In any retail store, there are many activities happening out on the floor at any given time. That’s why successful store managers are constantly reading cues and making quick decisions about whether to jump in tactically or let things roll. Most importantly, if coaching is needed to strengthen an associate’s interaction with customers or others,…
The next frontier for online retailers isn’t online at all. As web-based brands recognize that they can’t continue to grow their businesses if they limit their reach to one single channel, they’re increasingly investing in brick-and-mortar storefronts as a means to expand brand exposure and increase customer acquisition. Following the lead of brands such as…
This is part three of a three-part discussion with MOHR Retail’s new president, Mary Beth Garcia, about trends, challenges, and predictions for retailers in the coming year. Read part one here and part two here. Looking at all the trends and challenges retailers are facing right now, what advice would you give retail leaders about…
This is part two of a three-part discussion with MOHR Retail’s new president, Mary Beth Garcia, about trends, challenges, and predictions for retailers in the coming year. Read part one here. With the lines between shopping channels blurring, how is that affecting the skills and behaviors today’s store leaders and associates need? Right now, we…
We sat down with MOHR Retail’s new president, Mary Beth Garcia, to explore some of the trends, challenges, and predictions for retailers in the coming year. Read part one of the three-part discussion below. There were a lot of high-profile retail stories in 2018, but if you had to narrow it down, what two or…
“Do more with less.” Is there any more tired phrase? In retail, though, it is, without a doubt, the everyday reality. Retail multiunit managers are struggling to deal with effective execution in the stores, retention issues, labor shortages, pressures on payroll, online competition, and on and on. These issues are always present to some degree,…
No matter how powerful a learning experience is, the bigger question on the minds of today’s retail executives is this: What do we have to show for it? When it comes to retention of key concepts, we know that people are up against the forgetting curve. Without effective reinforcement, what’s here today could easily be…
Retailers rarely question the value of spending time and money on developing leaders in their field organizations. Regionals, DMs, store managers, and even assistants in stores receive formal and informal development and resources to help them hone their leadership ability and skills. But when we conducted national research with a number of retailers, we found…
From Amazon’s growing brick-and-mortar presence to the news that Michael Kors is planning to buy Versace, if there is any industry that’s experiencing shake-ups, it’s retail. Mergers and acquisitions. Right-sizing and restructuring to make a company more competitive. Relocating headquarters. Adapting to increased pressure on distribution centers. And on and on and on. They’re all part…
When you send a district manager or buyer through a retail training workshop, it’s an investment of time, money, and effort — and that’s not even taking into account the fact that they’ll be away from their daily responsibilities. It’s also a down payment on the results and impact you expect to see when they return….
