I probably should have known this all along. As vice president of retail for a footwear company it was clear that within our company stores, those most likely to succeed were the ones that had the most committed managers. The stores that maintained a healthy business were the ones paying attention to customers, taking advantage of opportunities and pressing my department for all the assistance it could provide. The managers that struggled, were the ones that complained; t

My dad just turned 100 last week! Good genes, huh? Lucky, I'd say! One of his favorite comments is "change, change, change." And in his long life, he has seen a lot of it. As a child he used to run after the horse drawn ice carts for a chip of ice in the summer. Now of course he goes to the freezer to get a few ice-cubes to cool off. He is generally pleased about many changes -- those that improve safety and comfort, for example, are good. But he will also acknowledg

Anything that is moving fast should be exploited in every way! Set your best products out in prime positions on the selling floor. Add signage. Promote. Feature them on your website. If you have a winner...order more and make it a true blue ribbon item! This is not time to be shy or to push something that is of less interest to your customer. Sell it. Learn from it. Do it again!