Shop Independent Retailer Campaign

Posted by retailmakeover on July 17, 2013 0 Comments

Independent Retailer Month is a global Shop Independent Retailer campaign that runs throughout July to highlight the important role local merchant’s play in the community, economy and overall retail sector.

What:

Independent Retailer Month is a global Shop Independent Retailer campaign that runs throughout July to highlight the important role local merchant’s play in the community, economy and overall retail sector.

​Who:

Co – founded by Kerry Bannigan, CEO Nolcha Fashion Week, and Tom Shay, principal of Profits Plus. Independent Retailer Month Canada is led by Barbara Crowhurst from Retail Makeover. Independent Retailer Month United Kingdom is led by Clare Rayner, The Retail Champion.
​

Where it all began:

Independent Retailer Month started life in the USA and was born from the collaboration of two very different individuals who share a common desire to salute independent retailers around the globe. In 2003, Tom Shay, principal of Profits Plus, created a holiday, 'National Independent Retailer Week', to show retailers how they could create celebrations for their communities, industries and own businesses.

In 2009 Kerry Bannigan, Founder and CEO of Nolcha Fashion Week, devised ‘Independent Retail Week’, a week-long, city-wide, shopping extravaganza in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and New Jersey advancing the business of independent fashion retailers. This initiative worked with over 300 retailers, garnered support from the city’s tourism boards, chambers of commerce and Mayor’s office; with features on NBC, Fox, ABC and CBS.

Early 2011 discussions began between Bannigan and Shay as they wanted to be inclusive of everyone that had some form of recognition for independent retailing. July 2011 Independent Retailer Month USA was born with the goal to become a global campaign highlighting the important role local merchant’s play in the community, economy and overall retail sector. The campaign expanded to the United Kingdom led by Clare Rayner, The Retail Champion.

In 2012 the global campaign expanded to Canada, led by Barbara Crowhurst from Retail Makeover.

Independent Retailer Month Objectives:

• Impact the independent retail sector globally with relevant support, expertise and insights​
• ​Connect consumers and communities to local retail merchants reminding them of the benefits of shopping local
• ​Engage small business organizations, networks and thought leaders to demonstrate the importance of independent retail to the global, national and local economy

​Boilerplate for media:

About Independent Retailer Month
Independent Retailer Month is a global Shop Independent Retailer campaign that runs throughout July to highlight the important role local merchant’s play in the community, economy and overall retail sector. Co – founded by Kerry Bannigan, CEO Nolcha Fashion Week, and Tom Shay, principal of Profits Plus, the initiative aims to impact the independent retail sector globally with relevant support, expertise and insights; connect consumers and communities to local retail merchants reminding them of the benefits of shopping local; and engage small business organizations, networks and thought leaders to demonstrate the importance of independent retail to the global, national and local economy. www.independentretailermonth.ca

Looking to take part in the July campaign but not sure on how to contribute? Take a look at the below Idea Bank to inspire and drive creative ideas into your independent business. Use these ideas as a guide or copy them exactly - the choice is completely up to you!

• Download banners for your store to place in the window and/or at check out​

• Give a bonus buck. Give customers a $1.00 coupon for every $10 they spend in your store in July. The coupon is redeemable in August​

• Offer refreshments/happy hour. Cookies or cake that are the colors of your nation could promote the 'independent' touch. You could also contact an independent restaurant to provide the food​

• Create campaign buttons for your staff to wear with the message: "Proud to be independent"​

• Invite another independent retailer that targets the same kind of customer as you to build a display in your store​

• Meet and greet with brand owners/representatives​

• Host a launch event on the evening of June 30 to kick -off Independent Retailer Month​

• Team up with a salon/spa and offer customers in-store pampering​

• Offer goodie bags and/or limited edition products with certain purchases or to new customers​

• Support local talent (designers, artists, dj’s etc.) by hosting a joint in-store activity​

• Run a contest offering the chance for one lucky winner and friends to have a private shopping party​

• Team up with neighboring independent retailers to host a shopping crawl​

​• Add #indieretail to your tweets to be apart of the conversation

• Have a contest for the most creative photo in which the customer is shown with your shopping bag

• Offer exclusive coupons on your website that are redeemable in store only

• “My favorite outfit” contest with customers submitting photos of how they wear clothing bought at your store and the winner is chosen by customers and receives a gift/coupon/discount

• Create your store as an Independent Retailer Month Check-in spot on FourSquare and every shopper who “checks in” your store gets a free item along with purchase or a discount – OR the __th person to “check in” gets _% off the whole store

• Use social media as a fun tool to 'hot spot' select products on select days during July exclusive to Independent Retailer Month

• Have an online check in passport system - whichever customer visits your store and checks in the most on Facebook during July wins a voucher to spend in your store in August

• 'I love this indie retailer because...' video blog contest - Get guests to visit your store during July and take a short video of their experience talking about customer service, purchases and why they visited you - upload it to YouTube; the most hits at the end of July wins!

