The Secret to Retail: The Secret to Success in Retail

By Sam Cambron

There are many retail stores in the world -some successful, others not so successful. It’s no secret that the retail industry is a trillion dollar industry within the United States alone. Some companies have such a great product, that they are successful, but they could be providing more. Few retailers know The Secret to Retail –but those brands that do, and implement it are successful. Other brands clearly do not get it.

I wrote this book to empower retail business owners, which consists of those who are and those who aspire to be managers -at all levels, including directors, and even CEO’s looking for a new vision. I want to inspire each of you to be the leader that helps lead change within your brand. Whether you’re a Sales Associate with the goal of becoming a manager, or a Director of Stores who’s been stagnant for ten years –allow this book to develop you. I want to share what I have found to be the secret to success in retail, and unfortunately for most companies it is still a secret. I want to provide you a short eleven-chapter book that you can read, reference, review and then pass on to your team(s) and those whom you mentor. I hope to empower the retail industry with this book, to put in place the important keys to a rich and rewarding retail environment. In addition, I hope to show you HOW to use the Secret to Retail to your advantage, making your brand one that we love, one that leaves a love mark on all of us, and one that keeps us coming back again and again for a taste of that Secret to Retail.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483520506

Book preview

Beach

PREFACE

I have been in the specialty retail industry for over ten years and have had the privilege to work with some of the world’s top and most recognizable brands. I have enjoyed positions from Sales Associate to District Manager and even CEO. I have seen much success but I have also failed a few times. During my time with these brands, I have learned lessons that made the brands and me successful. But not every brand fully understood these lessons. They were only pieces to the pie with every company where I worked. Like many of you, during my tenure I realized the difference between an employee and a business owner. I have always considered myself a business owner, because regardless of whose name was on the door, I treated each store as if it were my own. I wanted the absolute best for my store as well as the brand I represented.

There are many retail stores in the world, some successful, others not so successful. It’s no secret that the retail industry generates trillions of dollars in sales within the United States alone! Some companies have such a great product that they are successful but they could be better because they are still missing the important key to retail. Few retailers know The Secret to Retail; but those brands that do and implement it are the most successful. Other brands clearly do not get it.

We are all consumers but not all of us are leaders in the retail world. The leaders in the Retail world are valuable and can change the course of the retail industry. In addition to providing a great service, you can also increase your business sales, provide a strong fiscal future for your brand and yourself, and more importantly, change lives! If you are a retail leader then this book is for you.

CHAPTER 1

From My Retail Experience

FROM MY RETAIL EXPERIENCE

Before I begin to really get into the meat and potatoes of The Secret to Retail, let me tell you a little about myself and why I felt compelled to write this book. Throughout the book I will mention values and characteristics of companies and people within the retail industry, but won’t mention them by name, with a few exceptions. However, their characteristics may clearly distinguish them to those of you familiar with the retail industry. I fully understand that no one is perfect; every brand has their opportunities. The point is not to focus on the brand and what their respected issues are, but to learn from those issues; this is how we develop. After all, who knows what is really happening at the store while you are away? You cannot control what happens every day in your store; you can only lead, develop, and properly motivate your team to desire the best for their brand. I’ve learned that if you create followers, then they will try hard to not let you down and will strive to meet the same standards you have set for yourself.

When I entered my first management position in specialty retail in 2004, I joined a world famous brand. The brand knew a lot about the store experience and hiring people that represented the brand, but they did not fully provide an amazing experience to the customer, because they left out a very important piece of the pie; they provided little rapport with the customer. It was apparent that the people in these stores were not there to help or to offer assistance. It seemed they were only there to be props and provide three-dimensional marketing. They provided an image but did not seem to care about the customer, which should have been their main focus. They focused