Retail News: The International Downtown Association is holding their 50th Annual Conference right here in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada. Downtown redevelopment has been one of my pet interests for many years. This conference promises to bring together leading experts on downtown issues.
Scroll down the page to download their conference brochure.
Another great resource for downtown redevelopment: Downtown Research and Development Center
Wet Paint
Here is a window display photo from Retail Tips subscriber,
Susan Black. It's an example of what you can do with a little
creativity and a few props.
This is a window display I did for our lingerieNote: I'm primarily looking for submissions of exterior photos of
shop! I wanted to show the customer how much color we
had to offer in intimate apparel.I am always trying to
find ways to attract a younger clientele as the shop has
been in business for well over 50 years and is still known
as "Grandma's Girdle Shop" I try to attract the foot
traffic we get from a very popular, large, used bookstore
a few doors down.
This one caught quite a bit of attention and I couldn't
help but notice that the bookstore I mentioned put one
together that was very similar-which I found flattering!
Susan Black
Alice Rae Intimate Apparel
Tucson, Arizona
storefronts that show the entire front. Additional close-ups are
good too. I liked Susan's idea though, and I will post other display
photos if you would like to send them in.
Do you have a storefront that's worth talking about?
Would you like to see your store here?
If you think you have a store front that makes your customers
say 'Wow' send me a photo (jpg or gif) and a brief description
of your store and customer.
I'll post the best on the website, and I'll be creating a new
ebook full of stores that make a great first impression.
Send your submission by email to:
mmcintosh@inspire.bc.ca
If you think you have a store front that makes your customers
say 'Wow' send me a photo (jpg or gif) and a brief description
of your store and customer.
I'll post the best on the website, and I'll be creating a new
ebook full of stores that make a great first impression.
Send your submission by email to:
mmcintosh@inspire.bc.ca
Call of the Mall : The Author of Why We Buy on the Geography of Shopping
Retail News:
A new book by retail anthropologist Paco Underhill. I loved his last book, and I'm sure this one will be just as good if not better.
A new book by retail anthropologist Paco Underhill. I loved his last book, and I'm sure this one will be just as good if not better.
Quote of the Day
"Risk more than others think is safe.
Care more than others think is wise.
Dream more than others think is practical.
Expect more than others think is possible."
ó Claude T. Bissell
*What could this mean for your business?
*What could you do in your store that your customers would find remarkable?
Small Biz Owners Cope With Rising Prices
By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG
AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP)--With inflation rising, especially when it comes to gasoline prices, and interest rates also on the way up, many small business owners are becoming more creative about cutting costs.
AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP)--With inflation rising, especially when it comes to gasoline prices, and interest rates also on the way up, many small business owners are becoming more creative about cutting costs.
Complete this retail survey: Be entered to win a $50 gift certificate!
Retail News:
Just for participating you'll...
* Receive a free copy of the retail survey summary.
* Be entered to WIN a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com!
Click here to take survey
Just for participating you'll...
* Receive a free copy of the retail survey summary.
* Be entered to WIN a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com!
Click here to take survey
Canadians to Spend an Average of $60 on Gift for Mom
Retail News:
Florists, candy stores and jewellery stores to benefit the most
TORONTO, May 6 /CNW/ - With only a few days remaining to find the perfect
Mother's Day gift, a new survey conducted for Moneris Solutions Corporation
("Moneris"), Canada's largest processor of credit and debit card payments,
reveals that Canadians are expecting to spend an average of $60 on a gift for
Mom for this Mother's Day - slightly more than the $55 they plan to spend on
Dad for Father's Day.
"Merchants should be prepared for a busy weekend, as Mother's Day
generates a significant amount of retail spending," said Jim Baumgartner,
President and CEO, Moneris. "By examining our transaction data, Moneris is
able to indicate the types of merchants that are most likely to benefit from
consumer spending this week, and not surprisingly, merchants that sell
flowers, candy and jewellery lead the way."
The survey, conducted by Leger Marketing in late April, offers some
interesting insights on consumer shopping plans for Mother's Day and Father's
Day. Highlights of the survey include the following:
- Approximately four in ten Canadians (36 per cent) plan to purchase
both a Mother's Day and Father's Day gift this year;
- When it came to buying just one gift - either for Mother's Day or for
Father's Day - more Canadians indicated that they would purchase a
gift only for their mother (18 per cent), instead of buying a gift
only for their father (two per cent).
