RetailBizBlog

Recently, I have been finding myself getting into discussions about corporate images. It seems that some retailers are "playing it safe" in terms of their image. They are carrying lines that have been consistent sellers. The "Gap" that I remember, was the best place to get basics and to fill the "holes" in my wardrobe...guess what? They are again! Even Abercrombie & Fitch doesn't seem so "scandalous" as they now carry an extensive offering of polos, plaids, and oxford button-downs. According to the NY Times, Eddie Bauer has filed chapter 11, and the investor group that is poised to make the buyout, is the same group that passed on Eddie Bauer in 2003 when they were also in bankruptcy trouble. Eddie Bauer executives at the time had a future vision of Eddie Bauer as a conservative womens retailer. The investment firm felt that was not a smart move considering the foundation and reputation Eddie Bauer had established for over 80 years. Now, ...

Your candidate has arrived on time. They look sharp, have a firm handshake, and look you in the eyes and smile as they introduce themselves. This person is perfect...right? Maybe not. There are several reasons why we interview, but the biggest one is the simple fact that things aren't always what they seem. You want to start your interview with casual small talk to attempt to ease the nerves of your candidate (interviews can be scary!!). Be aware of your candidate's body language. Without even asking a single question you can generally identify several character traits that can let you know a lot about the person. If your candidate seems like they are very nervous, start with questions that allow them to easily "brag" for a moment. This will typically boost their confidence enough for you to get a better read through the interview. As you are asking your "core value" focused questions, trust your instincts. If you don't feel you got a sufficient ...

With a bottomless pile of resumes to chose from, you miraculously have narrowed it down to people that you want to interview. Now, how do you prepare yourself to conduct an effective interview? It doesn't matter how many interviews you have conducted or how strong your "gut feelings" are, you must have an outline of questions you would like to ask. Many companies have identified and published their core values and supply interview forms to use based on those values. These are generally great tools to have available, especially if your company has created job specific forms. If you don't have this available to you, or do not have job specific forms, it would benefit you to create them. Again, you must identify your core values for the store and for the position. Then formulate questions that will address ALL of them. Using the core values that I have kept consistent with me (S.M.I.L.E), here are some examples of "core value" focused questions. S-(sales...

Today, there are seemingly thousands of candidates applying to every position. Some of them are amazing people that will never get noticed due to their "less than impressive" resume. Some of them are amazingly terrible candidates (we have all been excited over a resume only to be floored by someone that could barely finish a thought!) that have professionally written resumes. So, how do you read between the lines and determine which resume has the best chance of getting you that amazing employee? You need to determine specifically what you are looking for. Just reading your job description is not enough. If you have an overly talented sales staff, but are lacking operational efficiency, a glowing sales background should not be your top priority. The best approach is to examine the core strengths and weaknesses of your current team, and then determine what are the core values in a candidate that would best complement your team. Write down these "core values...

With the weakened state of our economy, there are several retailers that are turning to "conversion"(percentage of people that enter the store that make a purchase) as a primary statistical measure. Some are even initiating disciplinary action on Managers not reaching company standards. I have heard conversion goals as high as 20%. This can all be very scary. I was told early in my retail career to never make excuses to the state of my business, but instead offer what is happening to improve it. Unfortunately, "People are just not coming in" is becoming a VERY popular statement. It is only natural for a retailer to find the focus that can eliminate that excuse. I once ran a store that was a high-volume store that had fallen from its former glory to a middle volume. When I took over that store, the overwhelming notion from the staff was that customer traffic just wasn't what it used to be. I put a greeter in the front of the store and told him to physica...

Early on in my career, I developed a reputation as a top recruiter among my peers. Unfortunately, I wasn't really sure how I did it. The company I was working for at the time announced they were expanding in to a new market in Denver, Colorado. I was the one charged with recruiting candidates for these new stores. So off I went to Denver for a three day trip to "recruit" as many quality candidates as I could find. I arrived at Cherry Creek Mall, recruiting materials in my bag, and eager to meet our next great employee. After about thirty minutes of wandering the mall, I hadn't even struck up a conversation. I quickly began to realize, I didn't know anything about recruiting!! I went to the food court and sat down with a coffee and the mall directory thinking to myself, "How did I get this reputation as this recruiting genius?!" I realized that my success in the past with filling local positions, was me simply arranging interviews for people I h...

I have been in retail management for the better part of two decades, and have become a constant resource for my peers. I have done everything from hardlines to softlines, high-end to discount, small-box to big-box, single-unit to multi-unit, and have learned more than I thought I would gain in a lifetime. I have decided to create this blog as a resource to all my peers (known and unknown) on topics or situations I encounter or are presented to me. I also invite you to leave me as much feedback as you are comfortable. I welcome all questions/scenarios. I will try to address all of them. Thank you for taking the time to share with me. Enjoy!