By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer ![]() The way many of you do business today is because of a young man by the name of Richard Sears who started his empire in 1886 as a railway station agent who stumbled on a shipment of unwanted watches... the rest is history (www.searsarchives.com/history). Why do I bring up the “BIG COMPETITION”? Because the story of Sears is about to come to its conclusion as more and more stores are closing across the country. According to recent reports, almost 109 locations between Sears and Kmart will be closing this year alone. But it's not only Sears and Kmart: Staples, Office Max, RadioShack and JC Penny are also shutting down many of their locations. Are you ready? With these “Big Boys” jumping out of the pool, it's time to take off your floaters and start swimming. Many of our readers have already jumped into the deep end and are benefiting from the new opportunities for growth. For those of you who haven’t, it's time to take action NOW. After speaking with the management of several buying groups, I found out that they all have plans and programs to help you with this new wave of business. I urge you to take advantage of these programs— see what retailers have been selling in your area and compare that with what you are currently selling to figure out what categories and products you should be adding to your inventory. Get on your swimsuits, folks, and jump on in—the temperature is just right! Happy Retailing, Moe Lastfogel [email protected]
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By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer ![]() The weather outside is beautiful. Spring has arrived, the red robin has returned, and the sounds of people outside at work and play are all around us. It’s outdoor season folks; are you prepared? This month we will be at the 70th anniversary of the National Hardware Show (NHS) in Las Vegas, and I can’t wait to see what new products will be in the outdoor living and tailgate areas of the show (along with the 7 other product category spaces). Just these 2 areas alone will include approximately 1,400 vendors with tens of thousands of product offerings, with more than 53 exhibitors of grills, 39 of fire pits and 139 of outdoor accessories. Outdoor furniture will feature 197 exhibitors, along with 68 in outdoor power and 277 in tailgate. The NHS isn’t the only show where this outdoor category is growing. KBIS will have a new outdoor pavilion for 2016. A press release from KBIS stated: “According to Weber’s Grill Watch Survey, spending on outdoor appliances was up more than 8% in 2014 over the previous season. Today, outdoor living spaces are an ‘essential design trend’ and must-have for many homeowners. As a result, architects and designers are constantly on the search for new outdoor products to incorporate into their designs.” I can’t wait to see this section develop at the show next year. The Architectural Digest Show in New York and Westedge Design Fair in Santa Monica opened up outdoor exhibits and allowed manufacturers to have a burn area where attendees could see and touch new products. BrandSource and Nationwide buying groups have included outdoor products to their shows as well. Almo Distributing and Sierra Select in California have jumped into the outdoor category among other distributors in the U.S. and Canada. This isn’t a new trend, but it is becoming a major trend. Don’t wait for another outdoor season to come and go. Add outdoor products to your offerings and most of all, get out there and enjoy the Spring. Happy Retailing, Moe Lastfogel [email protected] |
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December 2021
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