Terrific Trading

The StALE Way to Success

by Jurek Leon

Big, lazy and sale. What do these three words have in common?

Sales seem to be the only technique our mega-big retailers can think of – no, change that – can do (why waste time thinking!) to get more than their fair share of the available business. And by continually using this approach and seemingly dominating over their smaller competition the message they send out is that it’s the only successful way to promote.

This goes way beyond retail to every type of business enterprise. The truism becomes ‘if you want to have a successful promotion make it a big SALE’.

The Science Of Shopping

by Jurek Leon

Have you ever been so absorbed in a book that you just couldn’t put it down?  And have you ever kept interrupting your partner saying “Listen to this” and read out aloud yet another extract (till they leave the room or the bed and go elsewhere for some peace)?

Well I’ve been guilty of that and it wasn’t the latest John Grisham thriller or a fact more exciting than fiction Jeffrey Archer story.  It was when I first read ‘Why We Buy. The Science Of Shopping’ by Paco Underhill founder of retail research company Envirosell. 

That was back in 2001 and I still get enthralled each time I pick it up.  It is so good.  So enlightening.  So filled with facts and actual results from studies conducted in almost every type of retail store or related service business you can think of.  Some of these businesses must have paid tens of thousands of dollars for this research.  Probably more, and here I am in possession of all the facts and inferences for under $50.

My copy is now so covered in highlighter pen marks that it looks more like a child’s colouring in book.  But let me peer through the rainbow of colours and give you a taste of what I mean.

A Controversial Review of America’s Shopping Centres

by Jurek Leon

Paco Underhill, author of the wonderful book “Why We Buy. The Science of Shopping” has now followed this up with a review of the shopping experience in America’s Malls.

His new book “Call Of The Mall” examines how Americans use the mall (shopping centre), what it means, why it works when it does and why it often doesn’t work at all well.

Paco Underhill is CEO of Envirosell whose studies of consumer behaviour are sought after by leading retailers, manufacturers and distributors around the globe. And now owners, managers and marketing specialists in shopping centres will be studying carefully the observations and conclusions of the man who has been called “the Margaret Mead of shopping”.

In this article we put the spotlight on some of Paco Underhill’s observations with excerpts from his new book.

Men and Christmas

This cartoon, by Dean Alston, appears in my new '52 Terrific Tips for Christmas Workbook'.  Dealing with the male shopper at Christmas is one of the 52 topics covered in this great e-book.  Click here to find out more .....

This cartoon is reproduced with permission from Dean Alston cartoonist for The West Australian newspaper.  His cartoons appear daily in The West Australian.  Go to www.thewest.com.au.

The more our people earn the more I like it!

by Jurek Leon

Can you imagine the grossly overpaid chief executives at many of our underperforming large institutions saying “the more our people earn the more I like it”?

It seems that the more they can screw their workers, cut jobs and put in faceless call centres and other cost cutting ‘services’ the fatter the pay rise they are able to award themselves.

They mouth platitudes such as “our people are our greatest asset” and “customers are our number one priority” but their actions tell a different story.

I try to imagine how different it would be if John Timpson was the managing director.

John who?

Is This All You’ve Got?

by Jurek Leon                                        

“Is that all you’ve got?” is a question that can take the wind out the sales of many service providers and salespeople and seem offensive to others, particularly proud business owners.

Frontline salespeople will often answer with “Yes” followed by silence or make some weak statement about having more at their other outlet on the outskirts of Timbuktu, which is no help at all.

On the other hand, proud owners and staff tend to go on the defensive with responses such as:

“We do carry the best brands” (meaning ‘we don’t sell the sort of cheap crap people like you buy’); or

“We have all the popular models” (meaning ‘if you don’t like what we’ve got, you lack taste and intelligence’); or

“You can’t expect us to stock everything.”

People Don't Buy What You Sell

by Jurek Leon

Not another book on branding, I thought, as I flipped open the pages of this new book by Martin Butler, CEO of RPM3 one of London's leading retail advertising and marketing agencies. 

But at the same time I was intrigued.  You see, this book was recommended to me by Jeannie Willis of the British Shops and Stores Association (bssa) when I was over in the UK earlier this year.  And it promised case studies on some of Britain's best-known retailers including John Lewis, Carphone Warehouse, Oddbins, Topshop, B&Q, Selfridges and HMV.  It would be fascinating to get behind the scenes of these companies.

But then again, most books on branding seem to be full of pretentious drivel.  Could this one really be a good read?  The answer is an emphatic YES.  This is a must read for anyone with an interest in retailing, in marketing or who finds shopping in British stores a fascination.

