Contributed by Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, Founder & Editorial Director of Retail Minded, the nation’s only retail lifestyle publication dedicated to supporting retailers through news, education and support.
We live in a digital world, yet many museum stores are still not digital when it comes to selling. While time is a factor in getting things done, as is money, the reality is, you may be wasting time and losing money by not getting this done. In 2012, the U.S. Commerce Departments averaged $690 billion was spent in e-commerce sales. Were your online store sales a part of this number?
Whether you have an e-commerce site that needs some TLC or need to finally get one up and running, there are a few things to consider.
1. Don’t compare your site too much to others. While it’s important to want to be competitive in the online market, many small scaled e-commerce shops get overwhelmed with big box online sites, such as Amazon or The Gap, and forget that what they can deliver does not have to scale to the same size. Stay focused on your business and what you can deliver to your online audience—even if your online audience is only a local crowd. Another unique perk for your business? Leverage your museum’s main site to gain more traffic to your e-commerce store.
2. Find an e-commerce specialist to help you create your site. This is different than a regular web designer. While this person may also be a web designer, and likely is, they should also understand the “why” of online shopping so they can support you in creating a great consumer experience. Fancy sites and pretty pictures only go so far. The real goal is to support customers in how they like to navigate their shopping experiences online.
3. Work with someone who will teach you how to use the site. Sure, building a site is one hurdle to accomplish. But understanding it, using it and maximizing what it can do for your business is a whole other hurdle to jump. You need to work with someone who doesn’t mind answering questions, hand holding a bit and even walking you through, step by step, what you need to know.
4. Create something that is scale-able and can grow with your business. One of the most expensive mistakes you can make is creating something that is limited in growing—because as your business grows, your website and e-commerce capabilities should, too. This may include the ability to add banner ads to your site, change images, add new content, adjust pricing and send out emails.
5. Be realistic with your e-commerce management and marketing. Creating something won’t do you any good if you walk away from it once it’s done. You need to be realistic with the time you plan to invest in managing your online site, as well as marketing your online site. Through a combination of strategies, you can be successful in having e-commerce help contribute to your overall sales strategy.
To help you further prepare for a successful e-commerce experience, consider the additional ips.
1. Plan time each week into your work calendar to manage the operations and logistics of your online shop.
2. Schedule help, such as a part-time employees or volunteers, to help manage your online site if you identify you cannot do this alone.
3. Be consistent in your routine to support your online store. Not sticking to a schedule may result in you ignoring this completely.
4. Use online marketing strategies, such as social media, to help introduce your e-commerce site to shoppers.
5. Take the time to learn and understand online shopping as it compares to brick-and-mortar shopping, as there are many differences to understand.
6. Share news about your new online store to appropriate media outlets. If you are pitching to a local audience, pitch your local press, for example.
7. Be realistic with your growth and expectations of the website traffic and website sales.
8. Identify your weaknesses in managing and marketing your online store, then get help to support you where you know you need it.
9. Keep your choice of words and images polished, professional and retail-minded so that they speak to consumers.
10. Don’t give up. This is a sales strategy that is not going away.
What are some things you learned while creating an e-commerce site?
Retail pricing is a combination of financial goals, math and intuitive input based on knowing your visitor/customer. Well-documented personal experience, financial statements and POS-generated reports form the knowledge base that can be used to maximize profitability.
Every line item below Net Sales is an expense. The only place retail management can create the pool of money required to cover expenses and generate a profit is at the top of the Income Statement, and that relates directly to retail pricing.
Some tips to better pricing include:
- The goal of your pricing policies is to maximize revenue. That doesn't mean every product should be priced to the maximum the customer can bear, but that collectively your retail pricing structure brings in customers, enhances the brand and reputation of the store and museum, provides value, and—in cultural commerce, unlike commercial retail—has something for every visitor's budget. Value is the worth of something compared to the price paid and is not necessarily synonymous with lowest price.
- The retail price needs to take the Cost of Goods (including costs associated with the development of proprietary product), Freight-in, the recovery of Operating Expenses, allowance for price reductions, discounts and shrinkage, and profit goals into consideration. Since museum stores are rarely charged for rent, the largest operating expense is usually salary and benefits with a wide difference between those museums with a paid staff with benefits and those with volunteer staffing.
