Operations

Handling Difficult Customers

Retailers offer their top tips for dealing with tricky situations Sylvia’s By the Sea, in Scituate, Massachusetts, has a clear return policy: store credit only. It’s posted prominently in the shop, it’s on every sales... more »

Hiring Teens

Tips you can't ignore and pointers you won't want to dismissWith many retailers hiring more part-time workers versus full time, it's important to consider the rules, regulations and unique attributions that apply to this part... more »

Destination Shopping: Hotel Gift Shops Stay Ahead

Retail operations within the lodging industry vary greatly. Hotel gift shops may consist of little more than a small area near the front desk that sells magazines and snacks, to thousands of square feet of... more »

Picture Perfect

How to make Instagram work for you. Although Instagram is much smaller than the social media giant Facebook, with about 200 million monthly active users it’s a website with growing opportunity. And since Facebook purchased... more »

Room for Rustic

Harkening back to nature and peaceful tranquility, rustic décor has always been a staple of lodges and cabins. It’s making surprising inroads in places you wouldn’t really expect. Bringing the outdoors in, whether in the... more »

Miracle Grow

There are factors internal to your business that you can control and affect the bottom line. Here are a few. Retailers often think that the next boost in their business is going to come from... more »

A Toy Story

It’s all fun and games when it comes to toys. A $22 billion industry in the U.S., toys may be fun, but they’re serious business. They can be a great addition to a gift store,... more »

Thank You, Come Again

In the spring issue of GIFT SHOP, we discussed the basics of a loyalty program. Here are some ideas for how you could implement and market one. While independent retailers like you have traditionally had... more »

Back Room Blueprint

An organized back room is essential to the profitability of a retail store. It houses the supporting materials and supplies needed to conduct retail transactions, as well as areas for processing incoming and outgoing merchandise.... more »

A Survival Guide to Combat Internet Lowball Pricing

Many retailers today worry about the effect of the Internet on their brick-and-mortar business and feel that customers will buy from the Internet long before they buy from the store, mostly because of pricing and... more »