.P. is from the advertising and marketing world, so Palettes will be a solid partner for stores into product promotion. Word of warning, though-—the buy-in is significant, so this isn’t for the faint of heart.

I want one of the Gray suites (candle and room spray) the way I “want” dark chocolate on a regular basis, so someone please pick up the line and call me. Soon.

RetailSpeaks members, keep your eyes out for an in-depth interview with Todd this autumn as part of our new Profiles series.

The Big Show

2008-08-18T10:00:00.002-05:00

Admittedly, there's a sense of relief that comes with the last major gift show of the season. If there's a line I haven't seen yet, God only knows what it would be.

Those of you who keep up with these postings know that the (absurd, ridiculous, over-the-top, unsubstantiated) rumors about Atlanta got under my skin pretty good. Sure, the economy stinks, and sure, we're all feeling it, but is blowing the thing into Chicken Little proportions really the best way to turn things around?

Sorry. You’ve already seen my original rant and follow up. Back to New York...

Lo and behold, retailers haven't checked out as reported by the naysayers. They attended NYIGF in solid, order-writing numbers, oblivious to the nonsense floating around in uninformed circles. The world is not ending. Storefronts have not vaporized. Retailers are not cowards, curled into little fetal position balls under their desks.

And they aren’t numbskulls. They still planned shorter trips to save on expenses and get back to work-—just like in Atlanta. Vendors I spoke to (and there were a lot of them) felt positive about things, and were a whole lot more realistic about translating foot traffic into turnout.

Atlanta was great. New York was great. Dallas held their own, and Chicago was The Little Engine That Could, as evidenced by their strong seminar attendance. I’m calling this summer show season a winner folks.

Don’t even think about arguing this, or I’ll have to get the soapbox out again.

The Big Night

2008-08-18T02:29:00.001-05:00

Yup. A good time was had by all (including me and my friend, Ted Teale, from OneCoast), but most especially the Retailer Excellence Award (REA) winners. Two, in particular, top my list:

Marketing Achievement
Healdsburg, California retailers Linda Chartier and Shelley Anderson (Midnight Sun Bed & Bath Shoppe, Midnight Sun Children's Shoppe), Nanci Bosio (Papitre), Cynthia Zizi (Zizi), and Sue Sacks (Options Gallery, Inc.) pulled together to create a buy local campaign...then convinced the city of Healdsburg to pony up $30,000 in support of it. You ladies rock.

Industry Achievement Award
The Gift and Home Trade Association
Yes, this is one of the Board of Directors I sit on, so yes, I was pretty tickled about the nod...and even more tickled to hear Kelly Dierke and Andy Bjork (current Chairman and past President, respectively) extoll the virtues of the Retail Advisory Board and our positive impact on the GHTA. Such a glowing review was both a surprise and a delight to hear.

Other award winners were:

Gift Store Design/Redesign
Hearst Castle Gift Shop in San Simeon, California

Visual Merchandising/Display
The Umstead Hotel Gift Shop in Cary, North Carolina

Retail Internet Innovation
Moxie in DeKalb, Illinois (a storefront retailer with a website that succeeds)

Lifetime Achievement Award
Carole Dixon, retiring director of 41 Madison, the New York Merchandise Mart (aka: Tabletop Nirvana)

Outstanding Manufacturer's Rep
Cindi Smith, OneCoast

Rising Star
Whimsy Press in Atlanta, Georgia

Photo credit: Ted's camera, but I don't recall who actually took the shot...? Hey, told you we had fun....

REAs tonight

2008-08-17T08:01:00.001-05:00

This is it...the big night. The Retailer Excellence Awards are at the Marriott Marquis this evening, during which the GHTA (Gift and Home Trade Association) will accept the coveted Industry Achievement award. As a member of the Board of Directors, my enthusiasm might be just a titsch high on the Bubbling Over scale.

This is the fifth time I’ve attended-—twice as an award recipient, once as an award presenter. Best part is the crowd, comprised of the smartest, most plugged-in folks in the gift industry. It never fails that by night’s end, my mind is wheeling with creative ideas, my pocket is full of new contacts, and my juices are flowing toward ways to further promote my consulting clients. Now tell me, what’s better than that?

Back to the Big Apple

2008-08-15T10:15:00.001-05:00

Seems my WorldPerks account is getting a lot of NYC activity lately. Just ten days after being there for the NSA conference, I’m headed back again for the NY International Gift Fair and REA celebration.

Already, there’s lots of shuffling about, with vendors wondering what traffic will be like, and retailers asking themselves if they can squeeze everything into a scant 72 hours. Rest assured to all who attend, although this show will likely be a quiet one, it’s not the end of the world...just means we’re doing things differently this time around.

Vendors, please be patient with the retailers who attend. They’re either at the end of the buying process, or are close to it. If they take notes instead of write orders in the booth, see it as a plus. That’s business rescheduled, not business lost.

Buyers, think carefully before you write. There’s never been a 4Q more unpredictable than this one. Take a peek at my earlier post (“Counting Coins”) about how to navigate the waters with smarts.