- To allow for the full impact of intuitive retail pricing and to maximize margin, determine the probable retail price of a product that is not pre-priced before learning the cost. In other words, evaluate a potential product, determine the probable retail price for your retail environment and then ask the cost. If your gut feeling about the retail price isn't sufficiently above the cost to fit your margin and pricing policies, look for another product that meets your criterion.
- To keep the pricing process as simple as possible, establish a core pricing strategy by department then adjust, if necessary, for individual products. For example, for a department you may initially multiply cost times 2.3-2.5, and then mostly keep the final retail price in that range. However, if perceived value and competition allow, you should increase the retail price to what the market will bear. On the other hand, if perceived value and competition require, you can lower the retail price to a more attractive level. Pricing below your core pricing strategy should be a very rare occurrence. To further simplify the pricing process, the initial markup can include the recovery of standard Freight-in (rather than calculating the distribution of freight costs among all items on an order). A further increase in price may be necessary for extraordinary freight circumstances. This approach balances long-term margin requirements with short-term pricing flexibility.
- Prestige pricing is appropriate for select products in many museum stores. Prestige pricing is the application of an enhanced margin, which may result in comparatively higher prices because of uniqueness, high quality, limited supply or other factors that justify higher prices. Proprietary products, such as one-of-a-kind hand-crafted jewelry, can qualify for prestige pricing. The style of packaging, and merchandising the products in an ambiance that enhances the perceived value, helps to support this pricing.
- Multiple pricing is the selling of multiple products for one price. For example, like the Ohio Statehouse Museum Shop located in Columbus, Ohio, many stores in capitols already sell gift baskets for legislator gift-giving, and the store at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum has had good success packaging a t-shirt and sweatshirt with the same graphic, together. This is more than a strategy for markdowns or sales events, because anecdotal evidence shows that consumers perceive this as value pricing and will spend more.
- Visitors will often follow suggestions of quantity to be bought at a good price. If you suggest how many you want your customers to buy and give them an attractive price, they will often do what you tell them. Five postcards for $4.50 or 10 25¢ rocks are examples.
- Take pricing input from many (staff, suppliers, volunteers, competition), but only one person should set the pricing strategy and specific prices.
- Constantly and consistently measuring various margin-related calculations is an important tool. This includes evaluating the impact of price changes on demand and the resulting revenue and profit. Maintaining a clear record of when pricing changes are made and running customized POS reports to detail the impact will produce definitive analysis of your pricing policies and price changes.
- Incrementally push up the price of higher priced, unique, proprietary and attractive products until the evidence shows that you have reached the maximum acceptable to your visitors within the retail environment of your museum. This limit may be different today than it was three years ago or will be next year, so it's a moving target, but well worth pursuing because of the enhanced profits. Most museums are surprised by how far they can push the price for attractively merchandised products like these.
What other pricing strategies have helped you increase your museum store revenue?
Posted by
Lyn Falk on Fri, May 10, 2013 @ 10:31 AM
Contributed by Lyn Falk, owner, educational speaker and designer at Retailworks Inc, an award-winning, nationally recognized design firm located in Mequon, Wis.
As you know, well-composed, attractive displays move merchandise. Staying on top of planning and creating the sort of visual merchandising displays that engage and inspire shoppers to buy is a smart business move.
Keeping track of what needs to be done and when, can make the difference between pulling off well-thought-out presentations that win accolades and encourage sales, and hastily thrown together displays that don’t. Like so much in life, thinking ahead and having a plan just makes things easier.
Sticking to a Display Planning Calendar also helps keep museum stores looking fresh and interesting. No matter how good a display is, if it's up too long, shoppers will tire of it, then ignore it, then start to think poorly of your business for not taking it down in time. And in today's fast-moving society where consumers are used to change and expect to be entertained, educated or inspired at every turn, you better have a plan!
Here are some tips to keep in mind when planning a 12-month display calendar:
1) Plan ahead, at least three months ahead of the first day of your fiscal year or once you know the calendar for traveling exhibits.
2) Determine display locations, i.e., windows, entrance area, walls, check-out counter, back of store, showcases, etc.
3) Determine number of display changes per area throughout the year, i.e., holidays, seasonal changes, special exhibits, events, sales and promotions.
4) Determine an annual budget. The budget should cover props, supplies, signage and staff time for each display change.
5) Schedule time for planning, designing, purchasing and/or creating props, creating signs, assembling the display, and taking down the display. Determine well ahead of time how long the display will stay up.
