The Culture of Retail

Posted on by Byron Darden

Working in retail or managing a retail store brings its own challenges. While historically, the focus in retail is geared toward reading the market and fulfilling a want or need, today’s success is built on attracting customers and providing an experience that will encourage their return.

Retail culture begins behind the scenes. Whether a large chain store or an independent boutique outlet, some real thought needs to happen in order to send the intended message and attract the perfect customers.

Traditionally, retail culture was based on a hierarchy centered around policies and procedures. A “chain of command” is established with expectations of behavior. Some describe this as a power or role culture more in tune with military command and control. This culture depends on a solid structure with repeatable steps to help the culture move forward to serve its mission.

While this approach supports companies to run with Swiss watch precision, many thought to be forward-thinking companies have adopted a more expansive approach. Their focus is on mentoring and inclusivity, encouraging creativity while staying within the brand’s focus. There’s more of an entrepreneurial environment being fostered.

There is room for both in today’s market. The route taken depends on your approach to meeting your goals. Like many other industries, retail is a dynamic art form that requires structure and openness. Most organizations adopt the military hierarchy as their foundation. This allows ease in systematizing the effective tracking of ROI and other analytics necessary to remain flexible and agile in decision making. With the added layer of the art of business, brands set themselves apart, new and creative ideas emerge, organizations become more community-minded, and thus the humanizing of business blossoms.

This becomes more apparent as diversity and inclusion evolve into an insurance matter. We are in a paradigm shift now that inclusion has been standardized by the International Standards Organization (ISO). Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging are no longer just nice to have. D&I are now imperatives.

While some treat retail jobs as a part-time opportunity to make ends meet, others find their calling in merchandising, marketing, sales, and customer service. As inclusion takes a foothold in companies and organizations across the globe, those called to their particular industries will find themselves embracing a more expanded view of the people’s side of the business. How we treat one another matters.

Importance of Retail Culture

Posted on by Byron Darden

When a customer walks into a particular store, they have expectations, from the layout, the level of service, the merchandise on the shelves, and the overall feeling. A small retail boutique will have precious items creatively displayed and a personal greeting from the proprietor, who will provide personalized attention. A large department store will have wide aisles, neat racks of organized clothing in your size, and room to shop and browse.

None of this can happen without structure and predictability. When the main goal is to move products and services quickly and in high volume, these processes set the store up for success. There are clear expectations of every member of the team.

Commonality in Different Retail Environments

Posted on by Byron Darden

When we think of retail, we often focus on stores that sell goods or services, such as clothing stores or hair salons. Retail environments can include boutique stores, online shops, large department stores, and grocery stores. Focused attention is even more critical as there is high product turnover, short shelf life, and high efficiency.

Almost every type of retail establishment has challenges in keeping up with trends and tracking the seasons, keeping just the right amount of inventory, and providing an inclusive environment for its customers – keep those who are loyal and attract new ones. This high-stress environment can raise tension for workers, and therefore a great deal of energy and effort is required to invest in helping people rise to the occasion.

I also found myself in manufacturing within the gourmet confections industry, in which I served both a retail and wholesale population. The people responded to a leadership team that motivated employees much like a cheerleading squad inspires its audience and sports players.

Building a Cultural of Inclusion

Posted on by Byron Darden

In an earlier blog, I wrote about three steps from my REACH™ tool, Root, Establish and Assess. It’s my approach to identifying and developing a culture. We’ve added the Leadership Vitality Checkup™, a robust assessment tool that allows leaders to identify precisely in what areas they are strong and where they can use shoring up as it relates to inclusivity and building positive work culture.

In addition, organizations can now find out their Inclusion Score by visiting this LINK. Once you learn more about what needs attention in your organization, I can help you develop a change management initiative that will set your company up for success in getting the people’s side of change running with Swiss watch precision.

Click the button below and schedule a strategy session with me to discuss what you desire in your leadership. We can look at what is most important to you and see what we can identify as what might be getting in your way. Should our discovery lean toward the Leadership Vitality Checkup, we can look at that. If the inclusion score proves the most advantages, we can explore that as well. Just click the button now, and let’s connect!

Strategy Session

Culture that Works

Posted on by Byron Darden

To focus on retail culture, I spoke with an account executive in charge of several retail concerns in the cosmetic industry for a national brand. This woman has 15 years of experience where she created a culture of caring for people through her investment in her people and the community.

