Decades ago when I started working retail, I learned a basic rule of merchandising when building displays or setting shelves–if you have multiple sizes of an item, the larger size goes on the right. So if you have say Listerine mouthwash in 3 sizes, you would merchandise them as follows: 12 oz—-18 Read More…
Author: RetailGuy
I have worked in retail for over 40 years. I've seen the good, the bad, the ugly, and the completely unbelievable.
Fast Food Customers Whose Expectations Were Too High
This came from didyouknowfacts.com, and while I never worked in fast food, I did get similar customers working in a drug store. Sometimes they’d write a check to Rite-Aid when they were in Longs, or even think they were at the grocery store and ask where the produce is. Also had a customer Read More…
30 Real Products That You Won’t Believe
People get paid a lot to be in advertising and marketing, and sometimes you just have to scratch your head and wonder “WTF were they thinking?” I mean it’s not like one person just came up with a ludicrous idea and it got done, literally dozens of people would be involved in the process Read More…
Unintentionally Funny Cigarette Ads
Came across this on Guff and had to share it. Back in the day it was legal to advertise cigarettes and some of them are quite amazing when you look at them now. I especially love the one where some “doctor” says that smoking is good for you. And if you think these Read More…
Things You Must Stop Doing To Retail Store Employees In The Age Of Coronavirus
Although I’m not currently working, I feel for my friends who still are at work and for all the grocery store and other retail employees who are on “the front lines.” Buzzfeed came up with this list and I agree with all 19 of them. Do the right thing everyone! 1. Don’t bring your whole family Read More…
Some Retail Companies Still Care About Their Employees
So there’s a grocery chain in Texas called H-E-B and they were recently named #1 in customer service by a major poll and they rewarded the employees with $100 bonus! THAT is how you build loyalty, attract quality employees and keep them. If you haven’t heard of them (I hadn’t) there’s a great article Read More…
Some Of The Worst Packaging Ever
The other day I bought a package of Klondike bars, which have always been a square bar full of ice cream for as long as I can remember. But when I opened the package, there was a big hole in the middle so I was really only getting about 70% of my expected ice cream Read More…
Employees Are Getting Chipped. And I don’t mean the Lays kind.
So a small Wisconsin business has managed to convince their 40 employees to get microchips embedded in their hands, just so they don’t have to wear a name badge or have to log on to a computer. They were given “I Got Chipped!” t-shirts to commemorate the event. Of course the company says they’re not Read More…
Great Questions Applicants Asked During An Interview
Had to share this one…Reddit asked their readers for some great questions that applicants asked when the interviewer said “Do you have any questions?” Some of them are classics. In my career, I’ve interviewed thousands of people but I still remember the best question I ever got. The applicant was a young girl who had Read More…
17 Failures From Companies Who Should Have Known Better
If you’re over 40 you probably remember the fiasco that was New Coke, but there are many other examples of companies who launched a new product without really thinking it through (or doing enough market testing.) Nowadays they test the hell out of everything and there’s still the occasional failure, but none will probably ever Read More…