6) Develop a supportive ad campaign and/or in-store signage (when necessary).
7) Assign tasks. Obviously, give the creative work to someone who is artistic or has a creative eye. Not everyone was born with this talent!
8) Photograph the display.
9) Evaluate display effectiveness.
10) Make notes for the next time the display is to be installed. Was it effective? Were customer comments positive? Did sales go up? What would you do different next time?
Don't underestimate the power of a well-designed display! How do you plan your displays for the year?
Posted by
Rob Bertke on Fri, May 03, 2013 @ 10:31 AM
Contributed by Rob Bertke, senior vice president of research & development at Sage Payment Solutions, a division of Sage North America.
According to an April 12 report from the Commerce Department, retail sales increased 1.1 percent in February, to $421.4 billion, marking the biggest surge in the retail space since last September. Elevated sales numbers mean additional credit card transactions and, as a result, an increased risk for fraud.
A report from Javelin Strategy & Research found that credit card fraud has increased an alarming 87% since 2010 and accounted for a cumulative total loss of approximately $6 billion. Despite mounting evidence of this growing epidemic, loss as a result of credit card fraud has remained the proverbial elephant in the room for many businesses.
Organizations need to increase their awareness of this growing threat and the rather simple steps they can take to prepare themselves. Here are five tips for businesses of all sizes to keep in mind as they navigate through the economic climate in 2013 and beyond:
1. Immediately deal with any breach. It’s critical to understand that even if all cautious, conservative steps are taken, and the best payment processing security is installed, a breach can still occur. If it does, you must have detailed credit card sales records to refer back to as a means of retracing your steps. This will help in determining when and where the breach took place and therefore mitigate the potential for additional losses. Furthermore, a proper assessment of the initial attack may ultimately provide a trail back to the source of the breach.
2. Maintain PCI Compliance. Not only is it against card brand regulations if you’re not Payment Card Industry (PCI)-compliant when accepting credit or debit cards, but it’s also an absolute must in today’s economic climate. Make certain your payment processing software security is current and is PA-DSS (Payment Application Data Security Standard)-certified, and that your business receives their PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) certification.
PCI certification provides a level of confidence and assurance that a processor has followed and passed a robust set of best practices for securing the information being processed when credit card payments are made. There's no silver bullet here. You have a responsibility to protect your customer’s credit card information, just like you should be protecting all of your customer data.
The depth of the audit required will depend on your business volume and systems but a full PCI audit will offer a scorecard across your business’ payments environment, including all connected back-office applications, allowing you to make critical changes before security holes are exposed by thieves.
3. Use end-to-end encryption for all sensitive data. End-to-end encryption (E2EE) essentially boils down to scrambling the data sent from one device to another. It starts with your payment capture devices, and goes all the way to the transaction being authorized. E2EE technology prevents the card account data from being stolen electronically and lessens the cost and impact for your business to become PCI-certified. A company’s mobile payment devices, credit card terminals, software applications, and online payment portals need built-in encryption functionality when transmitting customer information. Your company should select a payments provider that is technically savvy. Look for a partner that supports E2EE technology. You’ll need to balance cost versus product and service here. Using the low-cost provider could come at the expense of limited product functionality, potential security holes and lower levels of customer service.
4. Prevent tampering. Make certain all employees tasked with the responsibility of accepting credit and debit cards from customers have a working understanding of the looks and functionality of the payment processing equipment they’re using. Scammers often try to tamper with a business’ payment processing equipment in an effort to steal credit card information. Altered equipment usually consists of a small piece of hardware physically attached to the terminal itself. An attentive employee who knows what to look for should be able to easily identify an extra attachment to the device or oddly functioning software.
5. Refrain from storing credit card numbers. To avoid one of the biggest PCI compliance risks, you should do everything in your power to not store credit cards numbers. Look for a payments provider whose platform is designed so credit card information is never stored at your business site or on your business software. Your provider should be able to process the transaction and then store your customers’ card information in a secure “vault” in the cloud. They should provide you with an encrypted ID, so when you want to do another transaction for that same customer, your software can pass the payments provider the encrypted ID so your company never comes in contact with the stored credit card data.
It’s reasonable to have a healthy level of economic optimism, but critical to take the necessary precautions to protect your company’s assets and security. Apply these tips to help ensure credit card scammers aren’t given the opportunity to steal the fruits of your labor.
