Podcasts about retail doctor

Running a successful niche retail business takes more than just passion—it requires strategy, creativity, and the ability to adapt. In this episode of Retail Therapy, Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor, sits down with Richard Matney, owner of Board Game Paradise, to talk about the realities of running and expanding a specialty store.Richard shares the challenges of needing space for a second location, the importance of understanding your target audience, and how he keeps his store fresh and exciting for both new and loyal customers. Bob and Richard also discuss the tools and technologies—like Manus.im and Claude.ai—that can help retailers stay competitive, and why thinking differently with AI is becoming essential in the modern marketplace.[1:12] Richard introduces his business and the retail challenge he's facing[3:30] Outgrowing the first space—and finding room for a second location[10:32] Knowing your target audience and designing around them[16:28] Tools and platforms that can strengthen your market strategy[19:37] Keeping your retail experience fresh and engaging[28:34] Learning to think differently and embrace AI innovation[33:54] Navigating contracts, releases, and landlord relationships[39:33] Why diversification is key to long-term stabilityJoin the Rooted in Retail Facebook Group to continue the conversation Join our newsletter for all the latest marketing news for retailers Show off your super fandom by getting your Rooted in Retail Merch!

Spirit Halloween is getting in on the Christmas game as it expands into the holiday space across the Chicago area. Bob Phibbs, CEO of the Retail Doctor in New York, joins Rob Hart on the WBBM Noon Business Hour with the details... New York, NY

While many shopping centers and retail complexes across the country are struggling, top-tier malls remain strong - performing as well as ever. Bob Phibbs, CEO of the Retail Doctor in New York, joins Rob Hart on the WBBM Noon Business Hour to explain.

Gen-Z shoppers are reshaping retail - prioritizing values, ethics, and brand alignment over price and fast fashion trends. Bob Phibbs, CEO of the Retail Doctor in New York, joins Rob Hart on the WBBM Noon Business Hour with the details.

Join Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor, and his special guest, Ben from No Bounds Digital, as they dive into strategies to stop losing online leads. This insightful webinar is packed with actionable tips to enhance your website and CRM, ensuring you convert visitors into loyal customers. Discover the secrets behind successful email marketing strategies and learn how to fix common website issues that might be hindering your business growth. From optimizing shopping cart abandonment strategies to improving website functionality, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to boost their online presence. Get ready to uncover the importance of a fast-loading website, effective retargeting ads, and compelling offers that make your business stand out. Plus, gain insights into how to engage and retain existing customers using your web presence. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a retail newbie, this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice to help you take your business to the next level. Don't miss out on learning how to make your website and CRM work harder for you!

Welcome back to another exciting deep dive! In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked yet incredibly powerful practice of customer greetings, guided by the insights of Bob Fibbs, the renowned "Retail Doctor." Discover how these initial interactions can transform a customer's experience in brick-and-mortar stores, creating a lasting impact on their perception and spending behavior. We delve into Fibbs' six essential rules for crafting effective customer greetings, emphasizing the importance of genuine engagement, anticipating customer needs, and striking the right balance between attentiveness and space. Learn why traditional approaches like asking "Can I help you?" may backfire and how to create a welcoming atmosphere that fosters customer loyalty. Join us as we unpack the art of greeting customers with warmth and sincerity, much like a politician working a room. Whether you're a business owner or manager, these strategies could be the key to boosting your bottom line and building lasting relationships with your customers. Tune in and discover how a simple greeting can unlock retail success! Check out the full blog post here 

Join retail experts Bob Phibbs (the Retail Doctor), Paul Landry (Lightspeed Commerce), and Andrew Duffy (SparkPlug) as we unpack the secrets to transforming grumpy retail employees into engaged, high-performing team members. In this eye-opening episode, discover how effective onboarding can set the stage for success, learn to leverage cutting-edge technology for improved employee performance, and explore innovative incentive strategies that actually work. Whether you're a seasoned retail manager or a small business owner, you'll gain actionable insights to create a positive work environment, boost customer satisfaction, and drive sales. Don't miss this power-packed discussion on turning your retail workplace from lackluster to legendary – because, as we reveal, happy employees don't just perform better, they're less likely to spit in your coffee!

