Bobbi Ogle has her hands full. She's getting used to a new location, figuring out a new clientele, building her Facebook presence and looking for new sources. Welcome to retail, right?

Ogle owns Interior Motives, an interior design business in Nevada, Mo., a city  of about 13,000 located between Kansas City, Kansas, and Joplin, Mo.  In February, she moved her studio and store from a historic area to a building she bought on the square downtown.

The increased visibility has meant a new clientele, one that seeks gifts. In response, Ogle has added more cash-and-carry items. While shoppers might find a design showroom intimidating, they aren't shy about browsing in a retail store, she said.

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending Ocean City, NJ's annual congregation of small retailers, its mile-long Block Party, where over 400 independent retailers set up stands and invited the public to stroll freely amongst them as the people ate, shopped, and perused the offerings.  Everything from cookies to clothing to crafts lined the street, and musicians played family-friendly music while kettle corn was popped and pizza was baked.  A first-class fireworks show ended the evening.  A full description of the event can be found here.

For New Yorker's, Fashion Week is a holiday. Whether you work in fashion or not, you can't help but be swept up in bustle of models, shows, beautiful apparel and celebrities.
When most think of fashion labels, we think of large, international corporations, but actually most fashion designers and labels in New York are independent retailers trying to make their business' profitable like any other independent retailer.

A focus on margins, not inventory

How to sell wall décor

A product I like

Retailer marketing

A new campaign for furniture

I.O. Metro is a retailer to know

Signs of life in the luxury market

A product I like

Companies and People in the news

Philly's craft show, NY's gift show

A retailer to know

A lot of talk is circulating about 'How to get customers in the doors'... well, let me ask you this: If they are not coming into your store, where are they going? According to Country Living magazine, many of them are chosing to shop at events termed 'the new retail wave' (July issue).

At last month's stationery show in New York City, I noticed that many retailers shared one major gripe given the current state of the economy: trouble with getting customers in the door to the store.  It seemed many of you commented that the trouble didn't lie insomuch as converting these browsers to buyers (since we all know you have absolutely fabulous merchandise!) but just pulling customers inside your store.

Living in New York where there is so much stimuli at every moment and something else distracting on every corner, I realized retailers especially here must put on their game faces to truly get customers inside.

I'd love to bring attention to Cinda Baxter's 3/50 Project which encourages consumers to look to spending $50 a month at 3 different local stores.  As business owners, we know how important it is that consumers support our local shops which helps keep money in the community- whether it is through wages, taxes, or even charity support.  This is the very lifeline which keeps you in businesses as a store owner.

As independent retailers, we are always on the lookout for unique products that won’t be found on the shelves of our big box brethren.