nickshanagher

Two quick stories on achievement. Don Fisher, who died this week, founded Gap in San Franciso, with his wife Doris, because he had an idea that he could make it easier to buy a pair of jeans. It was 1969 and he was 41 and his business went from one shop to 3,100 and sales of $14.5bn. In addition to having a neat idea, he also hired some great people. Will Adderley, whose parents set up what has become Dunelm, the 97 outlet and growing soft furniture chain, says his company is successful because it retains the values of a small business: cost control, tight recruitment and a focus on the core customer. Dunelm is 10 years younger than Gap but is now being talked about as a competitor to John Lewis. It may be that our businesses will never grow like these but we need to take inspiration from the success of these family businesses. When you get up every morning, be optimistic and think about how you will make your business work better for your shoppers.

How hard: it depends how big you are and how much you know about your customers. For a large multiple, a huge amount of science goes into developing deals for their shoppers. They try to deliver promotions that are timely and targeted. They have complex buying, marketing and merchandising operations to keep synchronised. For a local shop, you can see the customer you want to focus on and you can ask them what they are looking for. Next you can source the deal and then deliver it on time in your one location. However, if you want to maximise the investment of suppliers in your promotion, then you need to impose greater discipline. If you want to earn overrider payments, you have to take promotions designed for the average shopper, not your own customers. If you choose to step up a level, then you need to improve your own disciplines. The first thing you need to do is tell yourself that you will have regular promotions. Perhaps 13 times a year, perhaps more. Some could be obvious...

In my business, we have started our 2010 budget process and no-one is happy about having to put words and numbers on what they think will happen next year - and still do their day jobs! As a publishing company that serves independent retailers, our success is linked to two things: the need for local shopkeepers to find out what is going on and to act on it; and the willingness of major suppliers to invest in the independent channel. At some point, both depend on the willingness of shoppers to visit their local shops and spend money. Therefore I am always keen to read what the major groups are saying about the future and two leaders of major UK quoted companies were offering their thoughts last week. Obviously, they are talking up their current performance and warning of trouble ahead because the indicators for the UK economy are still weighted to the down side rather than the up side. Justin King of Sainsbury says that today's shopper is "coming out of their shell a bit...

The Somerfield shop in my village has started to share co-branding with the Co-op, which bought the chain earlier this year. A pair of workers, one wearing Somerfield attire and one Co-op, hug each other in the bottom left hand side. Co-op point of sale now appears instore, clashing slightly with the fixtures. At the counter I ask the assistant if they are going to have the membership cards. This lady is not hugging anyone. I don't know, she says. They don't tell us anything. Next to this shop we have a One Stop, which is owned by Tesco but not branded in any way, shape or form. They share a car park, which is convenient, and shoppers can quickly walk from one to the other if either is out of stock. This weekend, I was in need of a certain brand of tonic water. The own label in the Co-op was not what I wanted. One-stop only stocked the slimline version. I asked the assistant there if this was always the case. She fixed me with a steely look and answered me by saying th...

Kevin Jones, who runs a shop in Hawarden, Clywd, has identified another tricky detail when the VAT rate jumps back up 2.5% to 17.5% in January: price-marked stock. In particular he is thinking about tobacco products, where the margins are already thin. Obviously, stock management from now to December will need to be good. Cigarettes are a product with a relatively high stockturn (you need to be sure that you sell through all your price-marked stock), which means that planning your buying ensures you avoid problems. Risk management requires planning ahead and attending to the detail so that you avoid losses. It doesn't increase your wealth but it simply has to be done.

The October 2009 issue of Which, the consumers' bible, provides a helpful double page diagram revealing 10 secrets of how supermarkets position goods to make shoppers buy more. There will be no surprises for a local retailer who is paying attention but the simplicity of the presentation is useful in thinking about how well you are executing your strategy in-store. "Look right" is tip number six, saying: "Most of us look right when we enter the shop - so that's where supermarkets put current deals...[which] can be brought out at a moment's notice - if it starts raining heavily, you may see umbrellas appear hear". If your layout will not accommodate a 'deals zone', you should still pay attention to what shoppers see when they look right - this will set the tone for their visit. (Also note the presumption to action, with the best stores being able to quickly change their displays and offer. That is quite a challenge!) If you take time to look out ...

I was looking at the bench outside the village hall on Saturday evening as the local youth gathered, thinking how the faces change but the attitudes remain the same. The mood changes from bored, to sad, to rowdy, to occasionally menacing. Occasional trips to the local stores ensue, where their older siblings are often employed. Which brought to mind an article by up-market columnist Tyler Brûlé in which he discoursed about the bench outside his shop in Marylebone high street; how it activated the street and created a sense of community. He wrote: "One of the most valuable lessons we’ve learned since moving into the shopkeeping business last November is the importance of offering people a place to sit. The addition of a simple teak bench in front of our London shop a month ago has revealed a number of interesting facts about human behaviour and modern urban planning. The first is that the sheer number of men and women – both young and old – who take up a place on the bench to rest ...