Welcome to the Checkout, where we dive deeper into the minds of our guests to learn more about their personal experiences and insights. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking two leading figures in consumer research.Anastasia Lloyd-Wallis is a Research and Insights Specialist at Retail Doctor Group. She brings a wealth of knowledge about how emotions and personality traits drive consumer loyalty and is passionate about understanding the unique behaviours of Gen Z and Gen Alpha.Martin Filz, CEO of Pure Profile, is an experienced leader in consumer insights and data analytics. Known for his innovative thinking, Martin is an avid user of AI for generating creative solutions and uncovering valuable insights from data. Join us as we explore Anastasia and Martin's personal take on brands, tech and the retail landscape.Revisit our full-length conversation with our guests: The Dos and Don'ts of Loyalty Schemes with Martin Filz from Pureprofile and Anastasia Lloyd-Wallis from Retail Doctor Group | #421Learn more about Gymshark's innovative retail experience at their London Store.Listen to insightful episodes of the Diary of a CEO podcast.Explore the Blinkist app for book summaries in 15 minutes.Tune into Retail Doctor Group's Future of Retail and Consumer Podcast for the latest retail insights.About your host: Nathan Bush from Add To CartNathan Bush is an ecommerce consultant specialising in digital and ecommerce transformation.. He has led eCommerce for businesses with revenue $100m+ and has been recognised as one of Australia's Top 50 People in eCommerce four years in a row. You can contact Nathan on LinkedIn or via email.Please contact us if you: Want to come on board as an Add To Cart sponsor Are interested in joining Add To Cart as a co-host Have any feedback or suggestions on how to make Add To Cart betterEmail hello@addtocart.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With August just two weeks away, students and parents are putting together their back-to-school shopping lists. Bob Phibbs, CEO of the Retail Doctor in New York, joins Rachel Pierson on the WBBM Noon Business Hour discuss the financial impact of back-to-school shopping and how inflation and modern tech needs are driving up costs. Bob shares insights into the National Retail Federation's statistics, highlighting an average spend of $875, which for some families rivals their holiday budgets. We explore how teachers are also feeling the pinch, often having to budget for classroom supplies themselves. Bob provides valuable advice for parents looking to find deals and manage expenses, especially during major sales events like Amazon's Prime Day and similar promotions from other retailers like Macy's and Target. Finally, Bob suggests a collaborative approach to managing these costs by involving extended family members who might be eager to contribute to the students' academic success. Tune in for practical tips and strategies to make back-to-school shopping more manageable.

In this episode of Add To Cart, we are joined by Martin Filz. CEO of Pureprofile and Anastasia Lloyd-Wallis Chief Operating Officer & Head of Insights at Retail Doctor Group. Experts in research and retail, Martin and Anastasia collected data from 1000 people across all demographics to generate ‘How To Grow Consumer Loyalty' and they join us to share the findings. In this chat, Martin and Anastasia share what customers want from a loyalty programme, they discuss the attention economy and the Gen Z customer and critical issues of safety and privacy. Plus, we also get insights into the surprising thing that happens to loyalty as consumers get older. Links from the episode:PureprofileRetail Doctor GroupDeliver In Person (sponsored)Shopify Plus (sponsored)Questions answered:What are the most popular loyalty program types?What are the key incentives that drive customer loyalty? What are the key elements that make the execution of a loyalty program successful? This episode was brought to you by… Deliver In PersonShopify PlusAbout your co-hostsMartin Filz from PureprofileMartin Filz is one of the most highly respected and influential leaders in global research. With more than two decades of experience as a leader across the technology, media and research sectors, Martin's vision is to help generate and deliver more value from the world's information. At Pureprofile, Martin leads a global team across North America, Europe and APAC to deliver rich insights into real human behaviour and to provide the “Why” behind the “What” through cutting-edge ResTech and SaaS solutions.You can contact Martin at LinkedInAnastasia Lloyd-Wallis from Retail Doctor GroupAnastasia leads the Consumer Insights division of Retail Doctor Group. With a professional background as a scientific analyst and a Masters in Mathematics, Anastasia has developed a unique and proprietary approach to help retailers and FMCG brands understand their consumers and market opportunities. Anastasia combines quantitative and qualitative market research, a proprietary methodology around neurosciences, mystery shopping and retail expertise to accurately model consumer personalities, motivations and behaviours. These insights enable RDG to provide retailers and consumer brands with an accurate overview of their customer base, which in turn informs strategy and provides a framework for deployment both in Australia and internationally.You can contact Anastasia at LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Rob from WBBM NEWSRADIO delves into 'Sephora Kids,' an intriguing phenomenon involving tweens gravitating towards skincare, driven by social media platforms like TikTok. Speaking to us is Bob Phibbs, CEO of the Retail Doctor, based in New York. Bob explains how these young girls from 10 to 12-year-olds are watching skincare videos online, visiting stores like Sephora and Ulta, and selecting high-end products designed for mature skin. The result? There is an unfortunate increase in skincare issues among the young demographic, including acne and rashes. As parents struggle to cope with the unexpected blow to household budgets from expensive skincare products, the conversation also touches upon body image, how young teens strive to be popular and imitate adults. Bob discusses the pivotal role played by retail associates

Ever had a shopping experience that felt more like a plot from a horror movie? Today's episode takes "Nightmare on Elm Street" to a whole new level—except this time, it's all about the quest for the perfect mattress. Buckle up as Bob Phibbs, aka The Retail Doctor, shares his spine-tingling tale from the retail front lines. In an episode that's anything but a snooze fest, Bob Phibbs, our fearless guide through the retail jungle, recounts his harrowing journey through the world of mattress shopping—a tale filled with twists, turns, and lessons galore. Bob's personal horror story isn't just a tale of woe; it's a masterclass in what not to do in the world of mattress and furniture retail. With wit sharper than a memory foam cutter, Bob delves into the heart of creating a shopping experience that's as comfortable as the products being sold. He emphasizes the magic of storefront appeal, the art of providing a sanctuary for customers, and the importance of standing out in a crowded marketplace. This episode isn't just about mattresses; it's about transforming spaces into havens and transactions into memorable experiences. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Create a Unique Shopping Experience: Bob stresses the importance of drawing customers in with a shopping experience that's as unique as their sleep preferences. 2. Storefront Appeal: First impressions matter. Learn how to make your store's façade as inviting as a freshly fluffed pillow. 3. Comfortable Customer Spaces: Bob highlights the necessity of creating spaces that encourage customers to kick off their shoes and stay awhile. 4. Differentiate from Competitors: Stand out in the mattress maze with tips on distinguishing your brand from the rest of the flock. 5. The Significance of Sleep: Recognize and honor the crucial role mattresses play in your customers' lives by offering products that promise more than just a place to crash. 6. Fresh and Inviting Atmosphere: Discover the secrets to ensuring your store ambiance whispers, "Welcome home." 7. Value-Added Interactions: Bob emphasizes going beyond the sale to add real value to every customer interaction. 8. Prioritize Retail Basics: Back to basics—Bob reiterates the foundational principles of retail that drive sales and customer satisfaction. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Mattress Horror Story 09:07 Creating a Unique Shopping Experience 11:01 Attracting Customers with Storefront Appeal 17:16 Providing Comfortable Spaces for Customers 20:48 Differentiating from Competitors 23:05 The Importance of Mattresses in People's Lives 27:29 Creating a Fresh and Inviting Atmosphere 31:18 Adding Value to Customer Interactions 33:38 Brilliance on the Basics --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sleepsummitshow/message

