With Valentine’s Day approaching, we have declared a month to love your Management One® Affiliate. To help your affiliate win, simply go to the Management One® Facebook page at:

http://facebook/com/managementone

There you will find out how to register your vote for the most loved!

The results will be announced in next month’s Informer.

http://facebook/com/managementone

There you will find out how to register your vote for the most loved!

The results will be announced in next month’s Informer.

http://www.management-one.com/about/careers.php

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Management One® Announces Expansion of Its Specialty Retail Consulting Service

November 23, 2011, Tucson, AZ—Consulting firm Management One®, which provides open-to-buy and inventory planning to specialty retailers, has announced the next orientation and training for new retail consultants that join the Management One® network. The training will be held in Tucson Arizona, headquarters for Management One®, from January 15 to 20th, 2012. The training is the first step to a successful career in retail consulting utilizing the Winning@Retail™ solution from Management One® as the foundation for success.
Management One® decided to expand its affiliate base in response to the strong demand from independent specialty retailers for merchandise planning and the tools that give them a sustainable competitive advantage. “As the economy improves we are seeing a huge growth in specialty retail and that brings a huge need for consultants to deliver the right path forward for these stores.” according to Fred Pylman, Assistant Director of Operations for Management One®.

This will be the largest training class in Management One® history and covers all aspects of retail consulting the new affiliate will require. The class curriculum has been recently updated and includes training in the Management One® credos and culture, how to market and sell to retailers, the initiation process for new clients, consulting skills and techniques and how to set up and manage your own consulting practice. “Consulting is a great way to have a lucrative career on your own terms while helping others succeed. There is so much to know and such a big difference from being a retailer to influencing other retailers in their business. ” stated Evan Wise, Managing Director of Management One®. The January orientation and training session covers retail math, reading and implementing the Winning@Retail™ merchandise plan, understanding and using retail financial analysis, marketing, selling and more. Most retailers have sold product in their past but must learn to sell themselves and the reality of a better future. Dennis Levine, a Management One® affiliate for 21 years commented, “Come for the food and stay for the career!” There is lots of fun and camaraderie too.
Retailers that enjoy helping other retailers succeed can make the transition to consulting through the extensive training and mentoring offered by Management One®. A career in consulting puts the affiliate in control of his or her situation and future as the affiliate controls their schedule, client load, billing and the services offered to their client base. With Management One® YOU own your own business! Income can be managed and increased by adding new clients. According to Pylman, “The Winning@Retail™ process is successful in assuring tremendous value for clients every month so the affiliate’s business can grow.” The best part is there is no upfront cost or payment to Management One®. You pay for merchandise plans as you deliver them to your new clients. Pylman and Wise have made additional adjustments to accommodate more students in the upcoming January class.  “Since the demand is there, we need to be prepared to help more people assist our retail clients,” said Wise.  “It’s an exciting time for people who love retail to expand their horizon and create new opportunity.”

ABOUT MANAGEMENT ONE®

Management One® is the premier source for retail merchandise planning through the Winning@Retail™ solution. “Since 1990 Management One® has been the best source for independent specialty retailers to get sales forecasting that is greater than 94% accurate and merchandise plans that will provide more cash and grow a retail business” according to Marc Weiss, Managing Director of Management One® . All merchandise plans are analyzed and delivered by its team of retail experts who have their own independent consulting business. Other solutions offered by Management One® include the Winning@Business™ solution that gives affiliates a holistic approach beyond the inventory to how the staff is managed, training buyers, sales training, hiring, negotiating and more of the skills that make good retailers great; Winning@Finance™ to guide retailers to manage their cash more effectively; Winning@Turnarounds™ to get struggling retailers back in the black; Margin Buying Service™ to help specialty stores boost margin through a specialized buying professional; and many other services to independent retailers. Management One® is a network of 52 affiliates across the U.S. and Europe with clients around the world. For more information about Management One®, its solutions and retail consulting as a career, contact info@management-one.com or call Evan Wise at 630 886 8848.

Here is a front page article in Today’s Arizona Star featuring one of Neil Norton’s clients in Tucson.

It discusses how retailers in communities like ours and across the country are using social media to prevent and catch shoplifters.

Management One® has 92% of all classes processed for October. We are proud to announce that Management One® clients outpaced the report released yesterday by National Retail Federation. The NRF posted an increase in September sales vs. LY of 5.8%. Management One® clients had a total increase of 9.0% or 55% higher than the NRF average!

October is an important month for revisiting break evens and focusing on cash flow. The decisions made now will have a direct bearing on a retailer’s cash position on December 31st.

o What classes need to be fed?
o What classes will need cancellations and adjustments?
o What were the sell thru’s for fall? What additional actions need to be taken?
o How will the end of year targeted inventory be achieved? What actions need to be taken?
o What is the marketing and selling plan for Thanksgiving through New Years?
o What expenses can be better managed?
o Is there a special 4th Qtr. incentive for sales staff that can be implemented?
o What are the action plans on non performing classes?
o Are some classes being driven by a single vendor? Should that vendor become its own class to open dollars for new vendors in that class? We call these classes “Category Killers” that are dominated by a single vendor. Examples are Michael Stars, Brighton, Uggs, Toms, VSA, Southern Tide.
o What is the hiring and training process for temporary staff for the holidays?
o Are first delivery Spring orders in line with planned receiving?
o What is the markdown strategy going forward? When will it be triggered?
o What events are planned and how is the staff prepared to take advantage of those events?
o How is the flow of new seasonal goods positioned? Is off price part of the plan? Is Margin Buying part of the plan? Do key seasonal classes have the correct flow and amount of inventory coming in. Short season deliveries must be correct or business will be lost.

