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On April 5, the National Retail Federation, “the world’s largest retail trade association,” felt compelled to explain “Five Things To Know About Tariffs.”
Among the first things they explain is who actually pays the tariff.
“Tariffs are a tax on goods imported into the United States and are paid for by the U.S. importer.”
“When tariffs are enacted, retailers are forced to choose between raising their prices or relying on already slim profit margins to absorb the increased cost of inventory.”
“Many small retailers are indirect importers and rely on other companies to import the products that they sell. These indirect importers [that is, small retailers] have even less ability to shift their supply chains to mitigate tariff costs.”
This sums up pretty well the challenges retailers are living with. But...
He believed that the best way to survive in retail was to focus on top line growth. And lots of inventory.
But…the winds of competition blew his store away.
He believed that the way to prosper was to focus on high initial mark-up, skimping on operating expenses.
So…the winds of competition blew his store away too.
You've seen them, right? You may be using one yourself.
The typical accounting package that lists expenses in alphabetical order.
How useful is that to retail management?!
Actually, there is an easy way for busy retailers to turn all that line-item data into useful management information. And maybe find those profits that have been hiding in plain sight!
Let’s take a break from the drama of the business and economic news, and its uncontrollables. It's time to put the fun back into retailing!
Remembering that "Retail IS detail," focus on attracting and appealing to your very best customers.
And we have the (free!) tools to make all this happen. But be ready: surprises and new insights will emerge.
First, check out this article on The ROI site: Rating Your Store From a Shopper's Perspective. See the 25 "retail is detail" items that do matter to shoppers, from Accessibility to Windows (and yes, Bathrooms really do matter.)
Honestly, we don't want to sound like alarmists. However…we are sounding an alarm!
As we all know, prices are rising, consumer confidence is falling, layoffs are rampant, and inflation, particularly with the impending tariffs, is likely to persist. All of which could combine to drive the economy into a recession. Grim.
Savvy retail owners are starting now to draft new "game plans" for this new economic environment. We want you to be one of the savvy ones.
For one example of how that can be done, consider the “torrent of adjustments” made by Starbucks' most recent new CEO Brian Niccol. (The company has had four CEO changes in the past five years.)
Essentially, he has enacted the moves of a classic turnaround plan, one that matches cost-cutting tactics with strategic goals, both quantitative and qualitative. (All without a chainsaw.)
No matter what merchandise you sell - whether it's tires, apparel, books, housewares, office supplies, whatever - every retailer has to give the customer what they want.
Right now, customers want “Steak, cheap”, not “cheap steak.”
Customers also are eager to shake off the doom and gloom of the winter. They are more than ready for a fresh new outlook. (Aren’t we all?)
Consider these upcoming calendar events:
The spring ahead to Daylight Savings Time is this weekend.
The “official” March 21 start of spring is just two weeks away.
What a great opportunity for you to welcome a fresh, positive, upbeat Springtime State of Mind!
Combine that fresh attitude with some well-priced promotions – remember, “steak, cheap” – and you have the makings of a fine start to your spring season.
Running a retail operation, as you know, is a tough job to do successfully. (The failure rate keeps reminding all of us of that fact.) And now, that job is even harder.
Maybe we're being overly dramatic, but it seems to us that there are two very dark clouds simultaneously coming our way. Consumer confidence is falling while announced tariffs will be raising costs.
We all have to wonder whether consumers are going to hold back discretionary spending even more;
And, at the same time, we must start guessing what impact tariffs might have on our merchandise.
We've not heard of any available consultants, pundits, or fortune tellers that have magic solutions. Alas.
What is called for? Your best judgment, as the owner. Never before has it been needed more immediately.
Remember the three things needed to be successful in retailing - location, location, location?
And remember how that was upended by the internet? (In fact, that's what drove much of the talk of a "retail apocolypse;" it really was a "retail real estateapocolypse." Retailing – selling to the ultimate consumer – still was happening.)
Nevertheless, retail leasing patterns can offer some useful insights to retailers.
For instance, this new study* by JLL Retail Research documents how retail leasing activity has shifted towards experience-based tenants. It notes that 51% of the retail space leased in January–November, 2024 was for service-based tenants. And that trend is expected to accelerate in 2025.
Incredible value! 👀
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