Saddle up, retailers - the Retail Doctor is making a house call to diagnose your learning and training gaps! In this episode, Bob Phibbs sneaks in like Nancy Drew to investigate the mysteries plaguing your sales. Through his retail revelations, you'll learn the prescription for training and coaching your employees. Take two tidbits and call Bob in the morning if you still have poor customer service. Bob Phibbs, the self-proclaimed Retail Doctor, lets us in on industry secrets to concoct a cure for inadequate training. He distinguishes the diseases of learning and training, emphasizing the need for hands-on engagement versus mere information absorption. Coaching and rewards are highlighted as vaccines to reinforce training and boost performance. Bob advises constructing a positive learning culture, holding teams accountable, and tapping into personal motivation. The key to complete recovery is continuous improvement, debriefing, and crafting intentional habits. Consider Bob your retail pharmacist - follow his prescribed training regimen, and your sales will be the picture of health. This Retail MD knows the business ills; heed his wisdom so your store isn't the next casualty! Takeaways - Learning involves using ears and eyes to absorb information, while training requires hands-on practice and engagement of the brain. - Coaching and rewards are essential for reinforcing training and driving performance. -Creating a positive learning and training culture is crucial for success in retail. - Motivation and holding oneself accountable are key to personal and professional growth. -Continuous improvement, debriefing, and intentional habits are essential for achieving success in retail. Chapters 00:00Introduction 00:33Transition to the topic of learning, training, and coaching 01:10Difference between learning and training 02:07Importance of coaching and rewards 03:33The problem with ineffective training 04:16The importance of challenging the brain for information retention 05:26The impact of continuous learning and training on business success 06:32Engaging adult learners and holding them accountable 07:08Overcoming the fear of correcting others 08:42Creating a positive learning and training culture 09:25Using questioning techniques to correct and coach 10:55The importance of mindset and motivation 11:41The significance of selling value and building trust 12:48Effective role-playing techniques 14:08The power of greetings and rapport-building 15:18Understanding customer needs and avoiding assumptions 16:43Shifting mindset and unlearning negative beliefs 17:25Finding motivation and holding oneself accountable 19:14Identifying personal why and purpose 20:36Rewarding oneself for progress and achievements 22:04Developing intentional habits and identity 23:45Overcoming negativity and focusing on the positive 25:50Creating a culture of debrief and continuous improvement 28:56Taking ownership and holding oneself accountable 30:48Developing muscle memory through practice and repetition 32:19Becoming consciously aware and mastering skills 34:10The importance of reviewing and analyzing performance 36:20The game of retail and the power of choice 37:42Maintaining motivation and redefining one's why 38:11The importance of enjoying the journey and embracing challenges 38:31Closing thoughts --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sleepsummitshow/message

Friend of the podcast Marshall talks us through rough times in retail. How to stay focused and fix a slow sales month. Thank you for listening we hope you learned something new. Let us know what you think. -Leave us a reviewwww.theindependentdealer.comInfo@theindependentdealer.com Support the businesses that support the podcast. TaxMax refund filing service. Use code “VIP” for 40% offhttps://www.taxmax.com Buckeye Dealership Consulting for all your education and reinsurance needshttps://www.buckeyereinsurance.com Primalend, lending options designed for your successhttps://www.primalend.com/ Please subscribe, leave us a review, and share with a friend. Connect with us online:https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentautogrouphttps://www.facebook.com/jlukegodwinhttps://www.facebook.com/sendtojeffw Listen to all our episodes on Anchor:https://anchor.fm/theindependentdealer Used car dealer, independent dealer, automotive, car sales, entrepreneur

How to effectively merchandise products in a small space? What to do with major disruption of your parking in your shopping district? And more with your questions answered LIVE by Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor

Your questions about selling, marketing, theft and more answered LIVE with Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doc. Visit RetailDoc.com to learn more about his services.  

How to use ChatGPT for your marketing, employee discounts, and more answered live. 