She mentions three main points that are essential for a retail culture to thrive:

  1. Integrity – this applies to your brand as well as your mannerisms. This means keeping your word, being honest, and representing your brand and company at the store and through any social interaction. Show initiative and creativity.
  2. Loyalty to your Brand –to build trust with your clients or customers, you need to believe in your product or service with your whole heart. Do not speak ill of the company or brand. Your brand should also have consistency, which may be apparent in materials, look, feel, or customer service.
  3. Innovative Dealings with People – your uniqueness is what your customers expect. This could be how they are treated or how their product is presented or packaged. Sales associates can build trust and confidence. They should be approachable, creative, and empowered. Do not take things personally. Work as a team toward end goals. Engage with clients using all means possible. When they are not coming into the store, build a relationship on social media.

Remember the impression you leave with people and how you make them feel. When you believe in what you are doing, it will show through.

It’s essential for women, especially women of color, to connect and look out for others. Create a network that supports you and watches your back. Realize the truth in the belief that none of us are free until all of us are free. Surround yourself with women of your ilk or in the world of the ilk in which you most desire to be in the community.

Show up with accurate numbers, volunteer to push an initiative forward, show up differently so that your voice can be heard, and be seen for what you bring to the table as it applies to your brand of leadership.

I invite you to click the button below and book a strategy session with me to explore ways of shoring up your personal brand.

Strategy Session

How Retail has Changed due to Covid

Posted on by Byron Darden

Covid has impacted almost every aspect of our lives, and retail is no exception. Even though COVID rules have relaxed, for the time being, it has changed the way consumers act and think. More customers are turning to online consumerism to avoid getting sick or dealing with new rules for being in public. Managers balance the shortage of employees with the demands of customers. This requires executives to rethink their culture. They face a choice between trying to conduct business as usual with a few (or many) modifications or expanding into a new marketplace. Adaptations to curbside pickup, service over the phone, preventive measures, and keeping up with local regulations are challenging and necessary.

Before the pandemic, I consulted a publishing company focused on retaining talent. There was clarity among leadership that most jobs paid the same across the board in the various publishing roles. The trick was figuring out how to hold onto their staff, who could easily quit and join a different publishing company. The hands-down choice was for this company to focus on how their people are treated and valued.

The post-pandemic consumer is more educated and informed. They are also more open because they have been isolated and are more interested in engaging in public spaces. Time at home had them researching and buying online. Now that they are out and about, this habit translates into purpose-driven consumers who are more knowledgeable about their product, such as ingredients and what products pair well with other products.

Managers tasked with supervising multiple stores face a reorganization of their structure. They may not get to every store with ease or send someone else in their place. Some stores have even reduced the size of their regions due to restrictions on travel. This results in a greater touchpoint with the business and a smaller carbon footprint for the account executive.

Let’s not forget the safety of workers in the past few years. Managers need to recognize the concerns. Partly to avoid exposure to Covid, more people are leaving traditional jobs to start their own businesses. One Washington Post headline reads, “American’s unemployed are sending a message: They’ll go back to work when they feel safe – and well-compensated.”

All this change triggers numerous unexpected events taking place that wouldn’t have had COVID not entered our reality. New situations present themselves that were not on our radar previously such as supply chain activities. The reactions from staff have changed causing managers and leaders to rethink scheduling, hiring, and how employees are trained. Our reality about retail is continually shifting and the stories that speak to the transformation of industry are vital lessons learned that we benefit from cataloging and telling.

Ask yourself, how well-prepared are you to tell the stories of change in your industry? Click the button below and schedule a strategy session with me. We’ll explore how you can develop your skills to tell the story of change and your leadership journey in making it happen to those who matter most, your stakeholders, customers, employees, and the media.

Strategy Session

Focus on Analytics

Posted on by Byron Darden

Approximately 5 million people work in retail sales, and 12% of all jobs are in the retail industry. These workers are developing a way of being in their company roles to drive the bottom line. Companies increasingly use analytics to study what customers want, their changing buying behavior, and to examine imposed limitations on how businesses are run.

Before, analytics was of importance only to the big retail giants. It is crucial for all retail establishments, regardless of their size. It focuses on operations and allows companies to make better marketing decisions. Analytics can help establishments better understand customer behavior and predict their future wants and needs. If you are new to analytics, plenty of software tools make the job easier.

