Stop Shaming Non Voters

In the 1980's the US began an all out assault on teen drug abuse through various PSA campaigns. Clearly if these innocent minds were only made aware of the horrors of drug use they would abandon any notion of getting high again. However, most research has suggested they had exactly the opposite impact. As Shaunacy …

Could Reusable Shipping Boxes Help Save The Planet?

It's no secret that the apparel industry isn't great for the environment, but I don't think most people know just how bad it really is. After big oil, it's the worst polluter on the planet. That's right all you (and me) people buying protest t-shirts online, that won't be relevant in six months, to march …

In Defense Of Those ******* Scooters

  The internet has spoken and it hates electric scooter rentals. The non-internet, however, seems to be in conflict with it’s more image conscious self. It appears that when people aren’t posting videos of how badass they are for kicking them over they are, in-fact, riding them. Some municipalities have straight up banned them, while …

Top Five Tips To Avoid Trade Show Traps

  I am currently on a flight to New York for another season of trade shows. I am thankful that I am missing the 110 degree heat of the August apparel shows in Vegas for the first time in 12 years. The two straight weeks of travel, convention centers and showrooms I have embarked on …

How SCOTUS Sales Tax Ruling Will Hurt Small Retailers

I was having drinks with a friend who is in a fairly large band a few years ago. Since my days as a touring musician never produced a net profit, the way taxes are structured for performers never occurred to me. They had to produce a return each year for every municipality in which they …

Sales vs. Service

  In 2016 Nordstrom spent 1.7% of total revenue on advertising. Macy’s spent almost three times as much at 5.5%. What else do you need to see to stop investing in promotional schemes and start investing in people and authenticity?  What is more, this didn’t surprise me in the least. I was so confident that this …

Everyone Loses The Race To The Bottom

Why I don't believe in off-price retails future.

E-Com, And Why You Maybe Shouldn’t

Small brick and mortar retailers are all enchanted by the siren song of e-commerce. Virtually every POS at this point has a native e-com platform that sync's your inventory, solving what was an almost impossible hurdle for non enterprise level businesses just 5-7 years ago. It feels like all you have to do is flip …