• Invite your mayor to issue the Independent Retailer Month proclamation at your store

• Give an award for the customer that has done the most to volunteer in your community during the past year

• Take on a community project such as replanting the planters in the area where your store is located

• Volunteer to speak at the meeting of local civic clubs as a representative of Independent Retailer Month

• Volunteer to represent the local retail community by being interviewed by local media to promote Independent Retailer month​

• Offer to make a donation of 10% of the purchase price for each customer that names a local charity

• Make a promotion page that lists all the independent retailers in your area. Hand this page to customers as they visit your store

• Place street banners throughout your local community that show your community is supporting Independent Retailer Month

• Make the local information office an indie hub during July where consumers can find out all the stores offering exclusive events

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Independent Retailer Month 2013

Posted by admin on June 20, 2013 0 Comments

Inviting Independent Retailers in Canada to join in:

Canadian Independent Retailers celebrate through out the month of July.

About us
http://www.independentretailermonth.ca/index.php#!resources/component_41229

Get Involved
http://www.independentretailermonth.ca/index.php#!Get%20Involved/component_71401

Resources
http://www.independentretailermonth.ca/index.php#!resources/component_41229

Idea Bank
http://www.independentretailermonth.ca/index.php#!idea-bank/cu01

Do not miss out:
On  Tuesday July 30 . 2013 @ 7 .30 pm EST. We wrap up the month with a free 30 minute Online Live Workshop presentation on the 10 Reasons Consumers Love to Shop at Independent Retail Stores. Limited space available.  All  Independent Retailers welcome. For more information and for retailers to reserve an online seat contact  ....   Email:  barbara@retailmakeover.ca

Look forward to hearing from you.

Very Best,

Barbara Crowhurst,  CEO, Independent  Retail Month in Canada, Retail Makeover & Retail Web Design Services

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Fenelon Falls Business Retention & Expansion

Posted by admin on June 18, 2013 0 Comments

Downtown Revitalization Team hosts Retail Makeover event with Barbara Crowhurst

Businesses in Fenelon Falls, Ontario, Canada, recently had the chance to learn from one of North America’s best retail coaches. Barbara Crowhurst, CEO of Retail Makeover, lead a one day Retail Boot Camp as part of local Business Retention + Expansion (BR+E) efforts.

A project of the City of Kawartha Lakes Economic Development department, the BR+E was initiated to restore the vibrancy in Fenelon Falls, attract new businesses, and expand current ones. The community is full of enthusiastic business owners and residents who are working hard to revitalize their local area. The project promotes job growth by helping the businesses learn about the opportunities and issues they face, and sets priorities that will help meet their needs.

Downtown Revitalization, one of five strategic teams working on the BR+E project, hosted Retail Boot Camp. The day-long boot camp was a perfect fit for the team’s first event. Retailers from Fenelon Falls and the surrounding area attended to learn how to increase profitability using marketing and promotional tactics designed to work in their businesses.

Kimberly Callaghan
Community Revitalization Coordinator,
Economic Development
City of Kawartha Lakes

kcallaghan@city.kawarthalakes.on.ca
705-324-9411, extension 1270

[caption id="attachment_4070" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Barbara Crowhurst CEO Retailmakeover, speaking to an Independent Retailer at a break during a Retail Makeover Bootcamp Workshop in Fenelon Falls, Ontario[/caption]

Retail Makeover Boot Camp Testimonials

“WOW! What a truly amazing experience!  I was very fortunate to have a private retail makeover session with Barbara Crowhurst, and what an incredible difference it has made to my business!  She gave me tools and knowledge to take my small business to the next level. It's brilliant to have a professional come into your shop to identify where you need to make small changes. I took Barbara's advice and the changes that I have implemented have proven to be a huge success. Thanks Barbara!”

Natasha
The Butterfly Boutique
Fenelon Falls, Canada

“If you own a business, Barbara Crowhurst is a ‘must see’! Whether you’ve been in retail for 50 years or 50 days, Barbara will teach you things you didn’t even know you needed to know. Armed with extensive retail knowledge, she tells it like it is. Her ideas are easily implemented and her experience is invaluable. I’ve attended two presentations and have learned very useful tips to help me run my business. It’s even nice to hear her suggest something that you’re already doing. It is like a pat on the back that we, in retail, usually don’t give ourselves.”

