Bob Phibbs

NRF: Independents' Renaissance Begins Online

January 23, 2012

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Last Monday at NRF was "Independents Day." One of this year's speakers was Dave Ratner, owner of Dave's Soda and Pet City, whose aggressive utilization of online channels has made it possible for his business to not only survive, but flourish, even through the down times of the recession. Do you think independents can make better use of online affiliations and targeted promotions than their big box challengers?      [more...]

Great retail is having a unique proposition. I noticed Dave (again) and wonder how much a pet food store or a gift store or a shoe store that just opened a few years ago could take from their story.

If you don't have a great story, which much of retail doesn't, it seems the last place to start is trying to compete with the Amazons and PetSmarts of the world as I wrote here.