Clearly there are many possible tips for retailers, but this post is dedicated to the Mom and Pops out there that are dog paddling to survive this recession. Get on top of the details today!

1. Know Your Customer
How can you sell to them if you do not know and understand them? Ask questions, keep a face to face rapport, maintain solid reporting and pull learnings regularly.

2. Merchandising 101
Keep displays at front of your store fresh and inviting. Update them regularly (No, this does not just mean for major holidays!). If you need help in this area, hire it. A great window display or entrance is your "smile" to the world. Make it bright and engaging!

3. Nothing Hand-written
In this day and age of technology, computers and software. There is no excuse for handwritten signs, price tags or marketing materials! Print them!

4. Engage Customer Interaction
Have an instore or online signup for customers. Maintain regular contact with them via announcements around events, new products, tips on usage and more!

5. Retail Is Detail
Know your business inside and out. Maintain excellent inventory records, sales reporting, customer buying habits etc. Every transaction (yes, even returns and exchanges!) are an opportunity to learn! Use them all!

Need help fine tuning some of these areas? Email me for a quote at Leah.chevallier@gmail.com

Happy Retailing!

5 Tips To Avoid Self-Sabataging Behaviour! 


#1: F.I.T– At the beginning of your work week, start with the "F.I.T" mentality.  "F" is for Focus, "I" is for intently and "T" is for TODAY!  Take the time to plan your tasks for the week, lay them out into your timetable/calendar and then stick to it.  No room for procrastination!

#2: Plan to Prioritize– Your inner procrastinator will want to jump to the tasks that are fun and rewarding, stick to your FIT schedule and if needed, prioritize your  must-do tasks as Level 1, 2 or 3... and do not skip them when they come up.  Success is built on creating good habits and prioritization is mandatory.

#3: Know Thyself!– If you know your bad habits and distractions, figure out how to block them out during your work time, or conversely, figure out to work them IN.  If you know you start to fade at 3pm every day, plan your coffee run into your schedule; no guilt!   If the hot UPS guy is coming at 11am every day and you cannot concentrate afterwards, acknowledge your weakness but perhaps find somethig else to do at 11am each day?? (to my male readers this is tongue in cheek!)

#4: Social Media Sifting – Do not use Social Media as a valid excuse to avoid tasks.  Plan your social media time just like anything else and stick to your schedule.  No facebook or aimless surfing allowed outside of alotted time block.

#5: Plan To Win– No matter how busy you are, any business owner needs to make short-term and long term planning as a serious goal.  Failing to plan is like planning to fail.  It is inevitable.  Acknowledge your weaknesses, work with and around them and you will come out on top!

Every now and then, I am out and about during my work week or scouting out my new neighbourhood in beautiful Vancouver & surrounding areas when I stumble onto a business that has either executed really poorly or really well.

More often than not, I am "under"whelmed as opposed to overwhelmed.... but not yesterday!

In the hunt for our veggies for Thanksgiving Dinner, we came across Ralph's Farm Market in Langley.  From the moment you arrive in the ample parking lot and sneak a peek at the twin, white tent awnings to admiring the trio of gazebos out front; you start to notice a job well done.

My "a'-ha" moment didn't happen until after I had perused the fabulous selection of baked goods, fresh produce and jolly orange pumpkins.  Every package of gluten free pasta was stacked perfectly in unison, every bag of rice faced forward in perfection, with groupings of no less than 3-5, whether vertically or horizontally arranged.  Abundance sells as we all know!

I then came around the stacked corner of specialty sodas at the rear of the store and saw the most well executed produce display I have ever seen!  It seems so simple, a few heads of lettuce, some carrots...slap them together right?

Wrong!

Look at the originality of this display, the shape blocking, colour blocking and visual interest somebody took the time to apply here.    I was so impressed I finished my shopping and had to go back and snap this photo.  I may need to go back and ask who is doing their in-store merchandising!  Whoever it is, killer kudos coming your way!

I will never look a veggie display quite the same ever again, well done Ralph!

PS - the produce was delicious too!

#Retail-Done-Right!

According to the psychology department at Yale University, some words in the English language are more powerful than others. And their top 10 most powerful:

1. You -- Listed as the #1 most powerful word in every study reviewed. Because of the personal nature of advertising copywriting, you should use “you” in your headline, opening line and as often as possible. In fact, many copywriters will throw out a headline if “you” is not in it.

2. Results -- Works in rationalizing a purchase.

3. Health -- Especially powerful when it applies to a product.

4. Guarantee --Provides sense of safety at time of purchase.

5. Discover -- Presents a sense of excitement and adventure.

6. Love -- Continues to be an all-time favourite.

7. Proven -- Helps remove fear from trying something new.

8. Safety -- This could refer to health or long-lasting quality.

9. Save -- We all want to save something.

10. New -- It's part of basic human makeup to seek novelty.