Jeff Horton

I enjoyed speaking with Larry Getlen about the trend for retailers opening smaller stores. It’s not just large department stores opening smaller format stores, but that is certainly popular. Also, available locations close to both suburban and urban consumers are tight, especially in more high-traffic lifestyle centers. There are numerous advantages and opportunities for retailers in smaller stores to more effectively manage the assortment, inventory, staffing, and last but certainly not least, the consumer experience. #retail #stores

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Just remember. You can't fairly compare the revenue numbers for a supplier vs. a manufacturer vs. a retailer. The value chain and resultant margin-takes and price increases make them non-comparable. What you look at is the revenue trend, the cogs trend, the gross profit trend, the opex trend and the IFO trend. But, to think a retailer is "bigger" and somehow better, because their revenues are higher, is to ignore the value chain.

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Important post for indie toy vendors, inventors and those that send us samples to review. Today(11/14) we reach peak inventory value--then we will start to fall -a drop of half from the peak in about 40 days. So what does this mean; 1. Sending samples and new items past September is a crap shoot--we just don't have the time to review or in many cases the cash to invest. 2. Our marketing/merchandising has been set and to add new items is a risk we generally do not take--there are exceptions however. 3. A vendor who ships late (originally Aug/Sept ship let's say) and we get 3 pre booked shipments all at once in late October is a hardship-- handling wise as well as cash wise. Please give padded time estimates and then beat the date -don't promise a date then be late. Finally, if one does not clear enough inventory to hit their ending inventory target, it can cause a crises later in 2025. You miss by a lot, this can be suffocating because toys is about new. I always say, October is like needing an enema, to help clear out the built up inventory! The flip side is if you don't risk some buys you never reach your full potential! #toys #toyinventory #toynews #retail #games #brickandmortar #inventory #inventors

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Looking for some visual merchandising tips? Here are some thoughts on the virtues of mass merchandising from the Specialty Shop Retailing blog. #independentretailers #shoplocal #visualmerchandising #retailing #smallbusiness

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Channels, retailers, consumers. A headline for a Retail Dive article yesterday was "Off-price retailers poised to take even more market share from department stores". Walmart, KMart, 40 years ago were described as department stores. Department stores were meant to be convenient. Department stores are dying, because convenience includes proximity, luxury is shopped in major urban centres, and 3-6 floors of inventory that is slow turning and expensive is a brutal business model to operate. But maybe what matters isn't the name of a channel "Department store". Do people outside of our industry even use words like that? Has your mom or dad ever said "Mass Merchant"? Maybe what matters is that people have needs, brands fulfill those needs, and brands grow when they make themselves available where and when people want to fulfill those needs.

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La-Z-Boy Incorporated reported solid fourth quarter and full year 2024 earnings. We exceeded expectations and outperformed the industry in a challenging market, driven by strong execution, as well as our intentional efforts to create consumer-centered experiences both online and in physical retail locations.   In an interview on CNBC, Melinda Whittington, La-Z-Boy Incorporated President and CEO, shared how we are continuing to aim high in FY25 and beyond, with quality and consumer preferences at the forefront of how we achieve continued growth in both our Retail and Wholesale segments.    Watch Melinda's interview to hear more about furniture and home buying trends that will shape the year ahead, and how the company is positioned for long-term success. #LZB #FY24 #HomeFurnishings #FurnitureTrends