How to Keep Employees and Customers Loyal to Your Brand Shep Hyken interviews Bob Phibbs, widely known as The Retail Doctor, host of the Tell Me Something Good About Retail podcast, and founder of SalesRX. He talks about how retail stores (and all types of organizations) can transform their business from a place where people merely buy products to a destination brand known for amazing customer experiences.  Top Takeaways:   ·      Brands sometimes invest more in products and in how their retail stores look without focusing on the experience. No matter how nice the brick-and-mortar store is, if your employees are not trained to properly welcome and pay attention to your customers, they will leave and buy from your competitors, go or online, where it is faster and more accessible. ·      What's happening on the inside is felt on the outside by the customers. Be mindful of the environment that your employees are going to work in. Empower them with the right tools and training to do their job well. If you fix the people side of your business first, you will create a better customer service experience. ·      Create awareness of what great customer service looks like in your company. Ensure that your employees align with how you want them to treat customers. Teach them to recognize when they are providing a good customer experience and continuously train them to be better and better.  ·      Employees are looking for more than just a paycheck when taking on or staying at a job. They are putting employers to the task of providing a work environment that provides growth and satisfaction. ·      Training is not something you did. It's something you do over and over again. Invest in your employees' training and onboarding. Then, constantly reinforce it throughout the time that they are with you, whether in weekly meetings, daily huddles, or sharing customer feedback and make sure what they have learned translates into their day-to-day engagement with your customers. ·      Plus, learn how not to (in Bob's words) piss off your employees. Tune in!  Quote:  "Focus on the people, not the products. You will get higher conversion rates when employees are happy, stay longer, and know how to engage with customers in a way that builds trust."   About:    Bob Phibbs is a customer service expert, author, sales coach, and founder of SalesRX. He works with retailers and brands to increase conversion rates by providing amazing experiences. He shares his expertise on The Retail Doctor. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

E-commerce is truly global and this episode of Commerce Talks goes further than it has done before, speaking to Australian e-commerce expert, Brian Walker, CEO of the Retail Doctor Group. Brian discussed the state of e-commerce in Australia, touching on levels of online penetration, Amazon's presence in the Australian e-commerce market, the emergence of marketplaces and direct-to-consumer models, the challenges of last-mile fulfilment, and the rise of online B2B commerce solutions due to the disintegration of classic supply channels.

Today's story involves an associate who thought they were being helpful but robbed the retailer of a sale. Could this be happening on your sales floor? Key takeaways live with Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor  

How do you handle an employee that doesn't take correction or work well with others? How do you win back a customer? How to introduce higher price points for your merchandise? And answers to your questions LIVE with the Retail Doctor. Tune in for expert advice, interviews and Q&A sessions. Join us every Tuesday at 7pm EST on admin5.podbean.com to learn the answers to these questions and more!    It's time you get the help you need when it comes to managing your retail business! On admin5.podbean.com,   GET MY WEEKLY RETAIL NEWSLETTER ======================== https://www.retaildoc.com/newsletter-signup   DISCOVER MY ONLINE RETAIL SALES TRAINING SALESRX ======================== https://www.SalesRX.com   FREE TRAINING MINI-COURSE ======================== https://www.retaildoc.com/download-the-ultimate-retail-training-kit   WHAT TO WATCH NEXT ======================== SALESRX OVERVIEW https://youtu.be/X3n0Z4LInWw   WORK WITH BOB ======================== Bob Phibbs is the Retail Doctor. He works with retailers of all sizes, helping them build a store customers love and moves merchandise. As a speaker, trainer, and author, Bob shares his unique selling system that drastically increases the key performance indicators for his customers who have brick and mortar stores.   If you've been successful as a retailer at some level, and you're ready to sell more full-price merchandise, train your crew to sell without selling, and enjoy profits you've only dreamed of, Bob's your guy. https://www.retaildoc.com/   If you've read this far, thank you for being such a great fan and subscriber. I'm creating this content for you!

Bob Phibbs, CEO of the Retail Doctor, is an internationally recognized business strategist, customer service expert, sales coach, marketing mentor, author of three books, and motivational business speaker. He's the founder of SalesRX online retail sales training, a strategy and done-for-you virtual training firm that specializes in working with retailers and brands who want to sell their merchandise more profitably. Bob was named one of the top retail influencers of 2018, a recognition he is humbled and grateful to receive. His website and blog have been named Best On The Planet For Retail in by Feedbuzz and was listed on over twenty retail influencer lists in 2018, often as #1. He is a Top Voice on LinkedIn. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:19 - Who Is SalesRX? 02:19 - 3 Fun Facts About Bob 05:33 - The Product Is No Longer The Hero 08:31 - Shifting Focus From Product To Customer 10:30 - Employees Selling From Their Own Wallets 13:00 - Ongoing Training 14:13 - Being Brilliant On The Basics 15:59 - Good Examples Of Onboarding 16:46 - What Success Looks Like? 19:50 - Engage With Bob //ENGAGE WITH BOB Bob's LinkedIn //MENTIONS Lemonade Day // SUBSCRIBE! Subscribe to RevPartners YouTube Channel New "pit stops" every week. Join our growing community! // STAY AWESOME & DO IT BIG!! Website: revpartners.io Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

The Christmas season is well and truly upon us! Pre-Christmas sales are forecast to hit $60 billion in the six weeks leading up to Christmas – a staggering figure. But, as the silly season approaches, have you considered how you will activate a retail strategy to keep more margin in your pocket this sales period? Our guest today is the CEO and Founder of Retail Doctor Group, the Retail Doctor himself, Brian Walker. Established in 2005, Retail Doctor Group is a leading firm working with businesses to take insights-driven strategy into award-winning implementation, helping them grow their business. In this episode, we examine what it means to be ‘Fit for Business' and why it is an important consideration for all businesses with a retail component – which includes pharmacies.  We look at how to complement your health and wellness services, medicines advice, your focus on medication management, and safety with products that build your brand as trusted medicines experts.   Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the point of doing marketing that checks a box if it doesn't move the needle? Bob gives us excellent, expert advice on how to connect to our customers.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/musicretail/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/musicretail/support

Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor, retail sales trainer, consultant, keynote and motivational speaker, business makeover specialist, author, and a LinkedIn Top Voice joins me on this episode. Bob helps brick-and-mortar retailers beat online competitors by creating experiences to move merchandise. Bob and his work have appeared on ABC, Fox, MSNBC, and PBS, and featured in articles in Entrepreneur, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.  We talk about hope for retail, the importance of stories in business, lessons learned during the pandemic, actions businesses should be taking, and more. Get connected with Bob: Website: http://retaildoc.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretaildoctor  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobphibbs/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRetailDoctor  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobphibbs/  Check out the amazing sponsors of this episode: http://chenzoweb.com/ https://1565coffee.com/ https://ambitious.com/ https://www.riseandrecord.com/ *1565 Artisan Coffee Special Offer: Get 15% off your order when you use promo code COFFEECHAT at checkout. *Ambitious Special Offer: Get $10 off your order of Ambitious EDGE when you use promo code COFFEECHAT at checkout. *Rise and Record 2022 Special Offer: Get 10% off your ticket price when you use promo code COFFEECHAT at checkout. Want to learn how you can work with me to gain more clarity, build a rock solid foundation for your business, and achieve the results and success you deserve? Visit http://jayscherrbusinessconsulting.com/ and schedule a 1:1 discovery coaching call. Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend! To your success, Jay

Do you think retail will lose market share over the next several years? It will if they don't start behaving differently! Bob Phibbs the Retail Doctor is a retail champion who has been advising some of the largest retail chains since 1994. In this episode we discuss how to have a different retail experience than all the other large chains around you and how to set yourself apart from the world of E-Commerce. Here's how to find me: Instagram: TikTok: Facebook: Website

Do you think retail will lose market share over the next several years? It will if they don't start behaving differently! Bob Phibbs the Retail Doctor is a retail champion who has been advising some of the largest retail chains since 1994. In this episode we discuss how to have a different retail experience than all the other large chains around you and how to set yourself apart from the world of E-Commerce. Here's how to find me: Instagram: TikTok: Facebook: Website

Do you know your chronotype? Do you even know what a chronotype is? On today's episode, we chat with The Retail Doctor himself, Dr. Michael Breus. We connect on: What are chronotypes and how they work (hint: they're genetic and cannot be changed); How to be transformative as an RSA; Answer the question on whether melatonin is good for you and your kids; and Discuss the benefits of CBD and address what is CBN and how it affects you. Whether he is providing advice to celebrities or retail workers, this episode has something for everyone and you can't afford to miss it. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Bob Phibbs, AKA the Retail Doctor, held a webinar recently where he offered five ways to handle under-performing stores.

The role of the store associate continues to evolve. This new profile is entrepreneurial and adaptive, selling to anybody anywhere. Brands with associates that build bonds versus being transactional only can see shopper value increase. Discussing this buzzy topic, Retail Refined host Melissa Gonzalez welcomed two experts, Bob Phibbs, Founder of the Retail Doctor, and Oscar Sachs, CEO and Co-Founder of Salesfloor.Phibbs has a rich retail history as a coach, author, and speaker. He launched SalesRX virtual training platform for in-store associates. Sachs is a retail digital expert who founded Salesfloor to enable customers to shop online directly with a local store or associate.“Retail had to transform during the digital revolution, and movement is faster. Rethinking the role of associates selling across channels is critical,” Sachs said.This omnichannel strategy started years before the pandemic and shifted the associate to someone that engages and builds relationships. Sachs noted, “They have a connection marketing doesn't.”Phibbs, however, noted that the changing job scope included more tasks on associates that aren't treated well. “The dark side is expecting people to just take it. When we give them training and know what success looks like, they can thrive. You have to fix the culture to take care of the employee and the customer.”Phibbs remarked that many are missing the soft skills to pivot to a relationship.Sachs agreed that training is critical but so is attribution. “You have to align incentives with behavior. The web can't be a competitor. No matter where they buy if the store served the customer, the store and associate get credit.”

A lot has been said about the Great Retail Resignation but often that is from people expecting a job to be different. To get more from your job as a manager or associate, you have to be curious about other people. Why do they react one way to me and not another. Try this tip about posture and see how changing your own posture with customers gets them to open up more to you. For more information about the Retail Doctor, visit RetailDoc.com

Today, ISF CEO Steve Durbin is in conversation with Bob Phibbs, “The Retail Doctor.” Bob is recognized as a leading expert on brick-and-mortar retailers, and he has consulted for, among others, Caesar's Palace, Lego, Omega, Vera Bradley, and Yamaha. Bob shares his perspective on digital transformation in the retail market, building a solid team, and effective communication within an organisation. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to the ISF Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts Connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter From the Information Security Forum, the leading authority on cyber, information security, and risk management

Our special guest, Bob Phibbs, shares his experience maximizing sales growth for retailers by focusing on the human aspect instead of battling over tech.How do you achieve a truly customer-centric experience? What training is required to build a successful team? How do you unify your online and offline worlds to provide a holistic shopping journey?We ask these questions and more of our special guest, Bob Phibbs, CEO of the Retail Doctor and recognized sales coach. Bob dedicates his time to helping retailers, from your mom-and-pop to big-box names, motivate their sales teams and elevate their customer service. He believes that brick and mortar retailers are letting online shopping win by trying to fight tech with tech instead of investing in people.In this podcast, we explore Bob's view on an employee-driven approach to retail success.

