My parents divorced when I was 11. For a long time, I felt there was something I could have done to prevent it. I thought I had some magical power to change the circumstances, which I guess is common in children of divorce.  The feeling that the past could somehow have been different ..read more

A recent webinar, "From Grumpy to Great: Because Happy Employees Don't Spit In Your Coffee," brought together Paul Landry (Lightspeed Commerce), Andrew Duffy (SparkPlug), and me to discuss strategies for transforming retail workplaces. You can watch the full version below ..read more

Today, we're discussing a topic close to my heart and crucial for your bottom line: employee sales training, especially for high-revenue stores. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. "Bob, my store is pulling in over a million in gross revenue. We're doing just fine with our promotions and discounts. Why fix what isn't broken?" I will show you why that mindset could cost you more than you realize. The Training Stigma: Breaking Down the Barriers Let's address the elephant in the room: the stigma around training. I've heard all the excuses: "My experienced associates already know what th ..read more

What does it take to be a successful independent retailer?  I visited Kidstop's owner, Kate Tanner, to get her insights. As a two-time winner of the "Best of Phoenix" award, Tanner’s retail management experience holds valuable lessons for aspiring and established retail store owners. You can watch the full interview below ..read more

A silent revolution is taking place. It's not about the latest technology or the newest product trends. Instead, it's about something more fundamental: how we interact — or don't interact — with each other in retail stores. I've witnessed the power of effective communication in driving sales and creating memorable customer experiences. But today, we're facing a unique challenge that threatens to undermine the foundation of retail success: the age of audio isolation ..read more

Local businesses face many challenges, so the roles of downtown associations, chambers of commerce, and business alliances have never been more important. Yet over and over, I hear of low participation with finger-pointing about who is not doing what. How can these organizations, created to unite people, better serve their members and communities? I asked business owners to share their thoughts on improving local business associations. Their illuminating responses revealed common frustrations and innovative ideas for positive change ..read more

As an experienced sales trainer, I've seen my share of role-playing sessions go wrong, with people expected to soar failing. This is not a good situation for anyone, so many people avoid getting into it in the first place ..read more

Few retail stories embody the spirit of entrepreneurship and resilience quite like that of Tom Sullivan and Lumber Liquidators. From humble beginnings to industry dominance, through challenges and reinvention, Sullivan's journey is a testament to the power of customer-focused business and determination ..read more

Have you ever walked into a retail store and thought, "Yikes, I hope my shop doesn't look like this?" We've all been there. Store owners sometimes get so caught up in day-to-day operations that they overlook things that are probably less relevant to their most loyal customers.  But you know who does notice? Your new shoppers, who are not afraid to turn on their heels and walk right out. And they don’t return to explain themselves; they tell their friends. (Looking at you with the locked-up cases, CVS!) I recently asked a bunch of retailers about their pet peeves when visiting other sto ..read more

Lazy merchandising. As Billy Crystal used to say, "Don't get me started."  Last weekend, I was in a well-known store and saw the rack topper pictured above with dozens of sale prices stuffed into a lucite holder. In the old days, employees had to remove each one as the promotion ended and file or discard it. But it is easier to skip all that and rotate as needed, knowing there'll be a sale on this stuff daily. I circled the date range from up to down: 1/20/2019 to 2/15/24. Down was over six months ago, and up was more than five years.  You can't be lazy if you want to attract custom ..read more