Janet Slater
Janet’s Home Accents
Fenelon Falls, Canada

“The Barbara Crowhurst session on retail fundamentals was informative and interesting. Barbara had lots of great tips to improve the look of our business at reasonable costs. Having her input gave us the reinforcement to proceed with some changes, and we’re very happy with the results.

Joe and Pam Willems
Stokes on Trent
Fenelon Falls, Canada

“If there is any way you can attend a Barbara Crowhurst session and bring your key employees with you, you really should! Barbara is head and shoulders better than anyone I have ever listened to. Everything she had to say was very important to my business. By the way, I’m planning on hiring Barbara for personal coaching in our new store, and it will be well worth the cost!”

Trish Dougherty
The Kawartha Store
Fenelon Falls, Canada

Thank you Fenelon Falls it was a pleasure to work with you.

Best;

Barbara

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Canada's Biggest Retail Conference

Posted by admin on May 26, 2013 0 Comments

Do not Miss Canada's Biggest Retail Conference

I'll be there throughout the event.

RCC and The Store Conference 2013  offers you the opportunity to meet North America's #1 Retail Business Coach.

Meet with Barbara Crowhurst,  leading Independent Retail Specialist and Business Coach. Book a 15 minute private consultation with Barbara during this years conference.

Dates Tuesday June 4, and Wednesday June 5 between the hours  10am  to 5 pm at RCC main exhibit area.

Book your 15 minute  one on one consultation with Barbara today. Pre-conference bookings can be arranged by writing to Barbara  email: barbara@retailmakeover.ca

Barbara will help you with your current challenges and concerns. Come prepared to discuss  your issues. Don't miss out. Book your complementary consultation  today.

Mark these dates in your calendar: June 4th & 5th, 2013.

Also, join me:

Store Conference -  Day 1

Canada's Biggest Retail Conference

Tuesday  June 4, 2013

1.45 - 2.35pm :
BUSINESS COACHING: THE NEW COMPETITIVE EDGE

Barbara Crowhurst, Retail Coach

Enlisting the support of a business coach or mentor is a rising trend amongst retail entrepreneurs. It can be costly in terms of time and money but can be well worth the investment if it takes your business to a new level of success.  Hear from two experienced retail entrepreneurs about their experiences working with a business coach and the impact it had on their bottom line.

Panelists:

Take A Hike Inc.

 
Roxanne Beale, Owner of Roxanne’s Reflections Book and Card Shop

Read more about the conference: http://www.storeconference.ca/agenda

Can't wait to see you.

Best;

Barbara

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Add-on Sales

Posted by admin on May 24, 2013 0 Comments

Merchandising Your Point of Sale Area To Make You Money

Have you ever thought about those valuable minutes when a customer is standing in front of you ready to make a purchase? There are many ways to view this scenario. You can be grateful, happy and excited that you are making a sale. Who doesn’t like that? But you can also still be in “sales” mode without being so pushy that it’s a turnoff. Of course, you can also be both.

[alert-green] Kick-up your add-on sales program at your cash counter. [/alert-green]

When a customer has decided they are going to buy something and are now in line or actually at the point of sale for checkout, this is a great opportunity to increase your chance of gaining even MORE sales. The key is in both your communication and in your products for display at your point of purchase area. Let’s break this down a bit.

From a very basic perspective, there are three ways a store can communicate to their customers at the point of sale area.

1. Store Staff Communication
2. Store Signage
3. Store Product Displays

Using each of these to help balance each other, customers should feel intrigued by what your point of sale area offers. For example, possibly your displays feature products that are a bit unexpected and encourage touch, therefore creating a customer experience. Maybe you share store news through a sign, such as a loyalty program you offer for repeat customers. Or it may be as simple as your store staff – or you – sharing news of an upcoming event taking place in your store. All of these scenarios continue a sales opportunity that can create an immediate add-on sale or a future visit for a new sale to take place. The goal of your point of sale area, however, should  be to maximize these opportunities with every purchase being made.

Now imagine if for every purchase decision a customer makes, you increase their total dollars spent by another $5? You may not think $5 is a lot, but consider how many total purchases are made in your store each month. If you process even just 100 transactions a month, that is another $500 you can add to your store sales. For some of you, that may even cover your utilities or help contribute to some operational overhead that adds up. Now of course, not all customers will spend more money. That’s just the way it is. But for a strong majority of customers, the right product mix with the right merchandising displays with the right sales support can easily translate to additional sales.

So now what?