We're all experiencing the same storm, but we're doing it in different boats. This may be the best metaphor for explaining the retail experience over the past 12 months. US retail sales in November 2020 were up 7.1% year-over-year. However, while grocery was up 11%, apparel was down 27%. Retail clearly isn't going back to the “normal” we knew before 2020. So what will it take for a retailer to stand out in 2021 and beyond? Will brick-and-mortar stores survive this disruption, or will customers be pushed to more digital shopping experiences? What role will frontline employees play in executing the next generation of retail strategy? JD makes an appointment with The Retail Doctor, Bob Phibbs, to find out what comes next for frontline retail. Bob is the world's foremost expert on brick-and-mortar retail. He's an internationally recognized business strategist, customer service expert, sales coach, marketing mentor, author of three books, and motivational business speaker. Bob knows what it takes to rock in retail because he's spent 30 years in the trenches of retail ups and downs. He's been a corporate officer, franchisor, and entrepreneur who fought his way to the top.Check out more of Bob's Retail Doctor content, including his blog, podcast and Retail 101 education offerings.November Retail Sales Aren't As Ominous As You Think—Just A Clear Set Of Covid-19 Winners And Losers (Forbes)Retailers announced record store closures in 2019. Here's a list. (CNBC)Despite pandemic, retail sales jumped 3 percent this holiday season (REjournals)2020 has Seen an Irreversible Change in Consumer Behavior; Now is the Time to Adapt (Retail TouchPoints)Hear how leaders at O'Reilly Auto Parts and rue21 are preparing their frontline teams for what comes next in retail during Axonify's Big Ideas Session at the NRF Big Show on January 21, 2021.The 80 Percent is brought to you by Axonify. To learn how you can provide communication and training to your frontline workforce that actually works, visit axonify.com. If you have a frontline story you'd like us to explore on a future episode, let us know at podcast@axonify.comJoin the #FrontlineForward effort by visiting axonify.com/frontlineforward to access free training content, download the 2020 State of Frontline Employee Training Report and subscribe for the updates.

Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society talks about retail in the age of COVID-19 and civil unrest with Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor. A frequent speaker at PRO events, Phibbs has worked with some of the top retail brands. He and his work have appeared on ABC, Fox, MSNBC, and PBS, and featured in articles in Entrepreneur, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He also performs business makeovers for the Los Angeles Times and received the highest sales increase award from the #1 mall in America.In this interview, Phibbs talks about how photo retailers need to adapt their sales strategies to compete and to thrive in today's challenging environment.With more than 30 years' experience creating proven sales increases of 20-50%, The Retail Doctor can help bring your retail organization back to excellent health with amazing customer service.Phibbs offers retail consulting, online sales training, and other services.Visual 1st Visual 1st is the premier global conference focused on the photo and video ecosystem. Support the show

Price matching is not just Amazon anymore. It's going to be Walmart. So at that point, you have to ask yourself, "Okay. So how much time am I going to devote to someone who wants to buy this game, whatever it is, and... Oh, we'll go on. We'll make sure. Well, show us in your phone. Okay. We'll go verify it on our computer, and the item is 40 bucks." I mean, seriously, how much could you be off by? 10 bucks? 5 bucks? In addition to that, are you then stopping everything and doing this for multiple customers? More importantly, you're letting a competitor dictate your profitability. When somebody asks that... Well, yeah. If you've got a $200 or $300 item, and maybe it's something that is new to the market, and it's also on Amazon or they have their own website, and maybe you mark it up for an extra 20 bucks, maybe that's worth it to you. How much work do you want to do at cutting your prices versus you say, "You know, it's like a grocery store. We're going to have some things be more expensive than others. We're going to be lower than other people in others. As a whole, we're competitive with all of them. Would you like a box or a bag for this, or would you like free gift wrapping?" or whatever it's going to be. You know? If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

For the first eight feet in your store, nobody wants to talk to anybody. Your customers don't want to be barraged, "Hi, can help you find something?" Your untrained employees don't want to go up there. That first eight feet is what I call the decompression zone. It's an area where you just let people have space to be able to peruse your store. Basically, they've landed in an alien country that's your store. They need to learn. They don't know the language. They need to learn what the layout is, you name it. But we just need a space. We don't want to be jumped up with too much merchandise. And again, most of you have so much merchandise so you don't know your turns. Just be very careful what you're looking at or buying for continuing into the holidays, know your numbers, know your category. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

Get up. Today is going to be the second most popular Saturday of the holiday season, and the important thing I want you to do today is to look for conversions. How do you know how well your employees are converting lookers to buyers? It's simple. Take time to look at the number of bags going out your front door. Conversions is what it's about today. It means less bags means fewer employees helping customers, means lower sales, so if that's you, when you notice it, go and have a quick huddle or speak to somebody who's not having a great day and make sure that you see more bags going out the door than less. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