What steps are you taking to reduce credit card fraud in your museum store?
In a perfect world, reps and museum store buyers would seamlessly connect and work together to help each other succeed. After all, reps and buyers typically have one goal in common—to gain sell-through of products. Yet, despite this shared connection, reps and retail buyers don’t always work hand-in-hand. Often, retailers struggle with even getting their rep’s attention, and when they do have it, many complain of missed communication. To help support you in strengthening your rep relationships, consider the following.
1. Reps are busy, so understand how they prefer to stay in touch. Unlike retailers, reps are on the road often and rarely in one spot for too long. Retailers, on the other hand, are more commonly in their stores and leave for buying trips and conferences on occasion. By understanding this vastly different balance in their day-to-day life, you can better support them in supporting you. When you begin to work with a new rep, consider asking them how they prefer to stay in touch. Are they more of an email kind of person or do they prefer a phone call? Possibly they even prefer a tweet or a text. In theory, they should accommodate your preference of communication; however, this isn’t always the case. Take the initiative to make your relationship more effective by understanding how they like to communicate. From there, you are more likely to get a speedier response to your inquiries.
2. You are busy, so set your boundaries. Have a buying habit you refuse to break? Prefer to place your orders in-person versus over the phone? Whatever your unique buying ways are, be sure your reps know about them. Don’t waste your time or their time trying to “figure each other out.” Simply identify up front, in a polite and professional fashion, any expectations you have with your rep. Making things clear and easily understood can help eliminate mistakes in buys—as well as strengthen your relationship.
3. You have a calendar they need to know about. While your buying calendar may mimic theirs, your store event and museum calendars are likely not on their radars. Make sure they are up to date in both your museum and store events and promotions, offering them a chance to better support you. Whether it’s offering giveaways for select events or simply identifying a product that makes sense for your inventory, they will support you better if they know everything they can about your store. All reps should be updated on store news, store events and store changes on a regular basis.
Finally, keep your lines of communication open. If you skip a buy from a rep one season but don’t plan on completely shutting the door to them, stay in touch. Naturally, they’ll appreciate it, but more importantly, you will be able to gain first-hand product news more regularly.
At the end of the day, a rep relationship is no different than any relationship. It takes two to make things work as best they can, but put yourself in the driver’s seat to ensure your rep relationships work on your terms.
What other advice do you have for creating strong and long-lasting relationships between vendors and museum store buyers?
We just got back from the 58th MSA Retail Conference & Expo in Los Angeles where we met lots of great people, saw amazing products and heard some great ideas. Here are a few highlights:
Social media is like throwing a party! You need to look at other people’s parties to get ideas and determine why someone would want to stay at your party.—Practical Social Media Workshop: From Your Store to Social and Back with Jason McDonald, JM Internet Group
Think you’re a buyer for your museum store? According to Paul Erickson, you’re actually an investment broker.—Inventory Is Your Retail Heart, Is It Healthy? with Paul Erickson, RMSA
When working with local vendors make sure to educate your staff on each artist’s story and remind customers their purchases put money back into the local economy.—ShopTalk Live: 10-Minute Topics with Sally Struever, Portland Museum of Art
Fewer choices are better; you’ll get more people to buy.—The Secret Psychology of Consumers with Kit Yarrow, Ph.D.
Did you know? 18-24-year-olds average 510 text messages per day.—Gen Y Decoded: Insights and Tactics for Marketers with Kit Yarrow, Ph.D.
Signage really helps if you have the space, but nothing is better than well-trained and educated staff.—Science & Natural History Museums Discussion Group
Social media is not free when it comes to time.—Spark Session: Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Social Media with Jason McDonald, JM Internet Group
Tips for selling books: expand your exhibition titles (your customers are culturally savvy), draw on your staff’s interests, mix up merchandise with books in displays, hold book events like readings and signings, and keep your store spruced up.—Partnering With Publishers for Profits Panel
Take a risk. But if you try co-op buying with another store in your area, the financial risk is not as great.—Expo Learning Theater: Top 10 Things You Need to Know About International Buying with Laura Murphy, The Preservation Society of Newport County
"Just when I think I am done shopping and have covered the whole Expo floor, I come back the next day and find something new. I just placed more orders!"—Museum store buyer as she was leaving the MSA Expo
What tips and advice did you discover at the 2013 Conference?
