Paul J. Hill

I had an incredible conversation with Eugene Alletto, CEO of BEDGEAR, about how he is additive versus disruptive to the bedding industry! Eugene's journey from a million-dollar salesperson to an industry innovator is nothing short of inspiring. He shares valuable insights on the importance of education, innovation, and being additive rather than disruptive. Tune in, and leave your favorite quote in the comments.

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NOSTALGIC RETAIL SERIES: 20 - KB TOYS KB Toys was founded in 1922 as Kaufman Brothers, a wholesale candy store.Kaufman Brothers opened a wholesale toy store in 1946. The toy business was an acquisition from a candy client who could not pay its outstanding debts. The retailer ended its candy wholesale business two years later to to focus on toys. Retail sales began in 1973 as the company moved away from wholesaling to become a mall-based toy retailer, using the name Kay-Bee Toy & Hobby. In 1981, Melville Corporation purchased the 210 store Kay-Bee chain from the Kaufman family for $64.2M. The retailer and Melville Corporation went through a series of acquisitions in the 1980s and early 1990s causing a major restructuring and closing of 250 underperforming stores in the new portfolio. In 1996, Kay-Bee was sold to Consolidated Stores Corporation (now known as Big Lots) for $315M. By 1999, the company operated 1,324 stores and was the second-largest toy retailer in the U.S.. It also changed its name to KB Toys that same year. In 2000, Bain Capital entered the picture after Consolidated Stores could not create a profitable company and purchased KB Toys for $305M (notice we are going in the wrong direction!) KB Toys declared bankruptcy in both 2004 and 2008 due to competition, expensive mall rent structures and poor sales. It officially threw in the towel in February, 2009. closing all 461 stores (this from a peak of over 1,300 stores). Toys "R" Us acquired the remains of K·B Toys (website, trademarks, and intellectual property rights). "Strategic Marks, a company that buys and revives defunct brands, purchased the brand in 2016, and planned to open new stores using the name beginning in 2019; plans for this revival, however, were cancelled due to a lack of funding. As of 2020, all trademarks for K·B Toys have been abandoned by Strategic Marks and is currently not used by any company." [Wikipedia] Missed any posts in the series? Click here for the website with the full list: https://bit.ly/3YxvVfR #nostalgicretail hashtag#retail hashtag#shopping hashtag#brands hashtag#retailrealestate

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**Ever feel like your warehouse is a game of Tetris with no way to win?** 😅 Let’s talk about that inventory problem… Did you know that a good S&OP process can chop 7% off your inventory days and slash 9% of obsolete stock? Less waste, fewer slow movers, and more room (literally) for growth! Plus, you’re saving cash by not holding onto stuff that nobody wants. It's time to stop hoarding and start optimizing. Got any fun horror stories of excess inventory? Share them in the comments—let’s laugh (and learn) together! 👇 Turn those dusty shelves into profits. #GoGetIt

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In this episode of "The Savvy Supplier" Podcast, Boyd Evert & Al Frank discuss special buys in retail, including their purposes, challenges, and importance. They highlight pricing discrepancies, communication, and return management. Find out what Savvy Suppliers need to KNOW & DO with some solid actionable advice. https://lnkd.in/gnmg4a92

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Need to offset rising Amazon fees? The Low Inventory and Inbound Placement garbage – I can help with those. I was glad to hear low inventory fees were being refunded in April. But I suspect it’s just a temporary PR move. They’ll be back. And they’ll affect everyone in the industry. Even manufacturers. The fees aren’t directly on my books… But anything that cuts into your margins, cuts into mine too. So here’s what we’re doing to help: First: We just opened a new warehouse in Yiwu. It’s incredibly affordable compared to our US-based warehouses. The price difference is so drastic… We can warehouse our customers’ inventory there for free. We have a logistics team there too. So now if your order needs to go to 5 different Amazon warehouses… No problem. We can segregate and label everything from cases to container loads. Between the export infrastructure in Yiwu — And our high-speed ocean service through Matson — Transit time from the new warehouse to LA is 11 days. Next: Our partner in LA does high-speed cross-docking. With the labels we applied in Yiwu, products go directly from the container to the trucks headed for each Amazon facility. The warehouse has a turnaround time of 12 hours. So, we can move product from Yiwu to almost any FBA facility in 2 weeks. It’s high-speed drip — directly from China. So you can: - Bring in only what you need - With a quick, reliable timeline …to avoid inbound placement and low inventory fees. As an industry, we’re all in this together. If there’s something we can do to help from the manufacturing side… We’ll figure it out. What are the other options for avoiding these fees? Or what other fees can we help our sellers avoid? Let me know in the comments.