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Reactivation. As 2024 evolved, my project work shifted. Late in 2023, e-commerce brands contacted me wondering why growth wasn't as robust as it had been ... while at the same time old-school catalog brands were asking me how to trim print expense (for obvious reasons) while still finding ways to grow. As the year progressed, comments from my clients & readers evolved. a) Does my twelve-month buyer file have enough "power" to fuel growth? b) Should I pursue loyalty efforts ... and do I have any great customers to pursue loyalty efforts with? c) I have this huge glut of COVID buyers who are now at four years of recency. Are my reactivation efforts paying off? The reactivation stuff has been really interesting. If there is one (1) huge advantage old-school catalog brands have, it is the ability to send print to a customer who hasn't purchased in, say, twenty-three (23) months. If there is one huge advantage e-commerce-only brands have, it is the ability to personalize reactivation content based on "what" the customer previously purchased. To understand if reactivation matters, we need to perform some research. That is what my "Hillstrom's Playbook" project is ... research and scoring of the 0-48 month buyer file (click on the attached image) to determine if the hard work of properly executing Customer Development and Reactivation efforts pays off (hint - it does). As I always do with new projects, I give my loyal readers and clients first chance to test my code out, at a favorable price. This project costs $24,900 ... but for the next week, it will cost you just $12,900. Act fast! We're at a unique point in Customer Development right now ... all of those COVID buyers are essentially gone now, easy growth is gone, and we're required to do some hard work to convert lapsed buyers into Average/Quality buyer status. Let's get busy! Questions? Thanks, Kevin

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INVENTORS - 2025 is nearly here. Is your product ready for RETAIL? I know the year is not quite done yet but for those inventors that want to be a part of the retail scene in 2025, your product needs to be up and running and ready for selling. The fact is most major retailers make their buying decisions 6 to 12 months in advance, and so if you want to have a shot at being in stores for fall and holiday next year, you need to act now! Even if you plan on just selling on retailer’s websites or other online venues, those decisions are still made a number of months in advance generally speaking. So what to do? You need a plan of action. You need to create a package for your product. You need to make sure you have a factory that can make it efficiently and cost-effectively. You need to start approaching retailers now if you want to do business with them next year. Planning and preparation are key to being a successful inventor when you want to bring a product to market successfully. Not very complicated stuff once you know what you need to do, but certainly lots of stuff to do for sure! #inventing #licensing #retail

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How We Help You Deliver On Your Promise Of Great, High Value Products To Your Customers Often times, the word "Quality" is thrown around in brochures, sales presentations, etc. as a way to convince retailers of the value of a product. Unfortunately, many retailers have experienced a let down from what was said to how the actual product performs. What I love about South Bay International is Quality is not something we talk about, but something we invest in and act upon. The picture below is a screenshot I took last week of one our assembly lines for adjustable bases. We have a camera on every single base that comes down the line and that camera's job is to make sure that no item is missing before the adjustable gets packaged. If something does get missed the camera flags the team and they correct. This is just 1 of several difference makers that South Bay includes to ensure you provide your customers with a great experience and great products. If you want to learn more about our adjustable base program, send me a PM and let's chat.

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I keep hearing about how “brick and mortar retail is in trouble.” The numbers tell a different story. This year alone, there are over 1,000 stores opening across the U.S., with brands like TJ Maxx, Dollar Tree Stores, Dollar General, and Warby Parker leading the charge. This is unprecedented growth. And it’s a testament to the evolving retail landscape. But there’s a catch. Overall, most retailers today operate fewer stores due to the high costs. The stores that are around now serve multiple roles, including integrating both online and offline shopping experiences. Whether starting in-store and shipping home or ordering online and picking up in-store, it's all about meeting the customer where they are. Despite having fewer and smaller stores, the stakes are higher than ever for retailers. When customers visit a store today, they are serious about their intent. They're there to learn, fix, exchange, or buy something specific. If you miss the opportunity to serve them properly, you lose that sale—and likely won't get a second chance. This is especially critical for specialty stores—hardware, home improvement, electronics, books—where customers come in with a clear purpose. Failing to engage and assist them effectively means losing them to a competitor. In a world where retail is both online and offline, ensuring that every in-store interaction is handled perfectly is essential. It's about making the most of each moment, because you might not get another chance.

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Some interesting data point in this article.