All you want to worry about when it comes to tagging and pricing shelves of products is does the customer know how much this costs? Nothing drives me crazier than going into a brick-and-mortar store, and I have to ask somebody the price. Just shoot me. I am not buying from you. I will go find anyone else. "Oh, well, it's hard for us to price it." Get a price gun and price it, or do a shelf talker. I walk in there, I just want to know “What's the average price of something?” I want to have a sense ... I don't want to feel stupid. "Oh, that's $1 million. What an idiot you are," right? That's what the fear is. So, the more you can get rid of that fear, "I know how much this is," or you even say, "It's got a range," even that would be better, but I don't think you have to go overboard and have a shelf talker and a price on it.  If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

For the first eight feet in your store, nobody wants to talk to anybody. Your customers don't want to be barraged, "Hi, can I help you find something?" Your untrained employees don't want to go up there. That first eight feet is, some people call it the decompression zone. It's an area where you just let people have space to be able to peruse your store. Basically, they've landed in an alien country. That's your store. They don't know the language. They've got to learn how the layout is, you name it, but we just need a space. We don't want to be jumped up with too much merchandise, and again, most of you have so much merchandise you don't know your turns. Just be very careful what you're looking at for buying for continuing into the holidays. Know your numbers. Know your category. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

All you want to worry about when it comes to tagging and pricing shelves and products is, does the customer know how much this costs? Nothing drives me crazier than going into a brick and mortar store and I have to ask somebody the price, just shoot me. I am not buying from you, I will go from anyone else. Oh, well it's hard for us to price it. Get a price gun, and price it, or do a shelf talker. I walk in there, I just want to know what's the average price of something. I want to have a sense, I don't want to feel stupid. Oh, that's a million dollars. What an idiot you are, right? That's what the fear is, so the more you can get rid of that fear, I know how much this is, or you even say it's got a range. Even that would be better, but I don't think you have to go overboard and have a shelf talker and a price on it. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob, by visiting RetailDoc.com, or send a message to Bob@RetailDoc.com. Thanks for listening. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

On my site, on RetailDoc.com, you can take under, I think it's Retail 101, and you go down and you can see my resource center, and you can take the retail assessment, and one of the first questions is, are you taking money out of the business? And I can't tell you, like 90% of people answer that no. Well, that's silly, because you should take something out as a reward that you are the business owner. I don't care if it's only five bucks a week, I don't care if it's five a month. You have to at least get in the idea that I'm paying myself, because otherwise you just become this victim, and I'm not making any money, and I'm only paying my employees. And then everything just goes down. If you just accept that you have to pay yourself something. So set a goal for what you want to make. Get your profit margin in the right place. Limit your discounts and promotions. Get some retail sales training. Hire more people than you think you should. Train them well, hold them accountable, and you're going to be successful. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting RetailDoc.com, or send a message to Bob@RetailDoc.com. Thanks for listening. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

... about to 26, so about a dollar more. So, why is the difference? Well, quite simply they make money on revolving credit. They put it on the consumer. That's where we're going to make our 20, 30%. American Express says you want our card, you're going to have to pay a lot more money, and you have to pay it off. And that's how they make their money. They are making it by charging the merchants a little bit more. But why would you want to do that? Because American Express holders are the most affluent customers, and you're probably not going to be making every one of American Express. My viewpoint, it was always a small amount who asked for it, but you're cutting your nose off to spite your face because there are people who would rather use that American Express and if you knew that, maybe you would be able to sell them more. So, there you go. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

Google has been doing an awful lot of updates on their websites and they are looking at whether you are relevant to what people are searching for, and if you're not, they're dropping off. So I would encourage you to look at your Google stats and if you don't know what that is, go into Google My Business and then you can have somebody help you with looking at your numbers. But Google has done a big job and there have been two big updates this year that have affected an awful lot of retailers and service providers like myself. So what may have worked a year or two ago is not going to work now. So somebody clicks to your site and they click right off. Google says, "Oh, this isn't enough information, I'm not going to show this again." So that happens more and more, or they go to somebody else's site and they spend some time. You're going to be on that second page or worse, you'd just be on the number five and nobody really goes below number five when it comes to Search. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

We're coming into the money months, and you have about one more month to figure out how to sell, whether you want to use my sales direct online training, you want to try to read my book, or you're going to wing it, you have about a month left to get those add on sales. And that's a matter of training, and if somebody is not, or won't, or can't, or fill in the blank, won't support you, then now is your time to tune up your crew and give them written warnings. I'm a big believer in don't just fire somebody willy nilly. Write it out. Here's what you did, here's what the service level you need to do is. If this happens again, you'll be gone or [inaudible 00:00:31] and then follow through with it. You know that first time you fire someone and you're like, Oh my God, I know their whole story. You'll find your whole crew is going to listen to what you have to say. And when that happens, then you can turn the corner. Until you do that though, until hurts bad enough to change, you'll probably just call your buddies and say how Amazon is ruining you and, at the end of the day, don't do that. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com, or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