Those who think things through carefully-—then plan accordingly-—will come out on top. Those hung up on a glass half empty have already drilled a hole in the bottom for themselves.

Great resource, great offer

2008-08-14T15:07:00.003-05:00

PrintMyStuff (aka: Century Marketing) just blasted a free freight special into my email box. Wanted to pass it along, since they’re a good vendor to have at your fingertips.

For years, we sourced a number of products from them, including clear labels printed in gold foil, rolls of stickers for our price guns, etc. They’re easy to work with, are competitive, and know the retail world inside out.

Given what freight’s costing these days, it’s a good time to stock up.

Is it just me...

2008-08-12T22:09:00.008-05:00

...or does Shawn Johnson of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastic Team look remarkably like Chatty Cathy?*

You go, Shawn. Knock this one out of the park.

*If you remember Chatty Cathy, you’re in. And I don’t mean from antique stores.

Word clouds

2008-08-11T11:08:00.002-05:00

For those of us graphically inclined, word clouds are cool and high impact.

For those of us more analytically wired, word clouds are data cells that reflect fact.

For those of us whose brains buzz on both sides, word clouds are a quick, one glance way to learn a heck of a lot about a document, web page, or other text-rich entity. The one above tells the Always Upward story, in under five seconds. Pretty effective, huh?

To create your own (free!) word cloud, visit the Wordle site. Have to admit, it’s kind of fun....

I’m just sayin’....

2008-08-10T07:53:00.014-05:00

RetailSpeaks newsletter recipients have heard me hint at how 4Q will be built on tradition, home, and hearth. Well folks, don’t doubt it. This morning, Good Morning America did a piece about the surge in Christian themed product purchases. True, some of the stuff is kitsch-—as dearly as I hold my own faith, odds of a Jesus Christ bobble head doll landing on my shopping list are slimmer than none. Same goes for the Bible themed power bars (seriously...I couldn’t make this stuff up.) But make no mistake-—faith based gifts are on the uptick. Big time.

Don’t mistake this for an anomaly. As world, political, and economic jitters continue to encroach on their lives, consumers continue to pull back to a safer, saner, quieter time...and that’s childhood. To adapt, retailers need to embrace what I call “Mashed Potato Marketing,” built on documented human behavioral patterns rife with comfort food, tradition, and “all things home.”

For the full write up and buying advice, visit the RetailSpeaks newsletter archive (specifically the June/July issue).

Retailers who figure this out and buy accordingly will hold their own-—or better yet, do really well this holiday season. Those who buy like it’s 1999, though...good luck. This isn’t the year to bet on edgy trends or hipster brown and blue. It’s gonna be all about Christmas, Christ, and that guy in the funny red sleigh.

Now...pass the homemade ostkaka and a spoon, please?

123 Luckie Street

2008-08-08T16:19:00.003-05:00

Just learned through the grapevine about a great loft only a couple of blocks from the AmericasMart Building 3 in Atlanta. Here’s the lowdown: 1,000 square feet, one bedroom, 1 underground parking space, on the top floor of the building, facing north (toward the Westin and mart buildings). According to the owner, “The home owners’ association is very on top of their financials, so there won’t be any unpleasant surprise assessments later on.” Currently, there’s a wonderful tenant living in the loft, but with his wedding slated for this month, that’s about to conclude.

With an address like “123 Luckie Street,” how can you miss?

To see photos and contact info for the owner, click here.

Here we go...fine print:
This blog is posted as a courtesy; neither Cinda Baxter or Always Upward has a stake in the sale, has accepted payment in connection with this property, or holds any responsibility for the sale, promotion, or ownership of the property. Likewise, neither entity represents or warranties this property or statements made about it.

Brain Trust

2008-08-03T23:35:00.001-05:00

Let’s face it-—you can’t be in all places at one time, which means you can’t attend all the sessions simultaneously (probably a good thing; jamming that much information into every mental nook and cranny would land even the most mundane person in a neuro unit by day’s end).

Thankfully, I had the good fortune of meeting some truly wonderful folks along the way, whose values and professional ethics align with my own, recognizing the only way we succeed to is bring those around us along for the ride.

To Diana Repko and Nina Kaufman, you ladies are gems, with bright, shining futures ahead. Can’t wait to see where we all are a year from now....

And to Peter Stark, thank you so very, very much. While the success you’ve achieved is truly impressive, it pales in comparison to your generosity in sharing information and insights that come with years of experience.

I look forward to great things ahead. For all of us.

My newest hero

2008-08-03T23:08:00.004-05:00

This whole NSA thing is really working for me.

The best parts of the conference come in bits and bites, via extraordinary keynotes and information-rich breakout sessions held throughout each day. With more than 75 topics to choose from, it’s not hard to find something of interest; truth be told, it’s a lot harder to narrow the list to one at a time.

This afternoon, my choice was a Marjorie Brody session focused on building one’s speaking business. I came away feeling great about where I am on the continuum, with wheels spinning about the other four hundred things I could be doing to take things up a notch.