Consider what your customers:

1. Get excited about
2. What they need
3. Who they love

These three factors will trigger their additional, impulse buying decisions. Even if you don’t cater to kids, for example, if you sell to grandmothers who love their grand-kids dearly (don’t they all) then consider what you can offer that is a surprising, novelty item that is inexpensive enough for them to add onto their sale. Whomever your customer is, identify what little things they love to get “just because”. And don’t forget about good, old-fashioned essentials. Bottles of water, snacks, hand sanitizer, Kleenex. These may not scream fun, but they sure do scream “need”.

Finally, don’t lack on your signage at your cash-wrap area. Use frames to highlight store gift cards, loyalty programs, special events and more. While you may be busy packing a bag, your customer can still engage in store news. The power of signage is huge. But ultimately, strong customer support from a great sales team will help strengthen any store sales – from your point of sale or at any other point in your customer’s shopping experience. Invest in your team to invest in your store.

Great information. Thank you Nicole Rehyle.

[button-silver url="/product-category/edocs/" target="_self" position="left"] eDocs Available [/button-silver]

Best;

Barbara

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Are you ready for the rest of the year?

Posted by admin on May 03, 2013 0 Comments

2013 is Here

Are you ready for it?

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Psychology of Pricing

Posted by retailmakeover on April 19, 2013 0 Comments

Pricing  is a major  issue for retailers, effecting margins and profitability.  Retailers  want to  keep customers attracted to their store and compete in the  market place. Just recently  I came across an article by a dear colleague Cathy Wagner. Here is what she has to share about the psychology of pricing.

I agree with her 100% and could not  have said it better : so I didn't and share what she wrote with you.

Many of my clients challenge me as well about this issue but once they try it and see that it works they are convinced and keep these tips at hand when pricing.

The Psychology of Pricing For More Profit

In my years as an independent specialty retailer I really got pricing down to a science. I didn’t know at the time that it actually IS a science. Behavioral economics and the study of psychology of retail shoppers is fascinating.
What a person will pay is all based on their perception of the value of the item. I learned in my store that adding a couple of dollars here and there didn’t change the customer’s perception of the value. An item that is $8 can be sold for $10. Now look at an item that is $11. It should just be $12. It just looks better, doesn’t it? And you would still buy it, right?

Adding that dollar or two has a HUGE impact on your profit.
It is imperative to strive for a minimum of a 55% initial markup (imu) for most stores. The easiest way to get that is to look at your inventory and see where you can use the pricing guidelines below. You will find it easier than you think. Many of my new clients fight me tooth and nail about this and then see how easy it is to mark up SOME items a little more. They become eager to do it as they see that impact is profound. For a store doing $500,000, increasing your imu from 50% to 55% can give you an additional $25,000.

The Psychology of Pricing For More Profit

In my years as an independent specialty retailer I really got pricing down to a science. I didn’t know at the time that it actually IS a science. Behavioral economics and the study of psychology of retail shoppers is fascinating. 
What a person will pay is all based on their perception of the value of the item. I learned in my store that adding a couple of dollars here and there didn’t change the customer’s perception of the value. An item that is $8 can be sold for $10. Now look at an item that is $11. It should just be $12. It just looks better, doesn’t it? And you would still buy it, right?

Adding that dollar or two has a HUGE impact on your profit.
It is imperative to strive for a minimum of a 55% initial markup (imu) for most stores. The easiest way to get that is to look at your inventory and see where you can use the pricing guidelines below. You will find it easier than you think. Many of my new clients fight me tooth and nail about this and then see how easy it is to mark up SOME items a little more. They become eager to do it as they see that impact is profound. For a store doing $500,000, increasing your imu from 50% to 55% can give you an additional $25,000.

These are the only prices that you should use in your store.

Best;

Barbara

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Get Slow-movers Out The Door

Posted by admin on April 08, 2013 0 Comments

Sooner or later, every independent retailer runs into the problem of slow-moving merchandise.

There are a number of reasons why some products end up hanging around your store far longer than you expected - you overstocked on something, the product is outdated, styles or trends changed. Regardless of how that slow-moving product got there, it represents cash tied up in inventory, takes up space in the store that fast-selling products could occupy and sends a message to customers that there's "nothing new" at  your store.

The good news is there are a number of things you can do to turn that static stock into sales. I've listed 12 tips, and you might consider using some in tandem, but implementing even one can revitalize your "un-sellable" merchandise and get it moving out the door.

[button-silver url="http://www.casualliving.com/article/559768-12_Tips.php" target="_blank" position="left"] Here is the article  complete article [/button-silver]

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