Everybody loves talking about the retail apocalypse. It's a great clickbait, gets people to look. Please don't be those people doing local stories about how it hurts to be you, and how business is off, and how no one's coming in. That doesn't serve you well at all. That makes you sound like a loser. You're your public voice to anyone who interviews you or wants to do a story is business is great. We're expanding. We're doing these things on social media. We're committed to being in business like we have been for the last 75 years, and that brings people to you and they want to find out what you're doing to have that energy behind it. And then maybe you'll actually believe it in here, and you'll actually change. So there you go. I'm Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doc. Thanks for joining me this week and hope you have a great busy weekend. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting RetailDoc.com. Or send a message to Bob@RetailDoc.com. Thanks for listening. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

Yeah, the one thing that I find, like if you're a hot tub dealer, "Oh, we're going to be in the backyard outdoor space, so we'll put in a barbecue." It's like, let's just have this orphan little barbecue in the middle of all these hot tubs and say we're in the outdoor space. No, you have to commit to it. You have to buy enough that it looks like, "Oh, it's a store within a store. Oh, this is a barbecue place." Then, you have to make it, arrange the merchandise in such a way that it looks like somebody's patio, and it gets people's attention. It looks like it is seamless between the hot tub and the patio world. So, my thoughts are, commit to enough merchandise. How are we going to make a store within a store with it? How are you going to sell it? Then, know your numbers. If you're going to buy in $300,000 worth of product how soon does it have to sell for it to make your money back? At the end of the day great merchants, I think, are smart. Know your numbers and make an educated guess but, ultimately, that's why you're an entrepreneur. You're willing to do that work, you know your numbers, and then when you decide maybe you just say that, "I've seen this, I'd use this, I love this, I can passionately sell it because selling is nothing more than transference feeling. I can sell it so I can get my crew to sell it. Well, that's great, but if it's just like, "Oh, we're going to start carrying jewelry. Why? So, a lot of times I think retailers go through and think if we just added more merch we would be more successful. In this day and age that's rarely the case. Most of you need to cut down your number of SKUs, make the merch more compelling, and make Instagramable displays so that the merch actually goes out the door instead of just sits on your wall or your tables. I hope that helps.   If you love what you heard on Retail Today connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com, or send a message to Bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

This idea that you're going to hire someone who is already trained, and a great salesperson frequently, to me, falls on the floor. Because ultimately, great salespeople are made, not found. You can train anybody. Again, you can use my online system salesrx.com. $195 a month for starting with five users, and I will teach you, I guarantee you, exactly how to create rapport, how to discover the shopper, engage the stranger, and ultimately make the sale. You can have anyone go through that and we can teach them that. You can also pay me several times more than that and I'll come train your crew, but the reality is, unless you're willing to focus on creating a salesperson, you're just hoping, and the problem with hoping that you're going to get a great salesperson is, maybe you get a great salesperson that worked for a competitor and I don't know what your business is, and you say, "Oh, they're all trained." Well, I used to be in the coffee business and we would tell people, do not hire people from Starbucks. Do not hire people from Starbucks. And invariably we'd have, the franchisee would say, "Hey, I just hired my new manager from Starbucks." It's like, okay. And the problem was they were trained to Starbucks standards, so when they came to your store, they're going to bring your store basically to Starbucks standards, which probably doesn't work for an independent little coffee house. And so a lot of times there was a lot of miscommunication. There was a lot of friction because they were trained in one system. And you're saying, "Oh, it's compatible." It isn't. Usually, a lot of times you're bringing bad service and you're bringing bad habits from another business onto yours. So great salespeople are made. They aren't found. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com. Or, send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

The reality is that you may be ascribing events to your store that really aren't connected, and a lot of retailers do that. "Oh, the reason I'm not successful is because of Amazon." You're a farm stand. "Oh, well it's because everybody's on Amazon." We put all this other stuff to other things. There's an awful lot that you can do as you concentrate on your four walls and you have a branded experience. Then, you have regular communication with people who've given you money. This isn't somebody who's just signed a little guest book - these are your regular customers. You have a list of them. If you haven't started a list now is always a good time, of email, and you're talking to them once a week and you're making sure that you hold onto them. As I like to say, brand their “But…” When they sit down they can't think of going anywhere else for the products that you carry except going to you, and that takes a lot of work. I won't kid you. You can do Facebook Live videos. You could do a blog about how to select the perfect gift this holiday season. There's a million things you can do. At the end of the day it doesn't matter because all you can do is your four walls, and you can change all that with a person walking in the door in the next hour.  If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!

Sometimes I hear people say, "Oh, I can't get my crew to upsell." And people say, "Oh, I can't do it. My crew doesn't do it." Well, maybe it's time to tune up your crew. And some people say, "Well, how do I do that?" I always say, “Give them some new customer service standards.” Be able to tell them, “This is how I want to do things.” And if they don't, or if they're somebody repeatedly have given warnings to and you haven't gotten rid of them, the best way to tune up your crews is to let somebody go. I know that sounds brutal, and some of you who've been with me for an awful long time know that I actually had to get rid of a guy on Christmas Eve. But if I give you three written warnings and I say, “If this happens again, you'll be gone,” you have to follow through with that, whether that makes you feel uncomfortable or not. Because at the end of the day, the idea of being a boss is you have to make the tough decisions. And we want to be the nice person. You're not being a nice person because they're not meeting with great success either. And invariably, they're not learning anything and their mind is going numb, and they're looking for other opportunities. So, why not tune up your crew and train them and get them so that they can do something and have fun? That way it's not just one person who understands how to do everything - it can be everybody. If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com. Thanks for listening!