Not long ago, I finally came up with a definition of core retailer that I liked. I was really proud of it because it had taken me about 13 years to settle on one I thought was accurate and useful. Now, not all that long after I accomplished that feat, I’m not sure it really matters. I’ve […]
What’s Happening to Core Retailers? Things We Won’t Argue About- and What They Mean Read More »
Some month ago, I got a call from an actual skate retailer. “It said at the end of the article that you work with companies in transition,” he asked almost as a question. “It’s true,” I told him. “Okay,” he said. “Help me with mine.” The story unfolded like this. He’d been in business for a bunch
Conversations with a Skate Retailer; A (Pretty Much) True Story Read More »
For a while now, I’ve been carrying around in my back pocket the National Sporting Goods Association’s 2004-2005 Cost of Doing Business Survey. I have no idea why they call it that since it obviously doesn’t contain any numbers from either 2004 or 2005. Well, never mind. They do it every other year and collect
“Hey Look! Real Retailer Numbers!” What’s to Learn From Them? Read More »
At the Surf Industry Conference last May, I was the last one to ask a question of a panel of very successful specialty retailers. I acknowledged that I was sure they would all continue to be successful, though I doubted they were representative of most retailers out there. And then I asked them, “So what happens in
Company Stores and Retail Consolidation; What’s a Core Store to Do? Read More »
If your typical day is a series of disruptions and interruptions like that of many small business owners, then you may find yourself having difficulty controlling your business and knowing with certainty where you stand on a day to day basis. All businesses face challenges. Those challenges are most easily met if focused on early. What starts out
Store One I would guess the girl was 14. She was at this big box sporting goods store with her parents picking out a board, boots and bindings. She didn’t say much and was following her parent’s lead. Their credit card I suppose. It isn’t easy, you know, to hang around through the whole sales process-
Watching the Big Box Selling Process; Thoughts for the Specialty Retailer Read More »
“They may put me out of business and they can’t even put a wax on a board!” said the snowboard retailer about the Zumiez down the street. I talked to him enough to know that he wasn’t kidding and he wasn’t being sarcastic and he wasn’t just trying to make a point. After a bunch of
Snowboard Company Business Models and Core Retailer Problems; A Basic Incompatibility? Read More »
You started it because it was going to be fun. You were younger- a lot younger. And perhaps just a bit naïve and optimistic. You didn’t know what it was about margins that made everybody think they were gross, but what the hell. If you could hang with your friends, do what you loved and have a few beers
Now What? The Established Shop Owner’s Dilemma Read More »
Like the web site (www.boardretailers.org) says, the idea for the Board Retailers’ Association (BRA?) goes back to the mid eighties and has been discussed annually. But for the past year, Roy Turner, the owner of Surf City Surf Shop in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, and Mike Duncan of Sage Corporation, a web applications firm with roots
“Say, That Sounds Like a Good Idea!” The New Board Retailers’ Association Read More »
When I start writing these articles, I always have to remind myself who the audience is. The Skateboard Industry, of course and, based on the circulation of Skate Biz, skateboard retailers especially. That’s where things get a little tougher, because what I know is that skateboard retailers don’t just sell skateboards and they don’t just
Questions That Retailers Should Always Have Answers To Read More »