Or insert a smile! There are some fun ways to help lift the moods of employees who are working weekends in retail stores. Besides the (hopefully) obvious – that you are working in a store that sells great product and has great customers – consider having weekend ideas that can help create a more exciting work enviornment.

Saturdays and Sundays can be busy for retailers, so employees can expect shorten lunch breaks, tired feet, long days and little down time. This may be good for your cash register, but it can leave employees – or yourself – beat. Introducing the tradition of something just for employees can be a fun way to help the day go by. Consider having pizza delivered for lunch, or introduce a pot luck style lunch where everyone brings something. You can get creative – one week it can be Mexican food, another week sandwiches and chips. Food isn’t always a perk (depends on who you are talking to!) so consider other options that can lift  moods. Have a daily contest to jump-start sales, increase employee motivation and create some fun! Open the store and close the store with a “dance off” – louder than normal music, dancing while cleaning, laughing, etc – all while you prep and close for the day. Surprising your employees with an extra “perk” is always nice, too. Whether it’s a quick coffee run to your favorite local coffee shop (on the store, of course) or giving employees a pair of movie tickets for a job well done, the ideas are endless. It can even be fun to leave your employees guessing – wondering what Saturday or Sunday will bring… yet knowing it will bring something “extra”.

Employee appreciate goes a long way, and certainly appreciating yourself does, as well. So make sure to take it up a notch every now and again… or even every weekend… to keep your spirits lifted and your job fun!

Closeouts are available in many product categories, including clothing, home decor, footwear, accessories, toys and more. They are essentially divided into two categories – salvage items and job-outs. The first category we look at is salvage product. Salvage merchandise consists of customer returns, floor damages and samples. Due to this mixed assortment, some items may be damaged – however damageable does not always mean unsellable. This will depend on the product and the damage. That said – the majority will not be damaged.

The second category of closeout merchandise is job-outs. This category identifies items that were already on a retail floor somewhere and did not sell. As a result, their cost has been reduced for a quick sell to another retailer and ultimately, to a new consumer audience. Like salvaged products, there is a chance for damaged goods. But the percentage is much less – often less than 5%, though as high as 10% has been reported from retailers we’ve spoke with.

One thing to understand among most closeout purchases is that you typically buy in bulk. For example, you may buy 100 total units versus four 6-packs of a specific item. The bulk buy you make is almost always assorted with a variety of items. For example, you could buy a 100 assorted buy of t-shirts from at least ten different total vendors. Or you could buy 100 total units of mixed accessories such as headbands, barrettes, bracelets, rings and more. A closeout dealer will be able to identify a lot of what each bulk, assorted buy has to offer – but there will always be a bit of a surprise when buying closeouts. For many, that is part of the fun! For others, this may be where they get stuck in the buying process. Luckily, there are great resources for this that alleviate a lot of the questions about buying closeouts. One site to look at is Merchandize Liquidators, who do a good job at delivering quality closeout products.

Many indie and small retailers shy away from closeouts simply due to their lack of understanding or even the “bad rap” that closeouts sometimes have. Our advice? Consider what is best for you. Closeout liquidators exist because it has proven to be successful for many retailers to buy from.  Among these include a lot of small, independent retailers that blend closeout buys into their total store inventory – without customers or even staff knowing any different. It’s very possible you shop a boutique that sells closeouts and you don’t know any different, as well.

Have we made you think twice about your buys or where you shop? Let us know!

Below are some suggested topics to introduce at your next employee meetings.

1. Returns & Exchanges

Sure, your team may know how to return a product. But do they know the best strategies to make an exchange instead? Often, reviewing some ways to turn a return into another purchase can help overall store sell thru. Additionally, reminding your team of any issues that stem from returns is always a good idea. Another topic to discuss? Your actual return policy!

2. Store Theft & Shoplifting

Unfortunately,  store theft isn’t going anywhere. It’s important to be realistic in understanding that theft not only happens by customers – but also by employees (gulp). As manager, you should have clear standards in employee bags going in and out of your store, as well as set standards on how your employees keep an eye on customers in the store. While discussing this at a meeting is great, many stores also benefit from posting these expectations in a common area for employees to review reguarly.

3. Overall store safety

Even the most seemingly safe stores still should have a plan in place “just in case”.  Whether an employee slices their finger pretty bad opening a new box of inventory or a customer comes in and creates an elevated problem, your entire team should know what to do. Have important contact numbers by the cash wrap / store phone, as well as encourage everyone to program important numbers in their cell phones. Nearby stores, local police and  of course, 911, are all numbers that should be easy to locate. Additionally, having a first aid kit on site can’t hurt, either.