It’s not often you get to learn from one of the pros-—especially one who’s so enthusiastic about paying it forward. Three cheers, Marjorie. Much deserved.

Service with a smile

2008-08-02T22:30:00.005-05:00

I've taken to finding people who reeeeeally "get" customer service from segments other than retail. These are seriously savvy folks who not only understand how consumers tick, but make treating them like the The Only Customer On Earth look easy.

Those of you in RetailSpeaks are in for a treat; starting with the upcoming August issue, you'll see interviews with these miracle workers about what makes them tick and what makes their customers smile. Think of it as a Masters' Class in Customer Service 101.

Already in the pipeline: Patrick Chen (once Epson, now Envelopments) and Michael De Vincenzi (Head Captain, Salute! in New York, shown here with pastry chef Michele Marconi). Trust me. They’re worth the wait.

Not your typical "conference"

2008-08-02T22:04:00.004-05:00

No, this isn't a rock concert...although, yes, it certainly looks (and sounds and feels) like one. This is, dear reader, the National Speakers Association national conference, and lemme tell ya, this ain't no mundane group. When the official Opening General Session opened tonight, it did so with the Rolling Stones blasting over the (admittedly impressive) sound system while normally tie-clad speakers with stellar reputations stood atop chairs and gyrated like they were eighteen.

Translated, this is the largest adrenaline rush on earth.

High points of the day:

“Nametag Scott” Ginsburg-—He’s either crazy or brilliant. I’m going with option B. Anyone who lands on CNN in his early twenties has something figured out.

Manny Medrano--The former ABC Supreme Court corespondent and former federal narcotics prosecutor in L.A. has moved--and continues to move--mountains with his challenge to lead your life with courage, heart, and soul.

Bill Stainton--Who knew the Beatles were teaching us about public speaking? His ability to turn the pop icons into a career lesson is astounding, entertaining, and crazy-brilliant.

God only knows what's in store for tomorrow. At this rate, I'll be levitating by Monday morning.

Off to the Big Apple

2008-08-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

Might be a little quiet here on the blog for a couple of days; I’m headed to New York for the National Speakers Association conference. It’s my first time with this group-—could be interesting to see what happens when you gather this many extroverts in one place. Or really scary.

Seriously, I’m pretty hyped about it, given how highly regarded the NSA is and how much I enjoy my speaking career. Something tells me it will takes days to come down from the adrenaline rush ahead.

Promise to let you know if I begin to levitate.

10 Things No Retailer Should Be Without

2008-07-28T17:15:00.004-05:00

10. Emergency copies
The following items should be kept off-site, in a secure, locked, fireproof location: all passwords, PIN numbers, bank information, xerox copies of the front and back of your store credit cards, an extra set of keys, and computer logins. Don’t forget to add contact info for the landlord, alarm company, insurance company, and store manager or key employee. If you’re hit by a bus, a loved one or trusted employee can get to the information necessary to keep your doors open ‘til you’re up on your feet again.

9. A corded telephone
It’s inevitable. The power will, on occasion, go out. Whether weather, nearby construction, or just plain line failure, it’s good to know you can still answer the phone when a customer calls.

8. A manual credit card ratchet and carbon slips
Yup. The kind you (or your folks) grew up with. That same pesky power failure cuts off credit card transactions immediately. Old school ratchets allow you to take the card, then call it in for approval (now, if you also have a corded phone).

7. An extra pack of printer/fax paper
Stash this out of sight so no one uses it then forgets to tell you...until it’s gone and you’re waiting for an important fax.

6. An extra set of critical ink cartridges
Fax, credit card machine, and your main desktop printer. Stash them with the extra pack of printer/fax paper to be safe. Keep an eye on any by HP, though, since they have expiration dates that make them non-functional (been there, done that...not a pretty sight).

5. A bottle of decent champagne and glass flutes (not plastic)
Bonus points go to retailers who have bubbly on hand when their best customer comes in to announce they’re engaged, a new grandparent, bought their first house, or celebrating some other major milestone. Maybe the good news will be a winning lotto ticket and they’ll share.

4. Quick fix
Advil, Pepcid AC (fast antacid), BandAids, Listerine strips, and eye drops are invaluable. Think: 60-second “saves” for whatever ails ya. Put extra Listerine strips behind the counter so employees can sneak one when retrieving an “accidentally” dropped pen or pencil in a pinch.

3. A stash of Power Bars and bottled water
That headache might be more about dehydration and hunger than Mrs. Nastypants and her nitpicking. Or not. Add an M&M dispenser and you’re golden (chocolate cures all ills).

2. An accountant and an attorney with retail experience
Ours is a business that follows some pretty unique rules. Make sure your numbers guy and legal eagle know those rules first hand.

1. A trusted industry mentor
My first was a consultant named Laurie. Later, it was a fellow retailer named Judy. Over time, it became a small group of trusted friends in the industry who emailed daily. Find yours. Ask questions. Listen. Repeat.

