Management
Exploit Your Differences
Home stores and mass merchants provide stiff competition for independent retailers in virtually all categories. The "boxes" have become experts at transaction selling, providing low-cost and convenient product solution, and processing hordes of customers. Now,... more »Adding a New Station
Back in high school, I worked at a neighborhood pharmacy afternoons and weekends. One of my responsibilities was keeping the vast display of greeting cards clean, neat and stocked. Thinking back on that experience, even... more »Everything I ever needed to know…
In the years since moving to Chicago, I have become an avid baseball fan. I count the days until spring training starts, I get to the ballpark as often as possible, and I've even started... more »Hands-on For Happier Customers
A few months ago a couple of my friends and I went to a cooking class at a local gourmet retail shop. We decided to pick a night when the retailer was presenting a type... more »Accessibility for All
February 2005, Hecht's and Lord & Taylor department stores agreed to make their stores accessible for disabled shoppers by providing wider pathways between clothing racks, lower cash registers and wider fitting rooms. Wasn't that nice... more »Boost Profits with Trial Gardens
Trial gardens are located in every state and many counties and re-main one of the most underused tools of our industry, mostly because of their passive nature. These wells of information come and go, and... more »Braving the California Coast
It is here again the California Pack Trials. If you've gone before, you know how beneficial it is. If you haven't gone, oh, let me tell you... this trip is one you won't forget,... more »Writing A Successful Business Plan
Although traditionally considered an exercise for larger companies, business plans today are strategic tools not only for obtaining financing, but for forming alliances, recruiting key employees and managing external relationships for any size company. It... more »Trade Shows of the Gift Market
To provide the most beneficial information to help develop or keep your gift section fresh and specialty oriented, we asked the sponsors/managers of the gift shows here in the states to provide the five Ws... more »Pesticide Basics
Advising customers about the correct pesticide is not always a simple task. The large selection offered to homeowners today can be confusing, and they often look to garden centers for answers. If your employees do... more »Your Community – Your Business
I know what you're probably thinking: "Here's this editor telling me to give, give, give that it's the right thing to do, that it will make me feel good about myself, that in the... more »Discipline for a Fair Workplace
Discipline is an unpleasant responsibility. Parents, teachers, coaches and employers are likely to agree. Doing it poorly only compounds the unpleasantness. Doing it well, however, reduces employer frustration, increases employee morale, makes the firing of... more »
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News
July 28, 2026
Cindy Morris named finalist for leadership award
July 22, 2026
Arett Sales names Tom Medhurst executive VP
July 22, 2026
June Total Home & Gift Market draws new buyers to Dallas
July 20, 2026