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The "personal" referral is still one of the strongest selling tools there is. What defines "personal" keeps evolving, too. JCPenney's approach brings the user right into their website. https://lnkd.in/eJche6r2 #retail #ugc #content #contentmarketing

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Excellent episode last week of "Retail Unwrapped" featuring my fellow FIT-ers Brian Delp and Shelley E. Kohan. They discuss the latest news within our industry: BTS takeaways, recent supply chain shifts, consumer sentiment heading into Q4, to traceability and the impacts of the de minimis exemption on the home products industry. Take a listen!

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With a projected global 2024 gross merchandise value of $3.8 trillion, digital marketplaces are commanding greater investment and attention from traditional retailers and branded manufacturers. #marketplace #retailstrategy

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Great article by Don Davis. The acquisition of SRS Distribution by Home Depot is a strategic move that highlights the evolving landscape of the distribution market. As the article rightly points out, Home Depot is transitioning from a retailer to a formidable distributor, positioning itself to better serve larger business buyers who require bulk deliveries directly to their job sites. It's worth noting Home Depot's digital marketplace is one component of its strategy and I suspect it will ingest highly fragmented SRS wholesale operations and adjust its services to the needs of large B2B and complex project buyers. That being said, unlike many distributors still grappling with the initial phases of e-commerce, Home Depot has effectively created a digital marketplace where vendors and manufacturers spend ad dollars to garner better placement on their website and reach targeted customers. This marketplace enhances product discoverability for paying brands (just having aisle placement alone doesn't suffice for some categories), but it also provides unparalleled insights into consumer shopping behavior, B2B activities, and market trends. As other big players like Amazon and Walmart aggressively expand into distribution, leveraging their technological prowess and deep pockets, the need for existing distributors and related associations to innovate becomes increasingly urgent. Act now or ...

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What a great article by Sign Builder Illustrated and the importance of manufacturing reps. Joe Lupton said it best here "We bring technical expertise, and we bring a teaching method to integrate products into what [shops] do," says Lupton. "We don't just share a product, we teach them a new and better way to do what they do." His statement is the reason on Dec 10th we will be working together presenting; Fabication Workshop and On the Frontline. At Make it Happen Signage Academy it is our purpose to not only help others Stand Out but, integrate ways to: *increase profits *focus on the customer experience *set you team up for success *introduce new products & much more Grab a seat and lets grow together. www.signage-academy.com Adam Yorston Jay Yorston Ellen Dyar Gary Lynch Alex Marcheschi David Harkey https://lnkd.in/gfVDqg9j

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Another update Big Lots adds 46 more stores to closing list Thomas Lester //Retail Editor//October 7, 2024 COLUMBUS, Ohio — As part of its ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, Top 100 retailer Big Lots added 46 stores to its closings list on Oct. 4 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. These closings add to more than 400 other store closings that the Columbus, Ohio-based discounter has previously identified as part of the process. An initial 344 stores were revealed on Sept. 11 with 49 added on Sept. 20 and another 58 on Sept. 27. Six more stores are scheduled to close in Texas with four more closings in Ohio; three stores in Florida, California, Maryland and New Jersey; two stores in Massachusetts, Missouri, Louisiana, Michigan, Indiana and New York and a single store each in Oklahoma, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Virginia, Nebraska, Mississippi, Alabama, New Hampshire, Maine, Kansas and Nevada.

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Distribution is a fragmented industry, and that presents an opportunity for penetration by big retailers, says Ian Heller of Distribution Strategy Group. Home Depot's recently announced $18.25 billion deal to acquire SRS Distribution is an example of the steady push by big retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Lowe's Companies, Inc. in addition to The Home Depot to capture a growing share of the $8 trillion in revenue from US wholesale and distribution. Heller explains that these retailers are largely blocked from major acquisitions in retail by antitrust concerns. But distribution is wide open to them, at least for now. Distributors will have to up their game to meet these deep-pocketed and technologically savvy competitors. https://bit.ly/3QyAXnS

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