By Greg Girard The IPCPR Annual Convention & International Trade Show is far more than just an opportunity to spend a few days learning about and buying the newest cigars, pipes, tobaccos and smoking accessories. It’s also a chance to network with industry peers and share tips on good practices over a drink and a […]
By Jim Kinney | jkinney@repub.com AGAWAM – Dave Ratner was a little late for an interview meant to celebrate 40 years of Dave’s Soda & Pet City. He was in his office, on the phone with a customer from Northampton who hadn’t been able to find a particular item during repeated trips to his store. […]
As I write this, I just got back from the National Retail Federation Big Show (a retailer trade show) in New York. Going to the show is a mind-boggling experience and you really should attend it. The show takes up the entire Javits Center in New York, which dwarfs the venues at Global Pet Expo […]
By the time you read this Christmas will be over and the fabulous week between Christmas and New Year’s Day will also be in the books. I did something this year that we haven’t done in a few years. We sent the top 20 percent of our customers a postcard that simply said thanks for […]
It’s been a month since my last column and advertising is still on my mind. My local NBC affiliate put on a lunch sponsored by the network television association. It was great because there was no selling but lots of information. Even with a declining audience, network TV rules the media. The fellow who put […]
As I write this article I am trying to pull my thoughts together about our Christmas marketing plans as well as some ideas for making my customers love us even more. For the first time in years, I am investing money in radio advertising. I’ve seen a lot of research that says radio has the […]
One of my best buddies is a fellow named BJ Bueno. He is one of the best marketers, thinkers and strategists I have ever met. BJ is all about creating cult brands and how small businesses like ours can, in fact, do it without spending zillions of dollars. He write a blog called Cult Marketing […]
Hi! Did you miss me? As you probably noticed my “words of wisdom” have not been appearing in the last few months. Truth is, I ran out of stuff to write about. My very kind editors agreed that I could/should take a sabbatical and come back when the creative juices started flowing again. It’s hard […]
By Jim Kinney | jkinney@repub.com AGAWAM — Dave Ratner, owner of Dave’s Soda & Pet City, often appears in the company of a furry or feathered pet. But later this month he’ll be with U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives when he goes to Washington to lobby along with other retailers as […]
By Al McClain At the recent eTail West conference, Dave Ratner gave a terrific presentation on how small retailers can win against big chains — real world examples from somebody who worked his way up from the bottom. First, a little background: Mr. Ratner is the owner of Dave’s Soda & Pet City, a seven-store […]
