Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Inflection-Points-Bring-New-Retail-Strategies.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Inflection-Points-Bring-New-Retail-Strategies.html Might your retail segment be facing an inflection point, and if so, are you really prepared for it? Almost every company faces ongoing changes of one type or another in its industry, and retail is no exception. An inflection point occurs when an industry or segment faces lasting changes so large and significant that it calls for companies to adapt with a new strategy or ability to compete, or face what becomes an irreversible decline and failure. Such an inflection point may bring even greater opportunity than before for organizations who do figure out how to take advantage of it. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/A-Retail-Holiday-Tale.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/A-Retail-Holiday-Tale.html I had my own interesting retail experience the other day, which I think you might find entertaining. In keeping with holiday tales it may be enlightening too. I like to keep tabs on the current retail environment, and also as a consumer I enjoy going to stores such as Costco to see what interesting values their good buyers have found. The point I am making in this article is that successful retailers take the appropriate actions to deal with the environment at hand, rather than deciding it is out of their control. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/The-Shapes-That-Model-Retail.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/The-Shapes-That-Model-Retail.html There has been a tremendous amount of discussion by economists and government experts in regard to the type of recession we are in, as well as the possible ways we could come out of it. There are varied opinions and speculation as to where things go from here. This is pretty clearly demonstrated in the different models, or 'shapes', that the recovery might take, which have come to be characterized by various letters of the alphabet. Although Economists may track and analyze a number of economic issues and trends that would also impact retailers, it is from an aggregate level. So the question is, what will the economic recovery look like at a place where all the trends come together at once - such as in your own company’s financials? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Whats-Returns-Have-To-Do-With-It.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Whats-Returns-Have-To-Do-With-It.html On a subject I don't talk much about, I wanted to address a subject that does affect retailers, even with a good POS system. And that's about returns. We can't ignore statistics, and these are showing us some important trends in retail fraud. We're finding that fraudulent returns total $9.6 billion a year, according to figures from the National Retail Federation, and a Return Exchange's Retail Returns Study puts the figure at more than $17 billion annually. Returns that come through an automated system like your POS can take the burden of granting returns out of the store's hands. The merchandise tag can be scanned at point of sale and, when a customer c http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Tough-Times-Demand-Tighter-Retail-Security.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Tough-Times-Demand-Tighter-Retail-Security.html Every retailer has a unique set of security challenges and, in the retail world, your security challenges never end. More retailers are realizing that using perimeter and anti-virus technologies alone are not enough. As someone once said, it's like locking your doors but leaving your windows open. Now retailers must take a lot more security measures. Here are some vital strategies retailers need to take for preventative measures against retail loss... http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Dont-Slash-Prices-Do-In-Store-Promotions.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Dont-Slash-Prices-Do-In-Store-Promotions.html How to get more customers in the store? These days it seems to be the question that most retailers are asking and is a much more optimum solution than the slashing of prices. Yes, buyers may be looking for bargains, but they also value a fun and entertaining shopping experience. If you provide that, the customers will come. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Retailers-Get-Smart-Get-Close-To-Customers.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Retailers-Get-Smart-Get-Close-To-Customers.html Resourceful retailers are finding creative ways to reinvent themselves and transform their business into something that entices and keeps customers. The more creative a retailer is, the more that business is going to last. Even in an economic down-turn, 50% of consumers will often pay more for a better customer experience. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Staying-Current-and-Adjusting-in-the-Retail-Business.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Staying-Current-and-Adjusting-in-the-Retail-Business.html In the not too long ago past there were three main sources of live news; TV, newspaper and the radio. This older format allowed people to either look at or not look at what was being presented by the media. Nowadays, there are countless sources of live news, thanks to the Internet. So, with so many sources of news, I select only the subject matter I am interested in and sources that I find to be accurate; hence "selectively". It is obvious that we are in an economic crisis, which is old news. But it wasn't old news back in September or October of 2008. I knew that the economy was being steered into a storm, like nothing I had ever seen before. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Business-Intelligence-Gives-Retailers-Insight-Into-The-Future.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Business-Intelligence-Gives-Retailers-Insight-Into-The-Future.html Wouldn't it be grand if retailers could have a way to predict the future of their business? Well, many retailers are doing just that. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Smart-Retailing-Get-Close-to-Customers.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3882/Smart-Retailing-Get-Close-to-Customers.html Resourceful retailers are finding creative ways to reinvent themselves and transform their business into something that entices and keeps customers. The more creative a retailer is, the more that business is going to last.