Pohmer
Learn From the Mistakes of Others
Allow me to set the stage for this month’s discussion ... It is often recommended that, to gain insight into what makes some companies exceptionally successful or what unique traits the leaders of these companies... more »
Controlling the Customer Experience
It’s a very rare occasion when I can walk into a retail establishment of any kind and feel and experience a strong enough emotional connection that entices me to want to commit two of my... more »
Listen, Learn and Improve
We all know that the key to keeping customers loyal over the long haul isn’t just about having good or even great products; there are other retailers, both brick and mortar and online, that can... more »It’s OK to Fail ( … a Little)!
Small businesses are always looking for competitive advantages over their major competitors. And it’s getting tougher to find these. In many cases, the products in both their assortments come from the same suppliers, the service... more »Mind Your P’s and E’s!
I’ve always been an ardent admirer of the Midshipmen, the football team of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Every single student is on a full academic scholarship (there are no athletic scholarships at... more »What’s Your Firewall?
Traditional brick and mortar retail as a standalone strategy is under severe challenge. Think about some of the recent/ current events that demonstrate this: • Macy’s announced it is closing over 100 stores within the... more »
You Have the Power!
On a recent Friday evening, I was meandering through a regional shopping mall and passed an Apple store. As you know, Apple recently introduced its new iPhone 7 series of smartphones, and off-duty police officers... more »
Behave Like a Startup
Again this year, I had the honor to be asked to judge the five finalists for the 2016 Merchandiser of the Year recognition sponsored by Lawn & Garden Retailer and, from what I hear, not... more »Busy Doing Your Job, Can’t Get Any Work Done
"Your job is an historical artifact. It’s a list of tasks, procedures, alliances, responsibilities, to-dos, meetings (mostly meetings) that were layered in, one at a time, day after day, for years. And your job is... more »The IKEA Effect
Ever since I’ve owned a home, I’ve always had a home office. For many years it was used for personal/ family stuff and a quiet place to do work I brought home from the office... more »“Brick-and-Mortar” Retail is BORING
Okay, here's my premise: if you can't excite and motivate your customer enough for him/her to make the conscious decision to get in the car and make a special trip to your store, then you... more »What You See is What You Get!
I'm intrigued by the game of golf. But being intrigued and being good at it are two completely different things, especially in my case (as others who have seen me play can attest to, though... more »
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