4. Product Knowledge

A fun excuse to have employees to get together for a meeting is to gain new product knowledge. Almost all products in the market have some value to understanding them – whether it’s the contents of clothing, function of performance footwear, details about a new technology product, overview of seasonal foliage or more – employees always should be educated about what their selling. Additionally,  this is a great excuse to get a vendor into your store when possible to help educate your team on the product they rep.

5. Special Events

These are “special” for a reason, and deserve that extra TLC to prep for. This includes attention during meetings that allow your entire team to understand expectations during these events. Reviewing their roles, contributing roles, special sale details, local community details and anything else that is evolved in your “special” day is important.

At the end of the day – and particularly a retail work day when someone has been on their feet for 8 plus hours – no one wants to waste their time talking about what may seem pointless. Knowing this – and respecting this – it’s also a good idea to keep employee meetings fun while also informative. Order in pizza, have a little game to kick start the meeting or offer employee “prizes” based on their recent successes in your store. The ideas are endless since each store has unique issues, unique employees and unique assortment. Another thought? Have a morning meeting while everyone still has the energy to give their best.

If you’re being social in the online world, it’s likely you are doing so that you can make money. Am I right? In order to do this, there are various elements of tweeting and posting that need to happen in order for you to actually reach this goal. To start, you need a purpose.

What’s Your Goal?

Want to increase your e-commerce sales? Hope to get more store foot traffic? Looking to gain new clientele? Whatever your goal – or goals – are, support them responsibly through your social media actions. Check out our five point guide to being social with a purpose:

1. Know what you want. This means identifying why you tweet or why you post. This also means identifying what you don’t want from social media.

2. Stay focused. Don’t get lost in the clutter social media can bring to your world. Stay focused on what it is you want to gain from it. Remind yourself everyday if you have to, or give yourself a time limit to tweeting or posting on Facebook or LinkedIn. Don’t waste time by clicking on every post or pop up you see just because you can.

3. Identify ideal posts & tweets. This means getting rid of all the extra tweets, etc. that don’t relate to your goals. And  I’m not talking about other people’s tweets. I’m talking about yours! Be known for business, not your personal life, if that’s what you want.

4. Engage with others. No matter what, engaging is a part of social media. That’s why it’s called social. So just because you want things from people – such as them buying something from you – you must engage with your social media world in order to build relationships. Think of it as online customer service.

5. Be consistent. There is nothing worse than being lazy when it comes to social media. If you choose to make this a part of your marketing and sales plan for your business, then step up to the plate and do it regularly. Think of it as weight loss… if you eat a giant pizza then only lettuce the next day then pizza again the third day… will it work? Nope. It’s the same thing as social media. Consistency is key.

Finally, be realistic. If you know social media isn’t for you, consider hiring someone to do this for you. Some of you may even be okay eliminating it entirely from your business – though this isn’t ideal since we are living in a world where social media is only growing, not going away. Baby steps first, though. What’s your goal?

To help kick start my 2012, I have decided against resolutions and goals but instead created a target list of accomplishments I want to reach. Somehow this makes my efforts seem more realistic and exciting versus challenging and dreaded. Among these target accomplishments include not only launching the premiere of Retail Minded Magazine, but growing the magazine beyond the first year. This means that this time next year I need to still be working on the magazine! Of course, to reach that mark I need to make sure you – my readers, clients, industry partners and friends – are into it. You have to love it. I want you to love it. So that alone is a different accomplishment I want to conquer. If you’re up for helping, please stay in touch along the way! Let me know your thoughts and ideas about Retail Minded Magazine. They are always welcome!

Beyond the magazine, I want Retail Minded to reach more retailers, more wholesalers and more industry insiders than it is now. This will include a Facebook Page – finally – and many other marketing avenues that have not be tackled before. This also means accepting I can’t do it alone, which is why I am thrilled to have already met one of my target accomplishments for 2012 in creating a team to  help Retail Minded thrive! Check out my Retail Minded newbies here – but don’t be fooled… they are hardly newbies to retail. These guys know their stuff and have so much to share with everyone!

As any retail pro knows, retail hardly closes it doors just because the “CLOSED” sign is up. We work 24 / 7 creating concepts, developing brands, finding new customers, marketing our businesses and more. With this in mind, I have a few accomplishments I hope to meet this year that will keep me happy and healthy so that I can continue to work, raise my children, love my family and enjoy life! It’s all about balance, so if I have to sneak out in between appointments to get a work out in – I’m doing it. And if my daughter’s ballet is at 10am on a Friday, I just may need to take some time off to attend that, as well. After all, I don’t mind working late!