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😴 Kohl's is at it again—stumbling through the retail landscape like a sleepwalker. 😴 With a bigger-than-expected drop in annual sales on the horizon and CEO Tom Kingsbury stepping down after less than two years, it’s clear that this department store is struggling to stand out in a crowded market. Enter Ashley Buchanan from Michaels, who’s set to take the reins on January 15. While he comes with a solid reputation and board affiliations, let’s be real: he might not be the savior Kohl's desperately needs. 🚨 Here’s the deal: Kohl's has been playing it safe and boring for too long, and that’s not going to cut it anymore. With stock prices down 36% this year, they’re losing ground to deal-hungry competitors like Amazon and Walmart. 🛒💸 It’s not just about who has the best prices; it’s about who can create an engaging shopping experience that draws customers in and keeps them coming back. So, what can business owners learn from this? 🤔 1️⃣ Innovation Over Tradition: Sticking to the same old playbook isn’t going to revive Kohl's. They need fresh ideas and bold strategies to capture attention. Are you innovating in your business or just going through the motions? 🔄✨ 2️⃣ Leadership Matters: While Buchanan has a strong background, he lacks deep expertise in fashion—the very arena where Kohl's needs to pivot. This is a reminder that having the right leader is crucial for navigating industry-specific challenges. Do you have the right people in place to drive your vision forward? 🧑‍💼🔍 3️⃣ Customer Experience Is King: As consumers tighten their belts, creating an unforgettable shopping experience is essential. If you’re not making your customers feel valued, they’ll take their dollars elsewhere. How are you enhancing your customer interactions? 🌟💬 4️⃣ Be Ready for Change: The retail game is shifting, and those who don’t adapt will be left behind. Are you staying ahead of trends and ready to pivot when necessary? 📊🚀 5️⃣ Don’t Fear Controversy: Sometimes, shaking things up can create buzz and attract attention. Are you willing to take calculated risks to stand out from the competition? ⚡️🔥 Kohl's needs more than just a change in leadership; they need a complete overhaul of their approach. Let’s hope Buchanan can bring some much-needed energy to a brand that’s been stuck in neutral for far too long! Remember, in business as in life, standing out is non-negotiable! 🔥 P.S. When was the last time you went to Kohl’s? #RetailStrategy #BusinessLeadership #CustomerExperience #InnovationInBusiness #CashFlowManagement #EntrepreneurMindset ___________________________________ ♻️ Repost for other founders wanting to run their business smoothly so it can thrive! ➡️ Follow @Kerry-Ann Powell for more on scaling, increasing revenue, team efficiency, and founder burnout and quality of life.

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Great Issue from MMR!

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Please join Tony Atti, Ph.D., & Ryan Simmons on Grocery Dive TOMORROW (June 11th, 2pm EST) where they'll be discussing implementing Phononic Inc's tri-temp solution for curbside grocery fulfillment. During this live session, they'll discuss: -Turning omnichannel order fulfillment pain points into a competitive advantage through the embrace of cold chain technology -Increasing revenue per/sqft by optimizing variable customer demand through a flexible solution -Key success metrics balancing labor, space & energy costs #omnichannel #sustainablegrowth #ecommerce #ecommercegrowth #Phononic #GroceryDive #livesession #sustainablefuture #sustainableretail #laborinnovations #retailinnovations #maximizingrevenuepotential #buildingthefuture #grocery #groceryinnovation #storedesign #warehouse #orderfulfillment #curbsidedelivery #omnichannel #retailgrowth #sustainableretail

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What if you could get a 25% lift in unit sales by reducing price by 15%? Would you? Conclusions before the math: Negotiate your funding or destroy your P&L. Understand your retailers motivations or live with No. Sales isn't about getting listings and running an ad grid. It's about building a business. Math: +25% unit sales w 15% discount. $ sales grow 6%. Retailer margin grows 6% if funding keeps retailer margin % whole. Retailer margin grows 25% if discount is fully funded. Why wouldn't they do this? Retailer margin shrinks -11% if funding keeps their margin @25%. Why would they do this. Brand gross margin is -22% if funding keeps retailer margin % whole. Sales is not about getting listings and running a promo grid. It's about building a business. If you're burning your brand's P&L, you're not in sales. ****************************************************************************** Maverick Sales. We are builders. FMCG. OTC. Beauty. Bricks & Mortar. Digital Commerce. Field Sales. Canada Experts. Contact us to learn more.

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✨ Just wrapped up an amazing Lunch & Learn session! It’s always refreshing to step back, brush up on skills, and pick up new insights. This time, we dove into enhancing vendor performance using the SOW (Statement of Work). 🔍 Highlights included valuable insights from fellow industry professionals. A standout prediction: the rise of Predictive Analytics in supplier performance management. 🎥 Check out the video to see how it went! #Procurement #VendorManagement #SupplyChain #PredictiveAnalytics #LearningAndDevelopment

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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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Real talk about price increases: Your customers aren’t as shocked as you think. Here’s my candid advice on making price updates a normal part of your business — plus a simple trick to ease the transition for your loyal customers. 💼💪 https://lnkd.in/gu9zThi2