A review of the reasons offered by respondents for this difference
found that:
- One in ten people buying gifts only for their mothers say it
is because their mothers appreciate receiving gifts more than
their fathers;
- Another ten percent feel that Mother's Day is more important
than Father's Day; and
- Approximately five per cent responded that they did not know
what to buy for their fathers.
- Just over a quarter (26 per cent) of those surveyed do not plan to
purchase a gift for either Mother's Day or Father's Day. Those in
British Columbia (33 per cent) and QuÈbec (32 per cent) were more
likely than Canadians in other provinces to say they would not
purchase gifts for either their mothers or fathers; and
- Men are slightly more likely than women to spend over $100 on
Mother's Day gifts (15 per cent versus nine per cent) and Father's
Day gifts (13 per cent versus five per cent).
As Canada's leading payment processor, Moneris is in a unique position to
analyze the increase in debit and credit card spending at Canadian merchants
leading up to major holidays and events, such as Mother's Day.
The data below presents an interesting snapshot of the purchasing
activity from May 5 to 11, 2003 and may be a good indicator of what merchants
can expect leading up to Sunday, May 9, 2004. The following merchant
categories experienced the biggest increase in card spending last year
(compared to the week immediately preceding last year's Mother's Day):
- Florists up 119 per cent;
- Candy, nut and confectionary stores up 54 per cent;
- Jewellery stores up 34 per cent;
- Lawn and garden supplies stores up 23 per cent;
- Book stores up 21 per cent;
- Movie theatres up 15 per cent;
- Department stores up 10 per cent;
- Restaurants up nine per cent; and
- Gift, card and novelty stores up eight per cent.
"Mother's Day has always been an important holiday for merchants because
they benefit from consumers loading up on two types of items - gifts for mom
and spring-related merchandise," continued Baumgartner.
Source: Press Release - Canada Newswire
Florists, candy stores and jewellery stores to benefit the most
TORONTO, May 6 /CNW/ - With only a few days remaining to find the perfect
Mother's Day gift, a new survey conducted for Moneris Solutions Corporation
("Moneris"), Canada's largest processor of credit and debit card payments,
reveals that Canadians are expecting to spend an average of $60 on a gift for
Mom for this Mother's Day - slightly more than the $55 they plan to spend on
Dad for Father's Day.
"Merchants should be prepared for a busy weekend, as Mother's Day
generates a significant amount of retail spending," said Jim Baumgartner,
President and CEO, Moneris. "By examining our transaction data, Moneris is
able to indicate the types of merchants that are most likely to benefit from
consumer spending this week, and not surprisingly, merchants that sell
flowers, candy and jewellery lead the way."
The survey, conducted by Leger Marketing in late April, offers some
interesting insights on consumer shopping plans for Mother's Day and Father's
Day. Highlights of the survey include the following:
- Approximately four in ten Canadians (36 per cent) plan to purchase
both a Mother's Day and Father's Day gift this year;
- When it came to buying just one gift - either for Mother's Day or for
Father's Day - more Canadians indicated that they would purchase a
gift only for their mother (18 per cent), instead of buying a gift
only for their father (two per cent).
A review of the reasons offered by respondents for this difference
found that:
- One in ten people buying gifts only for their mothers say it
is because their mothers appreciate receiving gifts more than
their fathers;
- Another ten percent feel that Mother's Day is more important
than Father's Day; and
- Approximately five per cent responded that they did not know
what to buy for their fathers.
- Just over a quarter (26 per cent) of those surveyed do not plan to
purchase a gift for either Mother's Day or Father's Day. Those in
British Columbia (33 per cent) and QuÈbec (32 per cent) were more
likely than Canadians in other provinces to say they would not
purchase gifts for either their mothers or fathers; and
- Men are slightly more likely than women to spend over $100 on
Mother's Day gifts (15 per cent versus nine per cent) and Father's
Day gifts (13 per cent versus five per cent).
As Canada's leading payment processor, Moneris is in a unique position to
analyze the increase in debit and credit card spending at Canadian merchants
leading up to major holidays and events, such as Mother's Day.
