Empowering Retail Owners Institute

The ROI's Promise: Everyone Can "Get It!"

The Retail Owners Institute® is renowned for making the basics of retail financial management readily available to any retailer, anywhere. Worldwide. 24/7. 

To take advantage of this self-help resource, All it takes is a little desire…and a web browser!

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! Thanks to The ROI's owner-friendly tools and resources, retailers can get insights and perspective for themselves. 

See for yourself!

Retail Growth Rater

Is there a cash crunch in your near future?!

Retailer's GROWTH Rater

Here is a fast, simple, and extremely telling measure of a retailer's financial viability!

Use The ROI's unique GMROI Growth & Bankability Rater.  

Go to GMROI GROWTH Rater

 

Quick • Verifiable • Sophisticated • Uniquely Retail

 
 

Out-of-control Inventory?

What's your inventory's SALES Potential?
Index of sales potentialGiven your annual sales plan, do you have enough inventory? 

Or...too much?

Most retailers know their average inventory over the year. But the question is this: What are the likely sales from that much inventory? 

Here's how to find out. Use our Index of Sales Potential calculator. See what sales volume other retailers achieve.   Find out now 

Measure Your Stores' Vital Signs

  

Key Ratios CalculatorKEY RETAIL  RATIOS C alculator  

In seconds, generate 7 key ratios particularly useful for retailers. Auto-magically!

And then, immediately compare your performance to the benchmarks for your retail segment.

How are your "vital signs"?


Rate Your FINANCIAL STRENGTH

How resilient is your business?

The real measure of your business's readiness to withstand adversity is found on your Balance Sheet. Especially the trend of your key ratios. 

That's why The ROI has developed this specialized FINANCIAL STRENGTH Rater for retailers. That means you can get a rather sophisticated assessment – for FREE! Are you trending up, down or sideways? And what does that mean?

 

The ROI "BUCKETIZER"

Where are your profits hiding?

The typical accounting package lists expenses in alphabetical order. From Advertising, to Auto Expenses, then Bank Charges, and so on. Lines and lines of separate expense items, all detailed to the penny. How useful is that?!

But, there IS a simple trick that will let you make sense of all that data: simply re-organize the individual expenses on your P&L into 5 "buckets" of expenses.

That simple step transforms all that accounting data into management information. At The ROI, we call this process the PROFIT Finder! 

Go here to use The ROI's Retail Expense "Bucketizer." It's free!

What People Say About The ROI

"You have re-inspired me! Thank you!"
--Owner, Home Accessories Stores

"I joined ROI this year and Love it!! There is no other place where retailers can get all this great info in one place nor specific training tailored to retailers. ROI is well worth the membership fee. Thank you!"
--Owner, Gift Shop & Gallery

"The ROI is a source of inspiration and emotional energy. Nice! It's good to push owners, to challenge their status quo. Complacency is the enemy in times like this."
--3rd Generation Retailer, Audio/Video

"This is really good foundational info. Thank you very much!"
--CPA; Founder, Community Gallery  

"You make so much sense. Your website and tools and webinars are exceptionally great. Now I've started to see the light and how to manage inventory turns to manage cash. Love your stuff!"
--Co-Owner, Specialty Boutique

 

"Much appreciated...love your clarity and your service. You guys are spot on!!"
--Co-Owner, Housewares Shop

"I have changed the way I look at my financial statements forever! Very informative. Thank you."
--President, Furniture Stores

"I've been in retailing a long time and regularly work with our buyers on Open-to-Buy. I think your OTB Calculator is really remarkable. It's easy, quick and effective. Thank you for providing it."
--CFO, 17-Store Sporting Goods Chain

"Thank you for the great seminar today. I feel as though I have attended a college class in business - without the stress of finals!"
-- Owner, Hardware Store

"If I had had this information seven years ago, I would not have opened our second location, which we closed last year. This is very helpful and useful."
--President, Consumer Electronics Retailer

 

"I learned a lot, and found it easy to understand. I'm really impressed by how accessible you make this complicated financial information."
--Specialty Store Owner

"This has really made a difference for us! It's acted as a springboard to initiate a new philosophy of spending at our store. The ROI has had a profound effect on our business. Thank you."
--Owner, Gift Shop

"Your site is very good and the information is always very useful. We are about to open another store. Keep up the great work!"
--Owner/President, Gourmet Food Shops 

"Your information plus The ROI's online tools are very powerful, and have made a big difference in the management of our family business. Thank you for your service to our family and the many other retail families you've reached."
--Owner,  Music Stores

"The ROI has been very helpful to me. Easy to follow and informative. Thank you very much!"
--Retail Operations Manager, Museum Store

 

 

"The Co-Founders of The Retail Owners Institute, Pat Johnson and Dick Outcalt, are the Zen masters of retail financial management!"
--Editor, Retail Industry Publication

"Our retailers need help with inventory control and cash flow, and how to make better business decisions. You are right on point!"
--Manager, Field Business Consultants, Convenience Store Franchiser

"I want all 28 of our S.B.D.C. Certified Business Advisors to use this whenever they are working with a retailer."
--State Program Director, Small Business Development Centers

"Much appreciated...love your clarity and your service. You guys are spot on!!"
--Vice-President, Buying Group

"I want to thank you for all your enthusiasm. It is very apparent that you have the best interests of the small retailer in mind, and provide them with valuable information to survive and grow their business."
--Vice-President, Small Business Services, Union Bank of California

"There's not much we can do to help our retailers' top line. But by offering them access to all of The ROI, maybe we CAN help them with their bottom line!"
--President, National Shoe Retailers Association 

 

Anxious to improve Cash Flow, Profits, and Inventory??

The ROI's OWNERS Center 

Are you an Owner? Or aspiring Owner?
The OWNERS Center at The ROI is for you!

Start now to expand your peace of mind!

 

click any of the pennants below  | go directly to that section of The OWNERS Center
 

The ROI's OWNERS CenterOpportunitiesGrowth Planning Delegation Financing The Basics Crisis Management Exit Planning
 

PERSPECTIVES | From The Co-Founders

Tips | Tactics |Strategic Insights |Specially for Owners & Decision-Makers

March 2024

Where Is Retailing Headed?

The retail industry and all of society would benefit greatly if many more towns flourished, and many out-of-date cities dissolved, or more likely, shrank to a better-is-better size. Customers rule, and they want towns and villages.

February 2024

Smart Way to Improve Productivity

How will you improve your GMROI this year? GMROI – Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment – indicates how much Gross Margin you get back for each dollar “invested” in inventory over a year. No other formula, no other calculation, simultaneously impacts both Gross Margin and Cash Flow. No wonder we consider GMROI as the #1 measure of inventory productivity!

January 2024

Now's the Time!

With Member-Access Privileges, you have unlimited access to ALL 200+ pages of The ROI! Practical, proven, do-it-yourself tools and resources.

Used and loved by retailers worldwide since 1999!

Subscribe for Membership NOW!

Get unlimited access to the other 2/3rds of The ROI!
Still less than $1 a day! 👀


Since 1999, empowering retailers and store owners to "Turn on your financial headlights!"