Stress Relief for the Holiday Season Retailers have a triple challenge when it comes to the holiday season: You want to promote your store as a destination for perfect gifts for dancers—offering shoppers extended hours, gift-card purchases and in-store gift-wrapping. Plus you need to take care of any year-end tax and financial business. And you … More »
Retail Superhero? It’s tempting to want to please every customer who walks in the door, but as any seasoned storeowner will tell you: Focus pays off. Retail expert Leslie Groves puts it this way: “No need to be a retail superhero. Pick your strengths and build on them; you don’t have to be everything to … More »
SHOES, SHOES, SHOES Shoes are in the spotlight this month, and rightfully so. Shoe sales are where brick-and-mortar stores often have an advantage: You can offer customers skilled hands-on help in getting the right fit, and a successful fitting often leads to repeat business—and sales. In “Selling Pointes,” two retailers known for their pointe shoe … More »
HOLIDAY PREP TIME! Back-to-school is still buzzing, and it’s already time to think about the holiday season. (Wipe brow here.) Believe it or not, one in five holiday shoppers is already checking items off their list, according to Russell Research; 80 percent plan to start shopping before Thanksgiving. So September is the perfect time to … More »
Dance teachers play a big role in dance retail. Make that roles. First, they can be loyal and regular customers, since they’re always in search of stylish dance apparel suited to their unique needs: They want to be comfortable and project professionalism at the front of a dance class. In “What Dancers Want,” three teachers … More »
No storeowner sells alone. The most sturdy partnership for dance retailers is often the one you cultivate with local studios. In “Turning Studios into Studio Partners,” four storeowners share the details of how they work with their studio partners to keep the flow of dancers coming their way. And for stores that sell high-end and … More »
To prepare for the big fall selling season, you’ve been working to get everything in stock that dancers need to build their back-to-school wardrobes—plus a few delicious surprises to tempt them into buying even more. This issue has plenty of fresh classwear looks, from classic cut leotards to tap shoes for hoofers of all levels. … More »
Gymnastics and the Olympics will be on everyone’s mind this summer, with the Rio games on. What about your local gymnasts? Will they find everything they need in your store? For ideas on what to stock, hear what dance studios like their young gymnasts to wear, and check out some gold medal looks. Stocking health … More »
A sparkling clean store is a basic must, of course, but beyond that it says “fresh” and “new” and can get customers more excited about your merchandise. So what better time than spring to spruce up and add to your summer selling sizzle? (See “Time to Clean Up and Clean Out” for tips.) And don’t forget … More »
Customer Loyalty—Not Just a Program, But… Nothing makes a loyal customer faster than impeccable customer service and a sharp selection of affordable products. But loyalty programs can add another reason to choose your store each time. Dance storeowners share details about incentives that work on page 30. About Those New Year’s Resolutions How’s that renovation/relocation/fill-in-the-blank … More »