An in-depth discussion NOW will assure a happy follow up meeting in January! Beating the NRF averages is not an accident. The devil is in the details. This is not about gimmickry but solid fundamentals in every aspect of the business.

This is the best quarter of the year for our retailers to acquire new customers! What is being done to achieve that?

Happy Retailing,

Marc Weiss
Managing Director
Management One®

La Jolla Village News recently ran a large article about Surf Diva, client of affiliates John Adams (San Diego, CA) and Alan Roseman (Los Angeles, CA). The article covered surfing information in addition to discussing personal input from twin sister co-owners Coco and Izzy Tihanyi.

Two Bostons, Cathy Wagner’s (Chicago, IL) client, just won a National Award for achieving the Outstanding Boutique & Specialty Store Award from Pet Product News!

Even though the river dictated our direction, we still needed a guide to make sure we avoided the rocks, sandbars and hazards that lay before us. Our guide was an expert who had faced the challenges on countless trips down this same river. His expertise was critical to our safety, enjoyment and reaching our goal. Many retailers avoid obstacles and sandbars in their path using a qualified expert to help guide their business journey. Others bump some rocks and spend some time on the sandbars. Without a guide, these retailers end up in the river when they hit the rapids just as we would have without the expertise of the river guide. Just as our guide had a plan, timeline, strategy and tactics developed for our successful trip, a good retail guide has an accurate merchandise plan supported by retail experience and a team of experts to call upon… just in case.

Eric was our guide and he had been taking adventurers down the river for 24 years. Notice that we were not clients or customers but rather “adventurers”. That set the mood for our experience right from the start. Did I mention that this was an experience and not a raft trip?! I bet a lot of your shoppers are looking for an experience and not just another pair of shoes or a new dress. Disney had the imagineers so maybe you should have the fashioneers?

After 24 years of guiding a raft down this same stretch of river, I would guess that there is not a lot on a rafting experience that Eric has not seen. Even so he was as excited as a little kid. When he saw a hawk fly overhead, you would think it was the first bird he had ever seen. He informed us that the river was flowing at 35,000 cubic feet per minute which in reality meant absolutely nothing to us. After 5 minutes, Eric made us so darn happy to be travelling the river on that trip because we were the lucky ones that caught the river at that flow. We could not wait for the experience since it was such a unique opportunity. We actually felt sorry for the poor people who had to take the trip when the river was 36,000 ft3/min or, heaven forbid, at 34,000 ft3/minute. Imagine if you and your staff had that peak level of excitement for the shopping adventure that your customers were about to embark upon in your shop! It is not just, “Why don’t you try these on?” but rather (and excitedly), “I really want you to EXPERIENCE the comfort that only this shoe can provide!” or “I love the way you look in this hat”

The four of us on the trip had a lot of questions and Eric knew the answers to them all. The white stripe on the rock was a petrified coral reef when the ocean sat on this very spot. The top of the mountain we saw was actually covered by 3,500 feet of silt! The green rock was actually covered by a type of moss and the black was a hydrate of manganese. The point is that training is critical to credibility. How much training does your staff get every week? Do they know the details, features, history, story and benefits of every item you sell? Are they able to bring a top to life with its own unique story? Eric can do that with a rock!

Then as a special show of trust and opportunity, each of us was allowed to travel to the back of the raft and steer! He explained what he looked for in the river and how to avoid it. We were taught how he spots and avoids sandbars and rocks. We now entered into his world. It reminded me of one of our clients who offered valued customers the opportunity to go to market with her. They paid their own way but they were allowed to enter the retailer’s world. She showed them how she evaluates a vendor and a line. They could see how she places orders and the risks she takes with every order. By allowing them into her world, she increased the trust, bond and relationship — just like Eric did.

Before you think that the experience was all fun and games, consider the safety aspect. Eric laid down specific rules and the safety lecture was not to be taken lightly. Eighteen people had gone missing on the river in Utah this year alone and he was passionate about the safety of each adventurer. “If you see a body part or torso floating in the water, cross your neck with a finger to let me know to cut off the motor.” That got our attention. A retailer needs rules and policies as well. Passion and consistency are what make policies work as part of a consistent experience for the staff and the customer. Just as Eric does not want to lose adventurers on the river, you should not be losing fashioneers due to inconsistent or weak policies in the store.

What deeply impressed me about Eric was his consistent optimism. For him, the sun was coming out, the clouds were always breaking up, the rain was always a momentary event and the rapids were always the best experience in memory. The night we camped out, we built a camp fire. Even though Eric had talked about sleeping outside under the stars as an important part of the experience, the thunder, lightning, heavy clouds and pouring rain would have seemed to be a hindrance to stargazing. Eric insisted for two hours that we were going to have one of the best stargazing nights ever. Then finally, as the rain continued to pour and the clock struck 11 p.m., he was forced to admit that maybe setting up some tents might be a good idea. We were all tired, soaked and chilled, but because of Eric’s optimism and the great job he did of establishing and guiding the experience, we were all delighted.

Retail is filled with obstacles and unexpected actions and reactions. The best retailers, like the best river guides, manage the total experience and leave as little as possible to chance. Forecasting sales and buying the right merchandise at the right time in the right classifications make the trip to your destination smoother, straighter and faster. The right merchandise plan is critical to staying afloat and not becoming one of the missing in action. We had a great time and that is exactly what your customers should be saying about shopping in your store– “We had a great time!”