Inspirational ink

2008-07-27T09:39:00.004-05:00

Granted, I’m not a big believer in third party inks. Have had too much trouble with quality over the years-—a major problem for someone who relies on accurate, fully saturated color for a living. If, however, you have a printer sitting around that’s not being used for color-sensitive (read: customer) print tasks, check out about this article about one of the most off-the-beaten path providers out there. Being ripped off by these guys seems extremely unlikely.

As a word of warning: Since Epson mounts print heads directly on their cartridges, I do not recommend third party options for their Stylus printers-—especially the R1800, R1900, or better. Once removed from the tank to refill the cartridge, the print head cannot be remounted with the necessary airtight seal.

Photo credit: LaserMonks

The lesson lives on

2008-07-26T05:30:00.001-05:00

Randy Paucsh, we’ll miss you.

You stood in front of a lecture hall filled to the rafters and delivered what will go down in history as the most extraordinary lesson on earth. With a smile and with humor, you reminded us what life is really all about. And you made it fun. And you made it something we could all aspire to.

Your book sits on my coffee table as a reminder that life is short. Joy is not.

At least, not if we paid attention to the lecture.

Rest in peace, oh happy one.

Photo credit: Carnegie Mellon University

Road rep karma

2008-07-25T11:05:00.003-05:00

2008 could become The Year of the Road Rep, for those who play their cards right. Smart reps who have maintained consistent relationships with their retailers will be sitting pretty, more necessary-—and appreciated-—than ever during third and fourth quarter.

Those who have been lazy, however, just now appearing at stores, ready to cash in, will be laid out like a bad bear skin rug by retailers with short fuses and long memories.

One reaps what one sows. Welcome to the harvest.

Numbers Unplugged

2008-07-25T10:06:00.009-05:00

My heartfelt rant about the numbers game and Atlanta attendance is apparently getting some traction. Have had a couple of phone calls and emails from vendors asking where, then, I think the disconnect is between what they saw in their showrooms and the actual attendance count data. Here’s my response:

1. Look around your showroom. Are the products offered also begin carried online? If so, there’s part of your problem. Retailers are avoiding things that can be found in their stores, then purchased online for a discount. Why in the world would they want to be some e-tailer’s free showroom?

2. Are your vendors selling to big boxes? There’s another part of your problem. Independent retailers have had it with Target, Kohl’s, WalMart, and the like. They’re trolling those aisles before they come to market, making darn sure they don’t pick up the same stuff.

3. Did your vendors offer new product? Did you show new lines? If not, well, duh. Explains why the temps had foot traffic and you didn’t. Lots more newbies...less overexposure.

4. There are three types of buyers right now:

(a) those with ample spending money
(b) those closely watching budgets while buying responsibly, and
(c) those who don’t have money, period (aka: the “Lookie Loos”)

Group A showed up and ordered. Group C skipped the show entirely (don’t even try to tell me that’s a bad thing), and Group B-—the vast majority of buyers-—will be working with your road reps or faxing in orders from catalogs. That’s not lost business. It’s rescheduled business, if you play your cards right and attend to their needs without making them feel pressured.

5. Smart buyers aren’t front-loading with as much inventory as before. Smart buyers are bringing in sure sellers, at a conservative pace. They plan to place reasonably sized re-orders as needed, rather than take on a whale-sized shipment all at once. As cash comes to them, orders will come to you. Can’t judge a show on just the paper written at it any more; technology and a sagging economy stretch that window out by six months.

6. Double check your math. When pondering quieter hallways at the show, did you factor in the reality that most buyers are clipping their stays down to two or three days? Ex: Let’s say you have 100 people (for the sake of easy numbers), five days, and a hallway. In a good year, all 100 people are in the hallway every day, from morning to night. Makes it look like 500 people were there (100 x 5), but there really were only 100. Now...let’s say those same 100 people each cut their time in the hall to only two days. Still had all 100 people...just never saw them in the hall at one time. Some days, could have been as many as 80 of them there...other days, could have been as low as 20. Never all 100 in a single glance. Trying to gauge show attendance by traffic levels without factoring in frequency is flawed math. Badly flawed math.

It’s all cyclical, folks. Let’s use this economy to hone our skills and survive together.

The doorknob is fixed

2008-07-25T10:02:00.003-05:00

Finally. The new site is now fully functional, complete with the automatic entry to the site. No more need to jiggle the doorknob (aka: click on “skip intro” link).

Big thanks to Linda and Martin on the Adobe User Forums for holding my hand through this.

Numbers Nonsense

2008-07-25T00:20:00.009-05:00

This is absurd.

The 30% tale has now ballooned to an eye-popping 40-50%, as stated by someone in a large, visible industry group (who shall remain nameless).

By NYIGF, I fully expect to hear that only seven buyers showed up in Atlanta all week. These rumors make the children’s game of “Telephone” look like an exercise in astrophysics.

Enough already.

New Digs

2008-07-24T19:37:00.007-05:00

Well, I finally got it finished-—the new and improved Always Upward website just went live, and it’s about a thousand percent better than the three page “slap somethin’ up there before market season begins” version folks have been staring at. It’s a pretty major overhaul...not just scooting the furniture around the room to make things look different.

