Operations

Planning for Markdowns

Approaching a dreaded yet necessary task for all retailers. In every job there’s that dreaded responsibility that gets pushed aside, dismissed and too often ignored. In retail, that dreaded something is markdowns. Commonly considered a... more »

Putting Your Best Staff Forward

Good employees are the key to success during the busy holiday season In my youth, I used to think that having employees would be easy. You’d hire them, tell them what to do and they’d... more »

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 »