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I've been researching the wholesale denim and jeans markets and want to double-check some of the country and aggregate stats. Some of it doesn't seem to add up. Please let me know if you find any inaccurate data in the draft below or have any suggestions. Thanks. Market Summary: The global denim fabric and jeans market was worth about $100 billion in 2023​, and some forecasts suggest it will reach $120 billion by 2030. The global jeans market (excluding denim fabric) was worth about $65 billion in 2023, but some forecasts suggest it will grow at about 2% a year to reach $95 billion by 2035. More than one billion pairs are sold annually worldwide. The premium denim segment accounts for about 15% of the global market and represents high-quality, designer jeans​. The sustainable denim market is growing rapidly, with a projected annual growth rate of 20%, as consumers and brands focus on environmentally friendly practices​. On average, an American owns seven pairs of jeans, and the U.S. market remains the largest globally, with significant spending on denim products​​. Selected Countries: China produces over 3 billion meters of denim fabric annually, making it the largest producer in the world. It accounts for approximately 30% of global denim production​​. Denim and jeans exports from China are valued at over $4 billion annually​. India produces around 1.2 billion meters of denim fabric annually​, comprising 15% of the global market​​. India's denim industry is expected to grow annually by 10% until 2030. Pakistan produces approximately 800 million meters of denim fabric yearly​ ​and exports jeans worth over $1 billion annually​. Major export markets include the United States, Europe, and the Middle East​. Bangladesh produces over 200 million pairs of denim jeans annually​​, with exports valued at around $2 billion annually​​. Exports grew approximately 10%​​ annually before stumbles in 2023-2024. Turkey weaves around 500 million meters of denim fabric annually​​ and commands about 10% of the global market​​. Turkey exports denim fabric and jeans worth over $1.5 billion annually​. Vietnam produces approximately 300 million meters of denim fabric annually​​, and its jeans exports are valued at around $800 million annually​. Major export destinations include the United States and Europe​. The U.S. is the largest consumer market for denim, selling around 500 million pairs annually and accounting for 23% of global jeans sales​ in 2023​. Over $2 billion of denim clothing is imported annually, primarily from Mexico and China​​. Mexico weaves around 400 million meters of denim fabric annually​. Mexico is the largest exporter of jeans to the United States, with exports valued at over $1 billion annually​​. Mexico maintains an 8% share of the global denim fabric and jeans market. #denim #jeans #apparel #textiles #supply #demand #trade #production #consumption #retail 

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U.S. retail apparel sales rose 3.4 % during the first quarter of 2024, topping overall retail sales growth of 3.3 % for the same period. Interestingly, inventory levels and inventory-to-sales ratios have eased. Last year, high inventories crushed demand for new products. Will lower inventories this year stoke demand for clothing? It’s still early to declare a full recovery of the U.S. retail apparel market, but the improved situation with sales and inventories is encouraging. #apparel #retail #economy #consumers #supply #demand Gherzi Organisation

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INVENTORS - Is your product WORTH THE HYPE? Most inventors think their product is the very best. Understandably so. It is after all their creation and they are very proud of it. However, are their own feelings worth a hefty price at retail? Well, it depends. When you invent, you must always consider what OTHER PEOPLE think of your product. What you think really does not matter much as it’s the consumer that is the one making a purchase. How they perceive your product is all that really matters. So how do you position and price your product correctly? It starts with making a great quality product that is in an attractive package and that is priced fairly. It’s about creating a popular brand through strategic marketing and social media interaction. It’s also about giving the customer more than they expect and making them feel happy or even excited when they finally buy your product. When you do those things, you are on your way to building a sustainable business that you can build on! #inventing #licensing #retail #products #success #patents

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INVENTORS - can you learn to be effective at SALES and gain placement for your products on the shelves of major retailers? Of course you can! However, it DOES take knowledge and experience to maximize your chances of success. And how do you gain that? By DOING! Sales is a numbers game as we all know. And the more you reach out to retailers the better chance you have of achieving success. Of course you have to have some knowledge of sales cycles and industry terms etc and when retailers review products and how they like to be approached and you need to keep your initial email or message to a buyer very brief by saying you have something new and innovative that may complement what they always have in their stores and would they be interested in taking a look versus telling them your life story and going on and on in paragraphs which most people won’t read initially. Short and sweet is the key! Retailers run a business and it’s always about profits. It’s why they exist. Show them how you can help them achieve that and you’ll have a much better shot at succeeding getting your invention placed with them! #licensing #inventing #retail

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In this episode, Transworld client Laura Haftel tells the listeners how she became a store owner after being a buyer for Macy's and the Gap. Through this experience, she gained valuable insights and a clear vision of what the future holds. 🙌 👉 Listen to this episode or one of the many others on #thedealboardpodcast today! https://lnkd.in/enWh5i9P #podcast #businesspodcast #episode #interview #sellerstory #businessstory #businessowner #ownabusiness #listen #pod #thedealboard

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