The only hitch is that you have to manually click on the “skip intro” link to move to the home page. No clue why...that’s never been an issue. With luck (and help from some techie friends), that will be cleared up soon. Until then, gotta actually turn the door handle to enter.

Thanks for being patient about this, everyone. It’s been a hectic (in a good way!) summer.

Transitions

2008-07-23T17:43:00.004-05:00

Congrats to Ann Fruland at the Chicago Mart, who was just transitioned into a new role with MMPI: Director of Marketing for The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair. Granted, the twice yearly consumer event will bring new challenges, but Ann can handle it. She’s a sharp cookie who’ll make things move.

Still...sure will miss you on the Gift Show side.

Trolley Tour: Findables

2008-07-23T09:20:00.004-05:00

Final stop: Findables (1643 N. Milwaukee Avenue).

We were welcomed with open arms, this time by someone who’s been paying his dues in Chicago retail for over twenty years. David James Ginople is a vivacious, highly respected local businessman in the community, and someone who’s weathered both good times and bad. He immediately jumped right in, sharing his wisdom and enthusiasm with attendees, reminding them they can survive this crazy economy if they simply think out of the box, giving customers what they want while making sure they (the store owners) simultaneously get what they need.

After hanging on his every word, the group spread out in the store...then at the register (if you can get a roomful of store owners to open up their wallets and pay retail, well...you’re doing something really right). From terrific table top to beautiful jewelry and hats, his eclectic product mix works well. If you make it from one end of the store to the other without being seriously tempted, well, then you’re not really paying attention.

David could teach a master class on running a successful store. And on how to light up a room. And on how to best serve the customer. Pretty impressive combination, if you ask me.

Trolley Tour: Elevenzees

2008-07-23T09:14:00.004-05:00

Note to stores invited to be part of the Trolley Tour:
Allow participants to take pictures inside. They’re there to see and learn, and they paid money to do so. Would have been nice to feel like a welcome guest rather than a closely watched trespasser.

Trolley Tour: Smitten

2008-07-23T08:51:00.004-05:00

The Trolley Tour on Sunday night was a lot of fun, due in great part to the fact I got the coolest trolley group to ride with (figuratively, not literally, since it was about 100 degrees in the front part of the car where windows refused to open). We had fun.

So...to the stores on the tour. First stop: Smitten (1041 W. Madison Street).

This fairly new endeavor on the Near West side of Chicago is geared toward engaged couples looking for one stop shopping as they create the wedding of their dreams. From bejeweled frames to cute attendant gift ideas, their offerings were lovely; the atmosphere of the store is a cross between Paris chic and warehouse hip, with white painted brick walls, a massive black chandelier, and French doors that open from the back into what will soon be a refreshing garden area.

Private consult rooms are set off the main floor, which is a bright idea--but not based on light level. In the words of a nearby tour member peering into the small, decidedly dark rooms decked out in black and white, they’re “kind of depressing."

The attitude, however, was sunburst brilliant, as the owner, Kirstin (last name?) welcomed us with open arms. Undaunted by clicking cameras and a barrage of questions, she showed us all what retail hospitality is about.

If they bring in a solid selection of wedding invitation lines, this little gem could turn out to be one big, multi-carat diamond. So far, so good.

Retail Rock Stars

2008-07-22T21:20:00.007-05:00

To the retailers who attended my “Speed Networking” session on Sunday:

You guys rock. Big time.

It was my first fully interactive gig (as well as the first time I’ve allowed someone else to name the theme), which had the butterflies in my stomach flapping like mad over breakfast that day. As I told Mom, “Either this will work spectacularly, or it will bomb spectacularly. We’ll know in the first five minutes.”

Thankfully, you guys went with option A...and continued to do so for about an hour after the session officially ended. Felt like a proud parent on graduation day.

So...keep it rockin’ folks. You truly are someone’s Go To Guru* and the apple of my eye.

*If you were there, you know. If you weren’t, well...shoulda been.

The Numbers Game

2008-07-22T20:38:00.007-05:00

Prepare yourself. I’m about to climb on my soapbox.

We all know the economy’s tight. And we all know that a tight economy will have a negative impact on the gift industry. And we all know one of those negative impacts is lower attendance at the gift shows.

No shock there.

What is shocking, however, is the rampant rumor mill surrounding attendance at the Atlanta gift show last week. Granted, I’m partial to Atlanta as one of its Advisory Board members, but that doesn’t make me stupid. I’ve got it a bit more together than that.

Here’s where I climb up on my box, so buckle in.

A person (who shall remain nameless) told me Atlanta’s attendance was down 30%. I assured him that number was wildly (read: incomprehensibly, extraordinarily, over-the-moon-ily) inflated...which it was. Having attended last Monday’s meeting, I know the actual number, and folks, it ain’t even remotely close to this sky-high 30% stuff; attendance was significantly better than that.

As in double-digits-significantly.