Posted by
Brad Smith on Fri, Apr 12, 2013 @ 11:30 AM
Contributed by Brad Smith, executive vice president, customer experience, for Sage North America, who has nearly 20 years of leadership experience in the web consumer, enterprise software, and communication service provider industries, spanning sales and marketing, product management and development, service architecture, and service/support delivery roles.
Carnival Cruise Lines suffered yet another incident on March 14, shining a spotlight on the importance of customer experience once again. After reading about more than 4,000 people getting stranded on a cruise ship in less-than-ideal living conditions for the second time in a matter of weeks, I wondered what small businesses would do in a crisis situation. Providing an exceptional customer experience can make all the difference for your company, brand and customers, even in a time of crisis. With that in mind, here are some strategies that could help you turn a crisis into a positive situation.
- Address the issue with empathy. We’ve all seen this before: a company does something wrong and skirts around the issue. Whether you’re a big business or a small one, your public wants an explanation, acknowledgement of the toll your actions have had on your customers, and details on what actions you’re going to take to resolve the situation. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s all in how you correct it.
- Apologize. Think about this in your personal life. Doesn’t a sincere apology go a long way? Does a sincere apology singlehandedly remedy a crisis situation in the business world? Of course not, but a sincere apology will humanize your company and spokesperson, while delivering confidence at a time when it’s needed most.
- Exceed expectations through full transparency. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What would you want done to rectify the situation? Whatever the answer is, do that action, plus one thing. One of the very best things you can do to extend your relationship with that customer is to fully disclose the root causes of the issues and the steps you are taking to arrest and address it. Customers want the companies they do business with to make things right. Even when it seems nothing will help, the effort will be appreciated.
- Keep promises and be honest. This goes along with exceeding expectations. Whatever you’ve promised your customers, deliver it, and deliver it well. It’s as simple as that. It’s better to under promise and over deliver than the opposite. Don’t promise more than you can provide, and never lie through omission; it will be found out in the end.
- Take to the social channels. It’s important to have a crisis communication plan in place before you begin to tweet and blog, but the most important thing to remember is silence can be your worst enemy. Don’t let your customers wonder what’s happening. That will only upset them further. Remember, your customers are living in a world of instant information. The more prepared you are, the better.
- Focus on the customers you do have. So often companies focus on acquiring new sales and clients. When your reputation is on the line, ensure your current customers are the number one priority.
Let Carnival Cruise Lines be an example of the importance of having a plan to provide an exceptional customer experience during a time of crisis. Doing so will instill confidence in your company and go a long way in enhancing long-term customer loyalty.
What other customer service tips would you use to defuse a crisis situation in your museum store?
As we get ready to head to Los Angeles for the 2013 MSA Conference & Expo, here are just some of the things we’re looking forward to:
1. Library Store on Wheels
The second we saw the photos of this food-truck-turned-mobile-library-store, we knew we wanted to check it out! In addition to some very cool products on board, the idea of having a mobile store is so intriguing, which is why we asked the Library Foundation of Los Angeles to present an entire session on how they made it work.
2. Networking event at FIDM
Oscar fashions, a mashed potato “martini bar,” an open bar and visiting with MSA members and affiliates…what more could we ask for?
3. MSA Membership Meeting
We are excited to present MSA’s new executive director/CEO and incoming board members, review the past year’s accomplishments and share some of what we have planned for the upcoming year. We also have a fun little opening to the meeting planned…see what your peers have to say about being an MSA member.
4. Members Market
We love the new format for this event because it coincides with a product development panel and there’s a chocolate fountain! The custom products developed by the museum stores exhibiting at Members Market are always worth checking out. And, did I mention there would be chocolate?
5. Mobile App
We are excited to share this with all the Conference attendees! Download the app to your SmartPhone and you can view the full event schedule, get detailed information on exhibitors, speakers and sponsors, share contact information with other attendees and get important updates throughout the Conference. So much information in the palm of your hand!
Not able to attend in person? Make sure to follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, or download the mobile app and you’ll almost feel like you’re there with us!
In case you missed them, here are some of the most popular articles for nonprofit retailers from the past quarter:
10 big retail trends from the 2012 holiday shopping season
TIME
What did the 2012 holidays teach us about the current state of shoppers—and, of course, the places where they shop? Here are 10 notable trends.
