From The Editor: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you each had a wonderful holiday season (both in & out of your stores) and are looking forward to the year ahead. While I’m not a big resolution person… somehow they never seem to work out… I am a goal-oriented person. Last year, my goal was to launch Retail Minded Magazine nationwide. And guess what? I did it! We are now distributed both in print and digitally, reaching nearly all 50 states and even a few international zip codes. While it hasn’t always been an easy ride and continues to throw  us surprises, it’s been more than worth it to connect with retailers from communities nationwide, hear from retail experts and share their wisdom with each of you, meet new, veteran and struggling retailers with amazing stories to tell, discover fascinating new avenues of sales and marketing for indie retailers and so much more. We were also thrilled to have introduced the first Independent Retailer Conference, co-hosted with Independent Retailer Month, which took place in July 2012.

Aside from these two new additions to the Retail Minded community, I continued to blog weekly – even attending the internationally recognized ASD Show as their official retail blogger (a role I love since it connects me to both vendors and retailers, letting me bring back what I discover to each of you!). Additionally, I enjoyed many conferences and private association / company events as a guest speaker, which is among my favorite ways to connect and work with retailers. But ultimately, my favorite way continues to be everyday, good old-fashioned, store visits. From my hometown of Geneva, IL to countless towns and cities nationwide, visiting indie stores continues to be my favorite past-time… and job responsibility. I have to say, I’m a pretty lucky girl!

In 2013, my goal is fairly simple. I want to be better at connecting with indie store owners and supporting them in their total lifestyle. It’s always been my believe that retail is more than just a job – it’s a lifestyle – which is why Retail Minded Magazine came to life in the first place. However, in 2013 I want to better than ever in supporting you with your unique needs. The catch? I really need your help here! Please reach out and let me know what it is you need help with, wish you knew more about, what your biggest concerns are and anything & everything else you may wish to share. Without your voices, Retail Minded doesn’t have a voice. It’s your spirit, your stories and your successes that shape Retail Minded. All that said… it turns out my goal is NOT so simple. There are lot of indie stores out there, which means a lot of store owners to hear from. But I’m ready. Please stay in touch with me via Twitter, Facebook, Sulia and of course, email. I’ll do my best to respond to everyone personally, but know that no matter what, your outreach is being read, archived and referred to as I plan for future magazine articles, blogs and more.

It’s my hope for each of you that you have a healthy & prosperous 2013! I look forward to experiencing the year ahead together, and wish you much success!

Best regards,

Nicole Leinbach Reyhle

Founder & Editorial Director

Retail Minded Magazine

nicole@retailminded.com

PS – Did you know Retail Minded is “indie” as well? Like you, we are independently owned, operated and… well… everything else (you know as well as I do that means we wear a lot of hats). We genuinely appreciate your support and understand what it’s like to be running your own show. For all that you do and all that you do to support Retail Minded, THANK YOU!!!