Watch Video
Ads Featuring Small Business Owners Will Run in Targeted Congressional Districts

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2017 – The National Retail Federation tomorrow will launch the next phase of a television and digital ad campaign against border adjustment tax (BAT) proposed by House Republicans’, building on the success of satirical “As Seen on TV” ads that described the BAT as an “everything tax” for American consumers. In the new campaign, three small retailers – not actors – tell their own stories and convey their fears that the BAT would put them out of business.

“Small business owners are already struggling to survive in an over-regulated marketplace, and the border adjustment tax would push many of them under water,” NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said.

“Erin, Vivian and Dave represent the millions of Americans who have made enormous sacrifices to build their businesses and now are at risk of being taxed out of existence. Their stories are powerful not just because they are real, but because their fears transcend regional and partisan politics.”

The new phase of NRF’s campaign will launch in several communities across the country and will encourage viewers to go to stopthebat.tax to tell their members of Congress to oppose the BAT. In addition to digital ads featuring all three small business owners, the campaign will begin with a 30-second television spot sharing the story of Erin Calvo-Bacci, the owner of CB Stuffer, a specialty chocolate manufacturer and retailer in Swampscott, Mass.

In the ad, Calvo-Bacci says the BAT “will be devastating. …It means all of my costs are going to increase.” When asked what she wants lawmakers to know about BAT, she says, “I don’t want my company to go away. This is going to kill us.”

The other ads feature Vivian Sayward, owner of Vivacity Sportswear in San Diego, and Dave Ratner, owner of Dave’s Soda and Pet City in Agawam, Mass.

The BAT is included in the House Republican leadership’s “Better Way” plan for tax reform. While NRF strongly supports tax reform, the BAT could cause retailers to see tax bills three to five times the amount of their profits, threatening to drive some merchants out of business. Most at risk would be the small retailers that make up 98 percent of the retail industry and provide 40 percent of its jobs.

The new phase of NRF’s campaign with retailers speaking our Against Border Adjustment Tax (BAT) will begin with a two-week television and digital ad buy in the congressional districts of several Republican members of the House.

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.

Stop The BAT Tax: http://stopthebat.tax
Read More: National Retail Federation

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH35xJX5SlQ[/embedyt]

The post NRF unleashes Dave for their National Awareness Campaign [VIDEO] Against Border Adjustment Tax (BAT) first appeared on Dave Ratner.

The post Dave Ratner Speaks At National Retail Federation Conference [VIDEO] first appeared on Dave Ratner.

The things I like best about this show are the hundreds of different speakers and the case studies of things individual retailers have done well (and not so well). Many of the sessions and exhibitors focused on the big boys but there was plenty for the indie retailer to learn.

By the time you read this, we will have upgraded our POS system to the latest and greatest Counterpoint system. It has been a slow, painful and very expensive process that included deposits on two systems that we ended up not using because they ended up not doing what we needed.

In the end, the counterpoint was as close as we could get to what we need. Here’s my advice to you: Before you invest in a new or a first POS system, find a consultant who can help you articulate your “must haves” in the new system. Naturally, yours truly didn’t do that.

We did find a compatible piece of software called flexReceipts. It will allow us to email receipts to customers and put targeted coupons on those receipts. The best part is the folks from that company are very savvy tech people who are ahead of the curve with mobile payments, emails, etc.

We also looked at payroll, time and attendance software, mobile payment software, and some cool monitors that you can program through a computer to play or demo anything you have in your store. They are basically televisions that you program.

This was also my fourth year as presenter at the National Retail Federation Big Show. We had more than 850 people in the session, which was “Twelve Very Doable Marketing Strategies.” For me, the best part of the show is always talking to other retailers. You learn so much more by listening than talking. I hung out with the CMO of Sheels All Sports, which is a chain of 22 amazingly well run stores. The stores are world class, industry-leading destination stops. They range in size from about 100,000 sq. ft. to 220,000 sq. ft. They do zillions of dollars and have a wonderful way of doing business.

Firstly, each store is a shopping experience like no other. They understand whoever has the store that is the most fun, wins. They sell, sporting goods, all kinds of apparel, hunting equipment and pet food—including lots of locally made stuff. But what really sets the company apart from the competition is the people who work there and the training that goes into every single employee.

Most retailers don’t invest nearly enough in product training, customer service skill training, management training, etc. But Sheels does. The employees at Sheels are paid very well with great benefits but a lot is expected of those employees. The management sets high expectations but they give the crew the tools they need to meet them.

Listening to my new buddy talk about the culture at Sheels reminded me exactly of how Mindy Grossman runs her company Home Shopping Network. They demonstrate that an owner needs to give the employees tools and opportunities to shine and grow. A company can’t grow without great people.

I went back to my hotel room thinking of ways to run my company like they do. I am so much smaller than they are, how can I possibly do it? Then I realized Mr. Sheels started with one store and a clearly defined vision of how he wanted to run his business. We can all learn from his example.

