PERSPECTIVES

We're sure you'll agree. Misinformation can be very harmful. Retailers surely don't need more harmful anythings!

Just last week, we came across the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. It was a post on the Intuit Quickbooks site*, titled "Inventory Turnover Ratio." And the explanatory article was accompanied by an "Inventory Turnover Calculator."

What do we take exception to? The misleading and/or incorrect information it provides. For example, their "Inventory turnover calculator" requires two entries. 

• First, "enter the total costs involved in selling your products."

We must take exception. "Total costs involved in selling your products" is NOT the same as Cost of Goods Sold. Nor do they specify that it should be for a 12-month period of time. 

• The second entry they request: "Average inventory cost."

We must take exception. What they surely meant to say is inventory @cost. 

• Plus, they simply refer to "12 months of ending inventory balances," without specifying that it should be for the same 12 months for the previous entry.

People don't go into retailing to be financiers. 

• They love the merchandise they sell, and/or they love the people who buy the merchandise. (Think book stores, sporting goods stores, gift shops, etc.) 
   
• Others love the "theater", the excitement of retailing. 
   
• Still others want to be their own boss. 

But few are attracted to the financial part. 

Which is exactly why The Retail Owners Institute website has been built!

Given our years of experience consulting with retailers, especially in turnaround situations, our speaking at conferences and publishing in trade publications, we wanted to "level the playing field" for retailers.

Just One Week Until Valentine's Day!

• No special discount coupon.
• No "bounce back" offers ("come back by such-and-such-a-date to save $$$.")
• No "sign up for our Insider's Club."
• No "We want to know what you think about your most recent visit."
• No expectation of them doing anything more for you!
• No obligation.

Retailers are notable for their optimism and their resilience.

And the last couple of years have provided ample opportunities to showcase their ability to bounce back.

But now, it's 2022. Time for those customers to pick up the slack. And here's an idea for helping them get started. Without costing a penny in advertising!

Print up some "bag stuffers" (you know, conspicuous notes) inviting them to come back in November.

We recently learned of a restaurant with a kids menu which is quite unusual.

Of course, having a kids menu is not unique. But here's what IS unusual about this one.

When kids are asked "What would you like to eat?", often their answers can range from "I don't know" to "I don't care." 

But at this restaurant, here is what each all-too-familiar answer brings to the table:

"How are sales?" is essentially the international greeting between retailers.  And because of the seasonality of retail sales, most retailers will respond by explaining whether sales this month are up or down versus the same month last year, not just the previous month.  All this is well and fine in a normal year. But, since 2020, retailers have not been experiencing anything close to normal. And boy, does that show up in the 6-month retail sales trend charts that The ROI posts each month. In sector after sector, December, January & February sales versus the prior year are markedly different than the March-April-May results. In some cases, these are quite dramatic.  Your results are likely to be consistent with these patterns.

The basic definition of retailing is "selling to the ultimate consumer." 

As you know, HOW that is done, and in what location or format, continues to change and evolve. 

So, we were intrigued by this recent post on the Shopify Retail Blog: The Future of Physical Retail in a Digital-First World.*

• The "retail digital-first world", of course, is either the "pure play e-commerce retailers," those who sell only online, or the "brands" (what we used to call manufacturers) who have embraced the "DTC model," selling direct-to-consumer. 
   
• And as you know, Shopify is one of the largest platforms for e-commerce businesses. Definitely a leader of the retail digital-first world.

To us, the blog post was essentially a wide-ranging journey of discovery(and perhaps even some new-found respect for those "physical retailers".)

As the second quarter of the year begins, many of us are experiencing what that fellow in the cartoon is feeling. We are not where we expected to be (and maybe not even where we thought we were!) 

Ahh yes, yet another flexibility test. The first quarter of 2022 was full of some major events, nationally and internationally, that disrupted many plans.

As you contemplate where you are now, compared to where you thought you were, and especially, where you intended to be, don't despair! Even more important, just like you do with the GPS system in your car, disregard"returning to the prescribed route."