What gets my goat, is that the same rumor found its way to Chicago in a mere six days, where it had grown to a whopping 30-40% drop. The person who told me (who shall also remain nameless) is someone of the highest moral character...the kind of guy who simply isn’t into rumors.

Needless to say, I nearly came out of my shoes.

Yes, marts and shows are competitive, and yes, many “fudge” on the numbers to gain a (perceived) advantage. But-—and this is a big but-—Atlanta is using hard data. They count the number of buyer badges printed on-site; they aren’t using eyeball estimates of how many people are in the hall or strolling through a showroom. They’re counting actual breathing, physically present bodies. Besides-—they’re audited on this stuff.

Face it-—with most buyers opting for shorter market trips these days, showrooms aren’t going to look like they did when everyone stormed the hallways all at once. Buyers are coming in shifts, which lessens bottlenecking, just like highway on-ramp meters do. No mystery there.

Also, they’re getting pickier about whose product to take a chance on this holiday season. If it’s a sure hit, they’re in. If it’s the least bit iffy, well...as Heidi Klum would say “Yow out.”

Folks, we have a choice to make. Either we get real about what’s going on in our industry, then adapt -or- we allow rumors to perpetuate a gloomier reality that we already have.

Of course, the latter will only make things worse, which is just plain ridiculous.

Some showrooms saw 30% drops in their traffic and their orders. Some showrooms saw 30% increases in their traffic and their orders. My bet is product and attitude have a lot more to do with which end of the numbers game someone’s on than attendance, regardless of where they’re showing.

So...whadaya say we all put our pointy sticks down and stop trying to poke holes in one another? Maybe, just maybe, we can float back to the top en masse when this thing passes.

There. End of rant. Thanks for listening.

Chicago Market

2008-07-20T08:31:00.002-05:00

Holy cow, this is gonna be great.

Just found out the Power Lunch session I’m hosting at noon will probably be sold out, now that on-site registrations are factoring in. As buyers tighten their travel budgets, there’s no question the regional markets are holding their own.

The session title is “Speed Networking.” Needless to say, with a moniker like that, it’s going to be fast paced, fun, and a little fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants entertaining. Honestly, I can’t wait, having never tried this format before.

A “Strategies for Challenging Times” Forum later that day combines me, Carol Schroeder, and Tom Ungrodt (all charter members of the GHTA Retail Advisory Board). Tom will cover managing your cash flow investment; Carol will get into trimming your expenses and overhead; my segment’s about paring down your inventory to a cleaner, meaner mix, then dealing with what I call “Psych Marketing 101.”

If you’re in either (or both), be sure to say hello.

Photo credit: Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.

Counting coins

2008-07-19T15:13:00.002-05:00

Here we go...the start of the Chicago show, with two (jam packed) speaking gigs tomorrow and my mom by my side. It’s Liz’s first time to the Mart here, as well as her first stay on Michigan Avenue. Should be a fun weekend.

The market season‘s officially into high gear. Today, one of my consulting clients asked how best navigate all the show specials popping up as vendors find themselves carrying the weight of excess inventory. Here’s my advice:

1. If an opening order is more than you need/want, it’s not a good deal. Walk away.

2. If a show special requires more product than you need, it’s not a good deal. Walk away.

3. If bumping a bunch of addition product into an order for the sake of getting free freight, do the math. If the additional product costs more than the freight would have, it’s not a good deal. Walk away (or simply lower your order).

4. If you’re required to buy really deep instead of really wide-—when the price tag would be the same-—explain to the vendor, the more shelf frontage they have, the more customers they’ll snag. If they still insist you order deep, walk away.

This year, it’s more critical than ever that you buy smart. There are a lot of offers and programs out there, many of which look great on the surface but may end up robbing you blind in the end. In the next couple of months, you’ll see me address several of the dealer programs in my Gifts and Dec column, “Retail Enabler.”

It’s a complicated market season, folks. There’s old math...new math...and retail math. Time to brush up on the latter.

Deep breath time....

2008-07-15T17:54:00.008-05:00

Yes, the news is scary. According to a CBS/New York Times poll released today, Americans judged the economy this way:

Getting better.... 3 %
Getting worse....67 %

Like the retailers don’t already know that.

The reason I bring this up is to remind retailers of an important lesson we all learned as kids.

Thank back to first time you recall getting a shot at the doctor’s office. Odds are, you were scared silly about the idea of some guy in a stiff white jacket shoving what looked like a javelin-sized needle into your sweet little arm. And, odds are, your mom or dad looked you straight in the eye, calmly told you everything would be fine, then gave your hand a good, solid squeeze of support before you slammed your eyelids shut, bit down, held your breath, and counted on them being right.

My point, dear reader, is that that attitude of positive confidence is what sold you. If they said you’d be okay, well...you’d be okay. Period.

The same rule applies to how you approach customers right now. Yes, they’re scared; they feel the “sharp pointies” as much as you do. The difference is that they’re looking into your eyes, listening for your reassurances, seeking proof that their neighborhood haunts are safe havens where things remain solid and safe and familiar.

“Psychology is critical,” reminds CBS correspondent Anthony Mason, “because fear comes out of uncertainty. Psychology and confidence are critical.”

