Success only runs one direction....
Here’s an example of when doing business can do even greater good. Are you a vendor, rep, or showroom principal who doesn’t want to be left off the Good Guys list? Check out Change for Life (your competitors already have).
And retailers, you can get in on the positive buzz too…and it won’t cost you a dime.
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Yes, my priority is independent, brick and mortar businesses, but balance is part of the deal too. While in Seattle yesterday, I had a laptop meltdown of astronomical proportions, which required a visit to the Apple Store in University Village. Being a BIG believer that when someone does something nice, they should be openly praised, I’m sharing a copy of my note to Apple, sent this afternoon in response to their Genius Bar follow up survey:
Phillip was an absolute Godsend in the middle of a raging disaster. [click here to continue…]
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From a recent Accenture Consumer survey:
“Do you consciously pay more for a luxury item
at a brand store than a discount store?”
Yes – 59%
No – 41%
Granted, it’s close, and they’re talking about brand stores (ex: Coach), but…the key word here is “consciously.” Consumers seeking luxury goods are willing to bypass discount outlets in favor of quality, even though they know it will cost a bit more. For upscale retailers, that’s good news, regardless of whether they’re a national brand or an independent, locally owned boutique.
Bottom line? If you have the goods, and can back it up with top notch service and an equally matched environment, your customers are willing to skip T.J. Maxx and head your way. Just need to be sure (a) they know you’re there, and (b) you’re worth the trip.
Source: Accenture Consumer Luxury survey of adults 18 or older who purchased luxury items during the 2009 holiday season{ 2 comments }
This question comes from innocent curiosity, so please don’t read anything into it.
If someone is a proponent of “buy U.S. only,” are they, by extension, against U.S. exports (i.e., people of foreign countries buying our goods instead of their own)?
Just one of those questions that has always had me perplexed.
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Disclaimer: I’m an Apple junkie. Have been since my first computer (a beloved Apple IIc in the early 80s); probably always will be. Which is why my heart’s torn this morning, between Uncle Steve’s latest invention and booksellers everywhere. [click here to continue…]
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This one’s for all the stationery store owners and graphic designers out there….
Do you consider yourself a font freak? Type junky? Ascender snob? Well, here’s your chance to prove your print savvy prowess–the quiz to determine, once and for all, if you really, truly know your stuff.
Welcome to the So You Think You Can Tell Arial from Helvetica? Quiz
I’m just saying right up front–I nailed 18 out of 20. So there. Bring it on.
Thanks to Ironic Sans for providing such a worth while time killer (says the once-professional-stationer).
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Several months ago, my friend Debbie Dusenberry told me she was going to be the subject of a New York Times series about the challenges of running a small business. More accurately, the challenges of running her small business, Curious Sofa, in Kansas City. While I understood how this series would benefit the author (terrific visibility, an audience, and a paycheck), I also understood what Debbie was about get in the deal-—not new customers or more foot traffic, but instead, her heart and soul laid naked for a world of total strangers to judge. [click here to continue…]
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Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while know I occasionally wander off the path into personal territory (case in point: the post on November 5th about my fantabulous parents as they celebrated their 50th anniversary). Today’s no exception. Today, I’m all about Top Chef.
And tonight, by friend Gavin is going to be a guest judge, so three guesses who’s going to be glued to her television, in spite of owning a TiVo?
I’ve posted about this oh-so-wonderful chef before, here, here, and peripherally here. He, his wife (Linda), and his parents (Nancy and David) are just about the nicest, warmest, most “real” people on earth. This wünderkind in white may be a god of gastronomy, but rest assured, he’s the kind of guy that undoubtedly blushed fourteen shades of pomegranate when making Guidespot.com’s “Hot Men in the Kitchen” list.
Have fun, Gavin. We’ll be watching (and toasting) from afar.
Top Chef is broadcast on Bravo, Wednesday nights, 10:00 eastern/9:00 central. Photo courtesy of Guidespot.com.
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