By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer In the past few weeks, my grandson turned two and my granddaughter had her first birthday party. I was traveling for business during both of these milestone events, but received a flood of photos filled with birthday cake, colorful balloons and familiar smiling faces. As I enjoyed looking through the photos, I realized that it was time to take a closer look at what I was defining as “priorities” in my life, feeling perhaps that I had some of them backwards. The tried and true adage, “family comes first”, is something we’ve all heard, and even I have repeated from time to time myself. But sometimes we let our work consume us and we become unbalanced in other areas of our lives that are just as important to grow and nurture—namely, our family. Family is defined as any group of people, closely related by blood, such as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins. “Family” is also used metaphorically to include your community, nationhood, global village and humanism. In some cases, we even consider our employees or business partners a part of our family. I am planning to take more trips this year, but this time not for business. I will go see my children and their spouses, and to spend time with my grandchildren. It’s about time that I make time to stay connected with the people that mean the most to me—my family. As I keep my family in the high priority that it deserves, I will, of course, continue to take passionate care of my business, as many of you have now become part of my “other” family. Happy Retailing, Moe Lastfogel mailto:[email protected]
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By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer I personally spoke with Bob Abt only once, years ago when we took over The Retail Observer, but from that conversation and from what people have told me, he was a highly admired man. Since I can’t write about him personally to give him the credit deserved, I pulled these words from the Chicago Tribune in commemoration of his life. Bob Abt, CEO of Abt Electronics and known as a Chicago retail legend who guided the company through the rise and decline of national competitors such as Circuit City and Best Buy, has died at age 77. Abt died after struggling with cancer for the past three years, according to a company spokesman, and despite his illness still went into the Abt megastore in Glenview every day until about a month before he passed and was still calling the store and checking emails. “Bob Abt not only ran a successful business but also set a standard for customer service and business integrity that other business owners in Chicago and beyond aspire to,” said Steve Bernas, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois, who knew Abt for more than 20 years. “We often forget how important family owned and operated business is to this country. I salute you and all the companies like you. RIP Bob.” Bob Abt was raised in Chicago. He graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville and served in the military. He was married to his wife, Alice, for 54 years. After his parents started the Abt store, Bob Abt began working in the family business part time in 1953 and then full time in 1962. The store moved many times and now stands in its current location in Glenview. We at The Retail Observer send Bob Abt’s family and loved ones our heartfelt condolences. Respectfully, Moe Lastfogel [email protected] |
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December 2021
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