RETAILOBSERVER.COM MARCH 2016
4
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com
Until next time,
MARCH 2016, VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3
CELEBRATING OUR 27
TH
YEAR
AS THE RETAIL OBSERVER
PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR
E LIANA BARRIGA
DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING
MOE LASTFOGEL
ART DIRECTOR
TERRY PRICE
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
ADAM BUTCH
JIM CAMPBELL
CHAD FISCHER
ERIC GUNDERSEN
MITCHELL KLEIN
DEREK MATTILA
DOUG STEWART
JOHN TSCHOHL
E LLY VALAS
LIBBY WAGNER
DAVE WORKMAN
DEADLINE FOR MAY 2016 ISSUE:
APRIL 1, 2016
THE RETAIL OBSERVER
2764 N. Green Valley Pkwy, Suite 508
Henderson, NV 89014-2121
800.393.0509 • 702.208.9500
Fax 702.570.5664
production@retailobserver.com
info@retailobserver.com
www.retailobserver.com
To receive a copy of The Retail Observer
online, or to unsubscribe, please go to
www.retailobserver.com/subscribe
The Retail Observer website is hosted by Market Digitally
Printed on Recycled Paper
THE RETAIL
A
nyone who has ever painted their walls gray knows how hard it is to
the get just the right shade. As in all paint color choices–the color
takes on different hues depending on the lighting, flooring and the other
colors reflecting from within the room and even from the outside! Gray is
like the chameleon of the paint world.
I had a wall full of samples that looked "gray" in the paint store and on
the swatches, but weren't even remotely gray when I painted them on the
real walls. But WOW! After taking the time to find the right shade and
undertones for the space, the results were well worth the time and effort.
The gray walls tied everything together perfectly creating the perfect foil
to highlight the furniture, paintings and accessories in the room, making
them "Pop"!
So, what's your gray area? That part of your business you haven't
gotten just right yet? It could be your POS, inventory or accounting
systems. How about your show floor displays and store signage? Maybe
it's your marketing strategy? Or could it be keeping your staff trained and
motivated? Oh yes, you've tried working on these areas here and there
but never quite got them working the way they should. But since they
don't cause a whole lot of disruption in your business, it's easy enough to
just ignore these areas and let them blend into the background of your
day to day operations. But what if you actually took the time to get them
right? How much better would your business run, look or feel?
We are all going to have gray areas in our business. But we can choose
to treat them like ugly burdens that reflect our lack of effort or beautiful
additions that highlight our accomplishments.
WHAT ARE YOUR
GRAY AREAS?
Elle's View As I See It