Here is what I think we can look forward to. Free shipping on pet food will not be here forever. Once investors insist on companies making money, free shipping will go away. Just don’t hold your breath. I also think you and I will have to let our customers order online and pick up at the store or we will have to deliver orders. The companies that are easiest to do business with will win.

Things are changing so fast that indies like us will face challenges staying ahead of the curve. Please take this advice about delivery even if your business is great. Start making a plan to get into the delivery business now and get ahead of the curve.

Article Featured in Pet Age: http://www.petage.com/the-big-show/

The post The Big Show first appeared on Dave Ratner.

The committee will identify concerns, develop strategies and solutions, and promote and organize grassroots advocacy. The Council also will serve as a forum for NRF’s small business members to discuss issues and priorities.

The Council will consist of two co-chairs that will lead a five- to seven-member steering committee comprised of independent retailers across the country as well as small retailers that are current NRF Board members, including Dave Ratner of Dave’s Soda and Pet City of Agawam, Massachusetts and Beth Aberg of Random Harvest, Inc. of Washington, D.C.

“We are bringing together some of the retail sector’s best small business leaders to build upon their integral role in drafting and shaping public policy,” said Matthew Shay, President and CEO of NRF. “Working with our state retail association partners, we hope to amplify the voice of small retailers in advancing the retail community’s agenda. The Small Business Retail Council will enhance and strengthen the partnership between small business owners and NRF, and optimize industry engagement on our common goals.”

Article Posted in National Retail Federation

The post National Retail Federation Launches Small Business Retail Council first appeared on Dave Ratner.

The show floor takes up the entire Javits Center. Anything and everything having to do with retail is there.

It is the perfect place to find used POS equipment, carts, time and attendance software, fixtures, sign making software and hardware, mobile solutions, credit card processors, literally anything you can think of to help retailers, and not just for the big boys. I got plenty of ideas and names for stuff I may be able to use.

The NRF also puts on a whole day of sessions especially for independent retailers. For me, it is the highlight of the show. You cannot feel anything but inspired after you listen to a few of these folks. I don’t care who you are, you need to feel inspired every once in a while. For me, it is nourishment. I come away with a gazillion ideas (most of which will never work) but my mind is recharged and ready to try and make my business better and more loved by my customers.

Since you are an avid reader of my columns, you know I am on the board of the NRF. This was my third meeting, so I am now pretty comfortable with my board “peeps.” The board meeting was very interesting.

What struck me as the biggest “duh” was every retailer in the room has the same problem – getting employees. Did you know that retail employs one in four people in the U.S.?

So there is a pretty good sized outreach to colleges, and even high schools about trying to raise the perception of a retail career. Retail is not on the “sexy” list for most young people. The image is standing behind a register for the rest of your life. Fact is, retail is lots of IT (somebody has to design and run the computers), design, manufacturing, management, logistics, etc.

I chuckled to myself as I listened to our chairman, Terry Lundgren from Macy’s, talk about what they are doing to encourage young people to go into retail. Why did I chuckle? He has, are you ready, 170,000 employees! Can you imagine?

I sat next to the chairman of Tractor Supply, who is a very nice guy. On the other side of me was the CEO of BJ’s Wholesale Club. I asked her where she was staying.
Where do you think? She is CEO of an $11 billion company. The Four Seasons? The Ritz? Maybe The Plaza? Nope, the Comfort Inn. I said, “You’re kidding, right?” “Nope, BJ’s is a value conscious business. How would it look to my customers and employees if I stayed in a fancy hotel she said?”

Right, silly me. It’s that culture thing. The cool thing about her is she walks the walk. Look her up on Google – Laura Sen. Read her history and interviews, it is a wonderful lesson on leadership.

Getting back to the sessions, it blows my mind that there aren’t more indie retailers there of all industries, to take advantage of all they offer. I am not preaching to you, I am stating a fact. You cannot learn new things sitting in your store. There are conferences all over the country that have great speakers. I was in sessions with folks from our biggest competitors. They understand how important it is to know how to reach today’s consumer. I heard case studies from companies that use all kinds of marketing tools. These folks don’t give away secrets, but they give you enough basic ideas of how, and why you need to do certain things.

Even at our industry shows the folks who put these on go to great lengths to get speakers who are there to help you grow your business. I don’t believe there is a single reader out there that won’t learn something from at least one of the sessions at a trade show.

This year I learned how to get the attention of customers who are walking down an aisle. I also learned how to get folks to walk down an aisle that is getting no traffic. Most importantly, I learned how to engage with my customers on the level they want to be engaged with. That info is worth untold dollars. It will become my secret weapon in my stores.

Article Featured in Pet Age: http://www.petage.com/the-learning-never-stops-2/

The post The Learning Never Stops first appeared on Dave Ratner.