So as hard as it is...as scary as it might be...you’ve got to be the parent. You’ve got to look customers straight in the eye, smile with confidence, and tell them in a calm tone that everything is okay. Doesn’t matter if you believe the polar opposite or are jittering beneath that calm exterior. Give their hand a squeeze and convince them their world is solid. Make your store an island of “normal” and there’s a better than good chance yours is the one they’ll continue to visit, continue to shop in, and continue to spread the good word about.

Don’t give them that safe zone and they’ll run like rabbits faster than it would have taken you to bundle up your sleeping bag, fuzzy bear, and lucky nickle, headed to your best friend’s tree house.

Besides, maybe...just maybe...you’ll feel a little bit better too.

This psychology thing works both ways, after all.

Uncle Steve leaves the building

2008-07-15T17:19:00.003-05:00

Admission #1: I’m an Apple junkie (duh).

Admission #2: I’m also addicted to “The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs.”

For those of you who don’t join me in either of those joy-filled habits, this means little. For the rest who recognize Dan Lyons as the guy behind the curtain, well....swan song time.

We, the devoted, knew this day was coming. After outing Lyons as the author of the sometimes raunchy, always cerebral, and constantly entertaining blog supposedly written by Apple’s founder, Forbes began actively supporting-—and advertising on-—the site. Now that Newsweek’s snapped Dan up, well.... The old employer wasn’t likely to continue promoting the author while the new employer had him. End of blog.

This morning, I stumbled across this video of Dan Lyons doing the keynote at Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco in April, before the leap. Gotta admit, he’s funny, in spite of the language (a bit, um, risqué for many) while completely in awe of the fact what began as a joke turned into a cultural bookmark.

Farewell, Fake Steve. We’ll miss you. Namaste.

Editors note: Having had sufficient time to peruse Mr. Lyons’ new blog (posted under his real name), I can’t say the warm fuzzy feelings have held. As himself, he just comes across angry and bitter-—no interesting wit or clever edge to the text. Sorry to say it, but Uncle Steve truly left, in every sense of the word. Bummer.

The Powers that Please

2008-07-14T12:05:00.002-05:00

One of my duties (and a distinct honor) while in Atlanta is to serve as a member of the AmericasMart Advisory Board. It’s at our Monday morning meetings that voices from around the industry join with those of AMC to continue shaping the future of the shows.

Lemme tell ya, lots of good comes from these meetings. Continually expanding broadband access, AmericasMart University, and special travel rates for attending reps are just a few things that sprang from conversations begun at this table. The people around it are committed, brutally honest, and determined to be the best of the best, period.

Here are a couple of highlights from conversations with fellow members I think you’ll appreciate:

Sunday Saved
Most attendees know that downtown Atlanta lost all water Sunday afternoon when a water main blew, however few know how close AMC came to shutting down the show as a result. With the mandatory four hour limit approaching that would have required emptying the buildings, Virginia Gorday averted disaster by engaging the mayor’s office, the fire department, and a whole lot of maintenance staff to carefully monitor the problem, babysit pipes, and release valves as water returned to the system. In buildings this big, you can’t just turn on the tap like an outdoor spigot; there’s a carefully choreographed ballet required to get things flowing again...and Virginia’s the grande dame of pirouettes.

Dorothy and Toto Fly Solo
During the dry spell on Sunday, a handful of buyers and vendors asked me what would happen in a real emergency, like when a tornado visited Atlanta a few weeks ago (as if not having functional bathrooms after those three glasses of iced tea at lunch didn’t qualify as an emergency???). So, as Jeff Portman and I are headed back to Building One after the meeting, I asked him. Here’s the direct quote (with his permission):

“You see these buildings [while motioning to One and Two]? They’re frickin’ bunkers. That one too [motioning to Three]. Built entirely from steel and concrete. You can’t knock the things down. Frickin’ bunkers. Seriously.”

Turns out the staff was actually inside them during the tornado, with no bobbing, weaving or swaying involved. The only damage was in leaky windows and glass in the skyways, which is remarkable, and proof positive that he’s right. These things are frickin’ bunkers, which makes me frickin’ happy, in a big way.

Pretty impressive when you consider the amount of damage done to the adjoining Westin, where approximately 100 guest rooms saw their windows blown out.

Greener Days
The Mart’s a big place. Which means a big carbon footprint. Understanding the importance of reducing the latter while growing the former, AMC has committed to Green Hours, running July through September when power usage is at its heaviest. By resetting building hours during non-show times, the mart reduces energy use by a whopping 400,000 kilowatts, or 628,000 pounds of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The new plan doesn’t impact business hours; those still stand at 10:00 a.m. ‘til 4:00 p.m. From now on, though, the building itself will shift an hour earlier, to 7:00 a.m. ‘til 4:00 p.m., which works well for everyone.

Network News

2008-07-13T23:57:00.000-05:00

There’s nothing as reaffirming as letting it all hang out with fellow retailers. Thanks to the RetailSpeaks members who made the haul to Atlanta; thanks to Debbie Dusenberry for inviting me to meet her roomful of friends too (shown above).