How Retail Impacts Us: Climate Equity

Posted on by Byron Darden

The people who are often most impacted by climate change are usually the ones who contribute least to the footprint left behind. It is more important now than ever before for us to be mindful of our actions as their consequences can sometimes be irreversible.

Starbucks serves as an example. Beginning with the cup. It takes a large amount of distilled water to produce the cups. Even when coupled with recycled paper. Growing and roasting the beans are water-intensive activities. The bags that carry the beans are non-biodegradable expanding the capacity of landfills on a planet that is not growing bigger. The electricity that it takes to run every store is staggering. Starbucks stars in The Top Three food companies with the largest number of outlets in the world with 16,700 outlets to date. This makes Starbucks the largest coffee company in the world.

Click the button below to book a strategy session. Learn how large a footprint you’re leaving as a leader and how it impacts those you lead.

Strategy Session

Founder’s Corner

Posted on by Byron Darden

20 years ago, I never could have imagined I would celebrate women on such a personal level as I do today. Now 20 years later, as we begin our month-long celebration of Women’s History Month, I begin by celebrating the most significant woman I’ve ever known, my mother. This is her birthday month and I am celebrating it by acknowledging the incredible example she was and still is in my life.

Since her passing, I’ve come to regard birthdays highly by encouraging others to extend their birthday to birthday month and on to birthday year as I have my own. I celebrate my birthday throughout the year with both spontaneous and planned out treats and activities that constantly remind me of how precious each moment is that we can draw a breath. Meditation is the activity I now do every day that reminds me of the sacredness of each time I inhale and exhale.

In 2020 I celebrated my birthday by planning a year’s worth of travel, events, and activities intended to remind me that each morning I awake, I have the gift of “another day to get it right”, as a dear female friend often reminds me. Thank you Billie for the reminder.

Unfortunately, COVID put an end to the seven weeks of travel plans that boiled down to two at the start of the year. A few months after the initial announcement that New York City was on lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus, I wasn’t sure I’d live to reach the end of that year. So I went to my favorite bakery in upper Manhattan and bought myself a chocolate birthday cake. I celebrated with the few neighbors I felt safe enough to visit. While they enjoyed slices of my cake, I ate the majority of it on my own. Yum!

Having grown up in a very religious family, I took to expanding my spiritual life which has grown beyond what I recall as the child of a Deacon in the church, a mother who sat on the church board, Sunday school classes, and Church summer camps in Texas. Now I occasionally facilitate Open Bible Study at my local church, attend a meditation class each week with acquaintances from around the world, and have recently begun a weekly meditation class with a small group I suspect will grow over time.

These have been nurturing experiences for me that I place in the category of restorative self-care. Over the past 20 years, my life has drastically changed. Back then I was ramping up my involvement in the female-dominated world of figure skating – following my Olympic coaching accomplishment – I launched MovesMaster® educational services devoted to seminars and instruction in the field of ice skating; drawing on the arts, sports, and performance. Now 20 years later, I am back to writing my book under that enterprise as I refresh the skating world’s connection to leadership.

In my role as a leadership consultant and coach, I draw on many modalities including arts, sports, and performance in my coaching of executives. Each discipline in and of itself plays up the need for restorative self-care, something that I devote much time and energy honing. Fortunately, the cryogenics aspect of being in an ice rink for 40 years has slowed my aging process and I augment it with yoga, warm bubble baths, healthy eating habits, and massages regularly when not writing, coaching, or taking short invigorating trips to get away and clear my head.

I invite you to take stock in your own path through restorative self-care as we publish this month’s blog and celebrate the history of women whom without, none of us would Be.

Self-Care: Restore Your Soul

Posted on by Byron Darden

Busy is a virtue many enjoy – dealing with demanding bosses, taking care of our loved ones, and checking things off our to-do lists. The number of things vying for our time is endless. Some derive a sense of accomplishment from being on the go. When you cease to care for yourself, you will have little energy or motivation to care for others. Can you imagine having the number one thing on your to-do list is taking care of yourself – specifically in the form of restorative self-care? Your risk of frustration or burnout is diminished.

When we speak of self-care for the rest of this topic, think of restorative self-care. While self-care attends to maintaining your well-being, restorative self-care strives to look at all areas of your body, mind, and soul.

Before you protest that you couldn’t spare the time, let go of despair! Restorative self-care can be done in as little as a few minutes, although you certainly deserve more. Let’s dive into what self-care means, why it’s essential, and then we’ll help you make a plan to start putting yourself first.