While my list continues, you get the idea of what’s in store for me. So I’m curious… what’s in store for you? Whether you are opening your first store in 2012, want to finally create an e-commerce site or expand your current inventory assortment, let me know what’s to come. This can help us help you – which is the top accomplishment I hope to achieve in 2012.

As always, you can contact me at nicole@retailminded.com or comment below. Additionally, follow me on Twitter at @RetailMinded.

Wishing you all prosperity and happiness in 2012 – but most importantly, health.

Happy 2012!

Nicole Leinbach Reyhle

Founder / Editorial Director / Consultant / Writer / Speaker

One way to consider your impact on our Earth is through product packaging and packaging of products after purchase. A few ways to do this include:

1. Evaluate the need for packaging. Is it a must? Is it decorative? Is it to provide safety to the item (avoid breakage, etc)?
2. Use as little material necessary. Reducing materials to package items can not only help the environment, but also save you money. It should be a goal to design a package so that minimum amounts of material provide necessary packaging while also meeting any packaging guidelines (based on product).
3. Eliminate toxic ingredients. Very simply, you want to avoid additives, adhesives, coatings, and inks that get added to the package that are not safe for human health and the environment.
4. Try to use recycled materials. Reuse of anything is a good thing since one time usage impacts our environmental footprint greater. Challenge yourself and your business to reuse what you can, therefore recycling materials for the better of our Earth.
5. Support recycling. Educate your consumers on what they can do with your package once they no longer need it. To avoid waste in packaging for purchases all together, offer cloth, reusable bags for sale – even if bags aren’t your thing. Then offer a percentage of purchases when these bags are used. It’s a win-win for the environment and your business.

What are your green tips that help your business thrive and Mother Nature? Let us know! Please comment below.

Dress codes have a bad rap, unfortunately. The reality is, however, that dress codes don’t have to be bad. Sometimes a dress code is exactly what a business needs to help establish a brand look. Other times they provide direction for the not so stylish to follow. And often they simply provide a foundation as a list of do’s… not just don’ts. Whatever the reason, dress codes can actually offer a positive addition to various types of businesses. From fashion forward boutiques to trend setting furniture stores to baby focused shops to service focused bizs, dress codes offer direction on how employees should represent the business in which they work for.

If dress codes are something you currently have in place, consider reviewing how your policies are set in place. Are employees told not what to do, or rather do you set the policies with a tone of yes’? Additionally, how do your employees react to the dress code? There are sure to be whispers if things are not to their approval. But better yet – hopefully you have heard first hand their thoughts on your dress code policies.

If dress codes are something you do not have, consider how your business may be responded to differently if they were in place? One example of this may be if you believe the dress of some of your employees does not represent your store environment very well. If their dress was better suited to your business, do you think customers would respond to this employee differently?

It’s important to always respect each person’s unique character, style preferences and budget. Asking employees to buy clothes specific for their work is not always ideal, however sometimes a necessary evil (hopefully discounts can apply here). It’s important to also remember not everyone enjoys getting dressed the way you may, so a dress code could provide them with relief to the question mark of what to wear everyday. Whatever the reasons, simply remember to be fair and aware of what your policies – or lack of them – do for your business, your customer impressions and your overall brand identity.

January will sneak up on us fast, and with a new year comes time to reflect the past and look forward to what’s ahead. This typically comes down to one thing… change.

What happened in 2011 that you absolutely do not want to change for your business?

What happened in 2011 that you absolutely do want to change for your business?

What changes do you know you need, yet have no idea how to accomplish?

What changes do you know you need, yet have yet to start planning for them to be done?

Whatever changes lie in front of you, it’s time to start executing them. Possibly this means clearing out inventory you plan to eliminate from your assortment. Maybe this means introducing a business partner to your team. Or possibly this means closing your doors… or maybe opening a second, third or even tenth location!

With January sneaking up on us, start to reflect on the changes you want and how you can meet them. This may bring you tears… or a rush of happiness… or a pit in your stomach… or excitement in your heart. Whether good or bad, change can be a good thing.

In addition to what you know you want to change, it never hurts to evaluate everything else on your “to-do” list. The start of a new year is a great time to reflect on store policies, management procedures, associate training techniques, inventory assortment, merchandising habits, customer interaction and more. Start 2012 off right by getting a jump start on your game plan now. After all, you aren’t busy enough already… right?