Of course, the Westin is probably thankful we’re all gone, since the volume got “up there” as our enthusiasm grew.

See? You really aren’t alone out there, folks. It’s simply a matter of connecting the right dots.

I need this

2008-07-12T11:33:00.006-05:00

How many of those little corrugated cup sleeves have you tossed in the trash over the years? And if you’re like me, how many times have you reached for your Starbucks card and realized it’s in the other purse/bag/briefcase?

Hip Grips from Seattle vendor Allie Walker Designs resolves both issues with funky fabric wraps that not only hold your cup, but also hold your card. The insulated hot-or-cold cup wraps are adjustable, reversible, washable, crushable, and functional. Available in Sport, Statements, and Everyday designs, the latter of the bunch was my favorite, offering the most latitude in colors and personalities (I already know which two I want, so if someone in Minneapolis picks this up, drop me a line).

Be sure to take a peek at the gift sets of four-—they really “pop” on the shelf. Countertop displays are also available.

To contact them, call (206) 729-4988 or visit their site.

I want this

2008-07-12T11:10:00.004-05:00

If there’s an award for the single prettiest line at the show, it goes to Ferrare With Company. True, my inner bling attracted me to the line, but of all the sparkling, twinkling, delicious girly-girl options out there, this one is the best of the bunch. Frames, mirrors, and other accessories are encrusted with Swarovski crystals and semi-precious stones, becoming elegant pieces loving made by hand.

The candles shown above are a good entry point for upscale stores looking to test the waters. Same for the Layla frames. From there, you can grow into the more luscious pieces like the amethyst encrusted 8 x 10 frame I’d give my eye teeth to own.

For info, visit their site by clicking here or call them at 323.933.9025. If Christina herself answers the phone, you’re in for a treat. She’s a gracious as she is gorgeous.

Hail to the Chief

2008-07-11T07:56:00.011-05:00

We can finally stop crossing our fingers-—Caroline Kennedy has been tapped as Gifts and Dec’s new Editor-in-Chief. The news spread like wildfire at last night’s premier party for the AmericasMart Building 2 West expansion, as she drifted around the room in her quiet, elegant manner, covering the show, doing her job.

The news broke in New York while she was in Atlanta, visiting with Jeremy Hirsch (V.P. of Marketing, OneCoast) as the gift show began. After allowing repeated back-to-back cell calls to roll to voice mail, it became apparently someone was desperate to reach her. Being the class act she is, Caroline excused herself, checked the caller ID...found her employer’s name...returned the call...

...and changed job titles.

Get used to ringing, ringing, ringing, Caroline. There are a lot of excited people out here, anxious to wish you well.

Welcome to the big office. You‘ve earned it.

Two West Wing

2008-07-10T22:57:00.000-05:00

We got our first glimpse of Building Two West Wing tonight at the Exhibitors’ Party. Granted, the soiree was held in the cavernous area for temps that “undressed” is simply a big room, but fill that room with dramatic lights, a great band, and a whole lot of folks anxious to get moved in and you’ve got one heck of a party.

Just wait ‘til the January show; you’re gonna be blown away.

And yes, there are additional elevators.

Photo credit: The show daily published by Reed Business Information

Atlanta

2008-07-10T17:30:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Big One. Welcome to Atlanta.

At first glance, traffic is pretty good-—not jammed, but good. According to several vendors, the “majors” (ie, the national accounts) are coming in next week in lieu of their usual pre-show visits, working around long Fourth of July vacations. Helps explain why it’s easier to snag an elevator in Building Two.

I expect to see the pattern from NSS and Dallas repeat here, with traffic sharply dropping around mid-afternoon on Sunday. Buyers haven’t forgone the big shows; they’re just squeezing them into two or three days instead of the familiar five or six.

Note to vendors: Embrace these die hard, come-hell-or-high-water retailers. They’re making it work, even if it means some sacrifice along the way.

Note to road reps: If you don’t take advantage of this, you’re nuts. There’s never been a time getting out there, in person, has been more important or more welcome.

1 Great Guy

2008-07-07T14:44:00.005-05:00

I’m a big believer in good product and even better customer service. This afternoon, I’ve been reminded yet again what that looks like, and it looks like 1Password and Dave Teare.

Rather than give you the whole sales pitch about how great I think 1Password is (and believe me-—I do), let me sum it up this way:

1. I don’t have to remember anything any more. Dave’s software does that.

2. I don’t have to worry about security. Dave’s software does that too.

3. I don’t have to worry that if I get hung up, someone will be there. Dave and the rest of the group at Agile Web Solutions have pretty much sewn that baby up too, with a smile and a heartfelt “we’re here to make you happy” approach that never, ever wears out.

My techno life is divided into two realms: B1P (before 1Password) and A1P (yup, you guessed it). Toss 1P’s online sibling My1Password into the mix, and you’ve hit perfection.

Seriously, this guy and this company redefine A+, as does their software. Check it out. You’ll thank me for it later.