The data below presents an interesting snapshot of the purchasing
activity from May 5 to 11, 2003 and may be a good indicator of what merchants
can expect leading up to Sunday, May 9, 2004. The following merchant
categories experienced the biggest increase in card spending last year
(compared to the week immediately preceding last year's Mother's Day):
- Florists up 119 per cent;
- Candy, nut and confectionary stores up 54 per cent;
- Jewellery stores up 34 per cent;
- Lawn and garden supplies stores up 23 per cent;
- Book stores up 21 per cent;
- Movie theatres up 15 per cent;
- Department stores up 10 per cent;
- Restaurants up nine per cent; and
- Gift, card and novelty stores up eight per cent.
"Mother's Day has always been an important holiday for merchants because
they benefit from consumers loading up on two types of items - gifts for mom
and spring-related merchandise," continued Baumgartner.
Source: Press Release - Canada Newswire
Successful Retail Strategies
Retail News:Some basic tips that retailers could implement with little effort. Good archived article at Inc.com.
Are you involving your customers in your business?
Retail News:
Here's a great example of a business that does it right. The customers are emotionally involved. The business knows it is important to be personal and unique.
What are you doing to stand out?
Here's a great example of a business that does it right. The customers are emotionally involved. The business knows it is important to be personal and unique.
What are you doing to stand out?
You can't win the lowest price game!
Retail News:
I heard a discussion recently where some retailers were discussing pricing products in relation to how to make a living running a shop. It came up that some could only run the shop because they were not completely dependant on the income for personal survival.
They mentioned competition that was not taking any money out of the business as salary, and were lowering their prices to get lots of traffic. So, how could anyone else compete in that type of market?
Well, first of all, the competition won't be around too long with that strategy. One of these days they'll have to realize they are supposed to make money. Retail is just too much work to do it just for the fun of it!
Second, stay in business to outlast the crazy competition.
Simple solution: don't compete on price! You don't have to offer all the frills AND have the lowest price.
Of course, some of your customers will say, "I saw this cheaper at a store across town." If your store is the same as the one across town, that is a bit of a problem.
You have to be different! Simple to say, but a challenge to do it.
So here's the question for you to think about.
How can you be so different from the competition that your best customers (and more like them) will prefer to pay a little more to shop at your store?
HINT: It has to be something valuable to your customers. Why don't you ask them?
I heard a discussion recently where some retailers were discussing pricing products in relation to how to make a living running a shop. It came up that some could only run the shop because they were not completely dependant on the income for personal survival.
They mentioned competition that was not taking any money out of the business as salary, and were lowering their prices to get lots of traffic. So, how could anyone else compete in that type of market?
Well, first of all, the competition won't be around too long with that strategy. One of these days they'll have to realize they are supposed to make money. Retail is just too much work to do it just for the fun of it!
Second, stay in business to outlast the crazy competition.
Simple solution: don't compete on price! You don't have to offer all the frills AND have the lowest price.
Of course, some of your customers will say, "I saw this cheaper at a store across town." If your store is the same as the one across town, that is a bit of a problem.
You have to be different! Simple to say, but a challenge to do it.
So here's the question for you to think about.
How can you be so different from the competition that your best customers (and more like them) will prefer to pay a little more to shop at your store?
HINT: It has to be something valuable to your customers. Why don't you ask them?
Any American Country or Gift stores out there?
Retail News:
I received an email about a product line that sounded interesting for gift stores that sell collectibles. It is called Great American Collectibles. What sets them apart is that according to their new owner, Dan Sherman, they are, "essentially the last mass quantity resin collectible manufacturing company that still makes and hand
paints everything in the USA."
They also have an affiliate program for retailers, available only through this link.
http://www.gr8american.com/ebiz
Contact info:
Dan Sherman
Great American Collectibles
http://www.gr8american.com
503-678-6565
Tell them Melanie sent you!
I received an email about a product line that sounded interesting for gift stores that sell collectibles. It is called Great American Collectibles. What sets them apart is that according to their new owner, Dan Sherman, they are, "essentially the last mass quantity resin collectible manufacturing company that still makes and hand
paints everything in the USA."
They also have an affiliate program for retailers, available only through this link.
http://www.gr8american.com/ebiz
Contact info:
Dan Sherman
Great American Collectibles
http://www.gr8american.com
503-678-6565
Tell them Melanie sent you!
Are you selling to Generation X'ers?
Retail News:
Better keep an eye on the trends. Gen X'ers are not the same kind of parents the Baby Boomers were. If you sell to young families, check out this article.
Better keep an eye on the trends. Gen X'ers are not the same kind of parents the Baby Boomers were. If you sell to young families, check out this article.
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