J.D. Associates Retail POS Solutions Blog

Bite the Hand that Feeds You?

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This morning, while listening to a major network morning show, my ears perked up when the announcer said to stay tuned for a segment entitled "what retailers don't want you to know."  On hearing this, all kinds of negative ideas went through my head.  What could devious retailers be up to now?  Are they over-charging customers at point of sale?  Are they selling ‘knock-off' merchandise?  Are they selling stolen goods?  When the segment finally aired, the answer shocked me.  Retailers were doing exactly what they should be doing to sell more goods and to make the customer experience easy and successful.  They were smartly merchandising their products.  One example described how an apparel retailer was matching tops to bottoms and accessories.  It was depicted as a trick to get the "brain dead" consumer to buy more.  First of all, this is a win/win for the retailer and the consumer.  In this situation, the smart retailer actually does sell more goods.

Isn't that what retailers are supposed to do?  As a result of smart merchandising, the consumer doesn't waste endless hours trying to find companion goods which results in making their shopping experience more productive and pleasing.

Doesn't it sometimes seem that the media are obsessed with trying to villainize anything the entrepreneurial retailer does?  Don't you think it might be better if the media kept in mind that retail is a driving force in the economy?  Much of the media's revenue comes from retail advertisements and sponsorships.  Why continuously bite the hand that feeds you?