We’re diving into change too! Retail Minded Magazine debuts in 2012, offering expert advice, education, support and more for retailers & wholesalers! Want to learn more? Check us out at www.retailminded.com/magazine

For many of you, your wish may be to sell more stuff. We get it.We understand. You want some decent sales in time for the holidays.

Here’s a  last-minute strategy for how to get people to your website ASAP. But first, here’s what NOT to do.

1. Do not send 5 emails in 7 days promoting one special deal (today only!) and then another.  A lot of vendors and retailers alike do this… but let’s be honest… it smacks of desperation.
2. Do not rush out and buy a bunch of facebook ads and drive people straight to your shopping cart. Social media should be used to build relationships first (yes, even with a company) and conversion rates on facebook ads that go straight to a sales page are not very high. (They also cost more than ads that direct traffic to your facebook page, btw). There are exceptions, but this is often the case.

So what can you do?

Get yourself mentioned in blog posts. And get bloggers to Twitter about you.

But here’s the catch…

You cannot just barge in on someone’s blog and ask them to post about your line. You need to first think about who you already have a relationship with.

Look at it this way, if person X called you up and asked you to blurb about them in your blog…would you do it? Or would you do it if you could? Would you find it a strange request?  Rude even? Presumptuous?

You see, fans of bloggers already have a relationship with that person, so if the blogger recommends you, it means a lot. That prospect is much closer to the BUY than a cold lead ever will be – because they trust the blogger.

Getting exposure through blogs definitely drives traffic. And free traffic at that. FREE in terms of money but not in terms of time and effort it takes to build those relationships. It IS an investment but it can pay off tremendously when you give it the time and energy it deserves.

So think about it… Who can you reach out to? Who can you gently nudge with news about your line? Who can you give a good reason to help you promote? You can even print this and make your list here:

1) ______________________________________________________________

2)____________________________________________________________

3_________________________________________________________

And remember… If you cannot come up with names for this list, don’t beat yourself up. Just think about ways to change the situation for next year and get back on track.

No more feast or famine marketing! If you market yourself and your line consistently and authentically, you should not have this problem NEXT Holiday season.

Contributed by Jane Hamill, founder of Fashion Brain Academy. Learn more about Hamill and her services at www.janehamill.com/blog or follow her on Twitter at @FashBrain.

“Wardrobing” is a Major Problem and Getting Worse

In the retail industry it’s called wardrobing. That’s the return of used, non-defective merchandise.  And 61.4% of retailers have dealt with this problem, says a study released last week by the National Retail Federation. That’s up twenty percent from just two years ago, when the estimate was a still serious 42% of retailers dealing with this problem.

Buy/Return or Shoplift/Return

We’ve discussed the problem of return fraud in the past. For example, look at this article about Shoplift/Return Cycle. It’s a related problem. But with wardrobing the product is actually purchased, though there’s no intention of keeping it after use.

The Challenge for Retailers

Like most retail loss prevention issues, it creates a dichotomy. Fast, convenient return policies make for happy customers and often increase sales. On the other hand, overly lax return policies often result in people returning merchandise stolen from your store (that means you’re being robbed twice!!) or returning products from other stores. Sometimes consumers get the feeling that it’s ok to return merchandise that they’ve used.

It’s not. You can’t sell used or damaged merchandise as new.

What Can Retailers Do?

You can develop restrictive, though reasonable return policies.

A few approaches might be:

• Require identification, and keep an internal database of returns.
• Use a service that provides a database of return activities across stores and chains.
• Require receipts for cash returns.
• Only issue refunds in the same method of payment as the original purchase.
• Consider a restocking fee for open, non-defective merchandise.
• Train employees to recognize return fraud.
• Utilize inexpensive return fraud tags, like the Shark Tag, that can be effective at deterring wardrobers from purchasing, using and returning items for a full refund.

Whatever you do, make sure your return policy is understood by customers. Signage and communication helps accomplish this. Ultimately, choose an approach that matches your needs, balancing customer service and loss prevention.

Contributed by Alan Herbach, who is President of American Theft Prevention Products, Inc. (www.AmericanTheftPrevention.com) which provides retailers with tools to effectively combat shoplifting. Alan can be reached by email at aherbach@AmTheft.com and can be followed on Twitter under the name AmTheft. He writes on loss prevention issues at blog.AmericanTheftPrevention.com