So you know when you’re about halfway through what you thought was the last in a series of books, and you feel a tinge of sadness, along with a sense of closure…thoroughly enjoying what has been a pleasant journey, but knowing the end is near…and then WHAM! The author announces that he’s decided to write another book in the anthology. You thought you were finished, that the story was coming to an end. But now the future is once again uncertain…where’s the story headed now? Are you happy that the tale continues?
A thinly veiled parable to be sure, but such is the state of our lives, my husband and I. Our closely-knit professional lives were centered at the same company for years, and we hoped that this would be the final chapter in our careers. But shrinking revenues sometimes equal downsizing, and now it appears that it’s time to write another story. So we find ourselves traveling back to our retail roots, looking for “what’s next”…
As anyone in the business will tell you, retail can be addictive. Not as a consumer, but rather a purveyor of consumer goods. The thrill of going to market, with visions of the merchandising calendar in your head…finding just the right things to flesh out your dream. And then receiving the goods at your retail establishment, seeing that in fact, your vision was spot on – these goodies were meant to be together. And finally, seeing the awe on your customers’ faces when they enter the store…knowing that they’ll leave the store with a little bit of heaven – the cycle is complete.
For an egocentric fella like my husband, this semi-annual ritual was a complete rush. And I have to admit, I loved it, too – to this day, we have people stop us in restaurants, grocery stores, movie theatres, asking WHY? Why did you close the store? No one had a retail point of view like yours – we can’t find anything even close to what your store offered. It’s flattering, to say the least, and most appreciated. So although we’re older and wider, I mean wiser, we have wondered how best to use our collective experiences in “THE NEXT CHAPTER”.
We’ve been in the consumer goods trade for a long time – in varying capacities, both wholesale and retail – and have learned a great deal through our professional adventures. Collectively, we have literally studied with retail masters, traveled the world exploring where and how things are made, and felt the satisfaction of seeing our retail vision fully embraced by our customers.
Our collective work experience list is extensive: visual merchandising, store management, retail training, trend analysis, public speaking, graphic design, advertising and marketing development. Pretty impressive, huh? So we think it’s time to pass along that which we’ve been lucky enough to learn along the way. And goodness knows, in these times, being a retailer is no easy task.
Whether you’re a manufacturer, a storeowner or a consumer, no one can deny that the past few years in the retail world have been a challenge. The marketplace changes at the speed of light, and shoppers are no longer trading savvy design and quality for price and convenience – they want it all. And with good reason – when discretionary income decreases, shoppers become smarter. And the retailers that want to persevere have to do the same.
Consumers may be attracted to different types of products than they were, say, five years ago (or five days ago…), but in the end, our basic goals for shopping are the same: we want what’s hot, what helps or what makes us feel good…what creates the “shopping high.” Sometimes, it just takes a different perspective, a pair (or two) of fresh eyes, to see what magic is right in front of you. To recognize all the possibilities that your unique retail venue could offer.
So we’re hanging out a shingle – with a title I’m not particularly fond of – CONSULTANTS. Believe me, we’ve seen good and bad examples of this profession, and sometimes knowing what NOT to do is as important as having all the “answers”. I prefer something more compassionate – mentor, counselor, guide…?! Regardless of our new professional monikers, we’re hoping for our next endeavors to be helpful, profitable and energizing to all of our new clients.
And so, here we are – standing at a crossroads once again, choosing a path…this blog will help to inform all interested parties as to where this journey will take us. We’ll be setting up a presence on the internet soon that will outline the various services we will have available as “merchandising mentors.” And I’ll post frequent updates here on our blog about our “Retail Roadtrip.” Who knows where this next journey will lead…hopefully to a place where we can be helpful, successful, and joyful. Everyone could use a little more joy in their lives, I think…we’d love to help. Stay tuned…
