Operations

A New Economy, A New Shopper: A New Set of Gift Shop Retailing Rules

As a gift shop retailer, you are no stranger to the vagaries of the economy and their impact on your customers' shopping habits. Experts believe that this recession has all the hallmarks of an economic... more »

You’ve Got Mail!

1. Add good, contextual links back to your store. They are great for web traffic and to generate additional interest in your store. Be sure to limit the number of links that send readers away... more »

An Eventful Evening!

Patti Harbin of In-Courage in San Antonio, TX, recently hosted a store event with Lolita. She had two weeks' notice to pull everything together. Because of the limited time, Harbin used email invites (this was... more »

What steps can retailers adopt to follow up on customers who have attended an in-store event?

What should retailers do after an event to get the maximum benefits from it? In-store events are key to success in today's competitive retail market—and capturing data from customers who attend the event will measure... more »

Get ‘Em to Your Store

Before hosting her event, retailer Patti Harbin of In-Courage in San Antonio, TX, used promotional materials from Lolita to create this gorgeous invite. Because she was strapped for time, she distributed the invitations at local... more »

Build Your Own Buzz!

It started as an experiment. Retailer Debbie Dusenberry was tired of the hassle involved every time she wanted to update her store's website. Following friends' advice, the owner of Curious Sofa in Kansas City, KS,... more »

The Web as Marketing Tool

You have heard it mentioned often enough by now: The Internet is a great, cost-effective way to promote your business. Problem is there are billions of websites jockeying for position and attention. Trillions of pieces... more »

Can you recommend marketing strategies that will help boost store sales?

Gail Markert of Markert Group Consulting Gail Markert of Markert Group Consulting 615.292.7819 MarkertGroupConsulting.comBe proactive. Now is not the time to sit back and wait for customers to come to you. Special events can be... more »

Ten Common Mistakes Companies Make in Pricing their Products or Services

In the course of our engagements, we have seen examples of good and bad pricing policies. The following is a list of ten of the most common mistakes companies make when pricing their products and... more »

Fees for Nothing

As a merchant, every time you accept a customer's credit, PIN debit or signature debit card, you pay a "Merchant Discount Rate" (a percentage of that transaction), and various fees, that are distributed to the... more »