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	<title>Specialty Retail Expert</title>
	<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com</link>
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		<title>Small Space Merchandising</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Today I received an email from a hospital gift manager asking for a few suggestions on how she could improve her visual merchandising display. One of her biggest challenges is that the hospital never created a large enough space for the store, so she&#039;s operating in a very small area. After reviewing her store photos, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com/2008/08/19/small-space-merchandising/</link>
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		<title>Your Secret Weapon for Success this Holiday Season—Email Your Customers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the biggest challenges facing retailers this holiday season is how to drive more customers to your store and get them to buy your products. Considering the economy, now is the time. It&#039;s absolutely critical to reach your customers via email blasts at least once a month. Why? If done right it can lead [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com/2008/08/18/your-secret-weapon-for-success-email-your-customers/</link>
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		<title>Value Pricing—A Possible Marketing Strategy for the Holiday Season</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I just read about an interesting research study which found that value-oriented customers perceive some products to have more value when presented with prices that end in the number &#034;9&#034; vs. those with &#034;0&#034; price endings. But a while back I did a blog post about a research study that found that perceived value could [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com/2008/08/15/value-pricing-marketing-strategy-for-the-holidays/</link>
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		<title>Gearing Up for the Holiday Season</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I was interviewed today by an editor for a magazine that is geared to dance studio retailers and she asked me what advice I would give her retailers for this holiday season. My immediate response was, &#034;more important than ever before, don&#039;t take a wait-and-see approach—be proactive.&#034;
Then I suggested that retailers focus on four core [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com/2008/08/13/gearing-up-for-the-holiday-season/</link>
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		<title>Five Elements to Creating an Award-Winning Window Display</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Our visual merchandiser and I just got back from a two-day makeover of a camera store in New England. The owner had really great front window space, but wasn&#039;t fully optimizing it. Here are five tips to consider when building an effective window display for your store:
Determine a theme&#8230; Let the theme of the window [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com/2008/07/31/five-elements-to-creating-an-award-winning-window-display/</link>
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		<title>Five Tips for Redesigning A Website that Delivers More Sales</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you&#039;ve been reading this blog over the past year, you probably know by now how strongly I believe in a vibrant web presence. I&#039;m excited to announce that our webmaster, Allisyn Deyo, has been hard at work redesigning our company websites, and the first one finished is GIFTSHOPMag.com. I hope you&#039;ll check it out—especially [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com/2008/07/24/five-tips-for-redesigning-a-website-that-delivers-more-sales/</link>
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		<title>Retail Competition at its Best</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When I&#039;m traveling, I always make a point of visiting local retailers, not only to observe new retail concepts, but also to see different merchandising ideas and products (and to shop, of course!). On the the island of Oahu, Waikiki Beach is known for its shopping—in addition to the fabulous beaches. The shops are open [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com/2008/07/21/retail-competition-at-its-best/</link>
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		<title>Reward Your Customers for Recycling</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I just found out about a clever green marketing strategy that Saks Fifth Avenue has adopted. They&#039;ve made an enticing offer to their customers—bring in your used bottle of perfume (regardless of brand), purchase a new bottle of perfume and they&#039;ll give you a refillable pocket spray free. In addition, all Bond No. 9 brand [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com/2008/07/15/reward-your-customers-for-recycling/</link>
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		<title>Think Green</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Three months ago, I blogged about the exciting news that we&#039;re launching a new magazine, GREEN Retailer, focused on providing eco-friendly resources for the gift and home furnishings industry. 
Since announcing the launch, we&#039;ve received hundreds of inquiries from retailers and wholesalers across the country, so I&#039;m excited to say our premiere issue is debuting [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com/2008/07/14/think-green/</link>
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		<title>A New Place for the Retail Industry to Connect</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#039;m on vacation this week in Hawaii and yesterday I stopped by a local mall with a very large cart program. Usually when I go to a cart, I meet an employee or a manager, but at this program, I was particularly impressed by the number of owners who were onsite working.  
At one [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://specialtyretailexpert.com/2008/07/08/a-new-place-for-the-retail-industry-to-connect/</link>
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