This is without a doubt the best book on retailing, since the wonderful ‘Why We By The Science Of Shopping’ by Paco Underhill.  The best way I can think of to describe it is to give you some excerpts.  Here goes:

Thirsting For Information On How To Give Your Life A Boost?

by Jurek Leon

What does it take to build a successful franchise business?

Different people do it in different ways and some are willing to share their secrets.  One is Jim Penman of Jim’s Mowing fame and his story ‘What Will They Franchise Next?’ is available as a free e-book at the Resources section of my website www.terrifictrading.com

The latest to do so is Boost Juice founder Janine Allis.  And what a fascinating lady.  From leaving school at 17 to take a job with McCann Erickson Media, to travelling and working overseas for six years, including famously working as a deck-hand on David Bowie’s yacht in the Mediterranean, to opening her first store in Adelaide in 2000, to being named Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year in 2004.  Oh, and in case you didn’t know she is also the mother of three young children.

STOP. What made you do it? What made you walk inside?

Imagine yourself walking past a row of shops on a street. Some of the stores you walk by without even a glance. But one catches your attention. Something in the window makes you stop for a moment to take a look.

Something has grabbed you and pulled you out of your conversation, or train of thought, and stopped you. Just briefly. Long enough to think, "I like that," or "That looks interesting."

The next thing you know, you see a couple of other interesting things in the window. You look past the display into the store. You think, "I'll check it out for a minute."

You open the door and step inside. You love what you see. "What a great place! I'll look around for a minute." You see something that would look amazing in your house. You move from one display to the next, imagining what your life would look like with some of these beautiful things.

You feel relaxed. Happy. You love the atmosphere. This is what you want in your life. This is something you've been looking for. You're falling in love.

What makes this store different? Why do you like it so much?

Smart Retail - Tips for Aspiring and Experienced Managers

by Jurek Leon

“If you take away somebody's self-respect, how can you expect that person to respect your customers?”

So says Richard Hammond author of ‘Smart Retail - How to turn your store into a sales phenomenon’.  This UK retail consultant is clearly held in high respect by CEOs and senior executives at some of Britain’s leading retailers yet he is able to relate his points to hands-on shop managers and owners of individual stores. 

He has a mission with this book.  It is, ‘To show retailers how to secure long-term success from happy teams and happy customers’.  Let me share with you some excerpts that will give you a taste of the content:

Bindoon Bakery Case Study

by Jurek Leon

Early in April I was at Bindoon Bakery to take part in filming for Channel 9s ‘Business Success’ program which is shown each Sunday from 8.30am to 9.00am.  Each week the ‘Business Success’ team showcase a different business that is brave enough to volunteer to be critiqued by three different business specialists.  If you are in Australia, you can view this episode on Sunday 20th May.

I was invited to appear as the retail marketing specialist and was asked to stick to 3 key messages and put them across in 3 to 4 minutes – always a challenge for me!!!  The 3 messages I settled on were –

1.      Systems, Delegation and Empowerment: "You've grown the business now you need to grow the people."

2.      Shopfront Marketing: "What are you famous for and how will people know what you are famous for?"

3.      On The Spot Marketing: How you make the customer feel when in your shop.

You’ll find the points I covered with them both on and off camera on the next four pages.  First though, here’s some background to Bindoon and it’s bakery.

Christmas Snippets

by Jurek Leon

Make this year a ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ rather than a ‘Ho Hum’ event.  Here are a few snippets from Jurek Leon’s new e-book ‘The 52 Terrific Tips For Christmas Workbook’ to get you started.

Focus on your team
Christmas can be an extremely stressful time for staff.  They are a manager’s customers, so you have to invent ways to care for them and live up to their expectations at Christmas.  Be clear about what you require of them under pressure.  And they have to be prepared as if they were going into a sporting event.  Start each day with results to date.  Celebrate small successes.  Emphasise the positive.

As Wesfarmers plot Coles revival what can they learn from Woolworths?

by Jurek Leon

I've been following with interest the recent takeover of the Coles Group by Wesfarmers.  This is the biggest takeover in Australian corporate history.  There is a general view that things can only get better under the practical management skills of Wesfarmers even though they have no previous experience in supermarket retailing.

Coles have suffered greatly in recent years, particularly in competition with their supermarket competitor, Woolworths.  Many retail observers, myself included, believe that Coles employees and customers will begin to feel the difference as Wesfarmers decentralise, break the corporate chains and re-energise the stores where so many managers have had the life sucked out of them by the goings on in recent years.

However, there is something that disturbs me, and it will be a vital factor in the future of both Wesfarmers as a whole and Coles supermarkets in particular.