6 tips for creating an optimal retail store layout
Intuit Small Business Blog
Mom-and-pop shop owners may not realize the impact that a retail store's layout can have on sales. But studies show that a less-than-ideal arrangement of product displays, check-out and service counters, or aisles influences consumer behavior in subtle but powerful ways. Here are six tips for creating an optimal retail store layout.
Why gift cards may be dying trend
CNBC
Retailers should be buzzing right now with holiday gift card redemptions. But, there's early evidence retailers aren't getting much of a boost from gift cards this year.
13 tips for e-commerce success in 2013
Practical Ecommerce
Many e-commerce businesses owners will soon perform a year-end count of their product inventory. For many merchants, this process will determine cost of goods sold—and profit—for the year. Beyond your products, however, you also should critique your entire business. As you close your books and review your financial performance, analyze other goals you set for the year—for all aspects of your business.
Why the best managers ask the most questions
Entrepreneur
When your employees ask for help, how you respond can either empower them to find a solution or make them dependent on your input. One simple response consistently empowers employees: answering with a question instead of a statement.
What were the hot topics for you this past quarter?
If you're not already getting Culture & Commerce News Brief, make sure to sign up to receive the latest MSA and industry news affecting nonprofit retail managers and buyers.
Contributed by Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, Founder & Editorial Director of Retail Minded, the nation’s only retail lifestyle publication dedicated to supporting retailers through news, education and support.
As a nonprofit retail professional, you are faced with many challenges. Among them, deciding which tradeshow will best support your buying goals. Whether you sell collectibles, calendars or candy, it’s important to maximize your buying dollars and your tradeshow experience. Selecting a show with a diverse inventory allows you to stretch your time and your choices; however, you want to be sure to stay focused on your museum’s core mission and your store’s core customers when selecting your inventory.
While buying trips can be fun, they are also a lot of work and can be exhausting, as well. To help support you in your tradeshow planning, consider these tips:
1. Identify what you want to accomplish at the show, listing “must have” products you need to buy and creating a “wish list” of categories or products you hope to purchase, as well. Having a list to refer to will help you stay focused, and keep you on budget.
2. Become familiar with the staple show exhibitors in advance, and schedule appointments with must see vendors when possible. This will keep you on track and focused. Leave room for the unexpected vendors you will discover, while also planning for the exhibitors you know you need to see.
3. Pack your walking shoes. Too many times retailers avoid visiting certain exhibitors simply because it’s “too far” to walk or their “feet hurt.” This is no excuse to skimp out on your store buying. Plan to bring comfortable shoes—even if it means swapping out your heels to flip flops mid-day.
4. Plan your fun nights in advance, and dedicate some down time as well. Whether your show is in New York, Las Vegas or somewhere in between, tradeshows offer more than buying and can often lure buyers to too much fun. For some, this isn’t as tempting. For others, this is enough to keep them from setting their alarm clocks. A night out is well deserved; just factor this into your buying schedule.
5. Take a bag that allows you to carry all the promotional materials, buyer’s packets and other vendor giveaways that you will receive. Some prefer to use something with wheels, others use backpacks and yet other’s carry fashionable purses. It’s really your call here—just be sure to have something. In addition, when possible, request that vendors send you their promotional materials directly to your email. It’s “greener” and saves your back from hauling piles of papers around all day.
6. Pack and give away plenty of business cards. Networking is a huge part of tradeshows, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to connect with someone. Often this means connecting with vendors, and other times this means connecting with potential museum visitors or like-minded buyers from different parts of the country. And, don’t just give away cards—be sure to collect them, as well!
7. Take advantage of show seminars, educational events and other learning opportunities. Whether you attend one seminar or every seminar provided, this is a great learning opportunity. Take full advantage of this, bringing back to your museum store more than just product, but useful knowledge, as well.
8. Avoid wasting your time with vendors you don’t plan to buy from. If you are learning something from them or considering them for a future purchase, that’s one thing. However, it’s too easy to just chit-chat and not stay focused. Time is precious at these shows, so use your time in the most advantageous ways you can.
9. Evaluate your show experience once you return to your store. Your goal should be to have met your buying needs, accomplished your educational and networking goals and feel that your investment for the show was worth it. Remember that maximizing your show experience is your ultimate goal.
Are you attending the MSA Retail Conference & Expo in Los Angeles? If so, how will you use these tips?