A few of my favorite things for retail success
By Gordon Hecht, YSN Contributor
Our Retail World can be brutal. The pain of a cancelled order, a missed factory shipment or the loss of a top-producing employee is far worse than when the dog bites or when the bee stings. Or just when we’re feeling sad.
As you may know, “My Favorite Things” is one of the many songs from the 1959 Broadway hit “The Sound of Music.” It was originally performed by Mary Martin. In December 1961, Julie Andrews sang it on the “Garry Moore Show,” ensuring the tune’s place on Christmas playlists.
With planning and luck, 2024 may have been a banner year for you. Or perhaps the year may have been disappointing. Either way, there likely were potholes, detours and dead ends on the road to Dec. 31.
Here are some of my favorite retail experiences in 2024. You may be able to apply them to your enterprise.
Get Ready (’cause here I come)
Needing to replace a car battery is about as pleasant as making an emergency purchase of a new fridge, washer or mattress. It’s an extra expense, but you can’t do without it.
This year the ever-ready bunny died in our Screaming Yellow Zonker Jeep. I had just enough charge to get to the local auto parts shop. I called ahead to make sure they had the right item.
Matt, the tech who answered the phone, verified that it was in stock. He went a step further by asking my name and giving me his. He told me to give his name at the door. He would have the battery waiting front and center and would even install it for no charge and recycle the old one.
I arrived at 6:35 p.m. and asked for Matt. He rung up the sale, wheeled out my new DieHard and I was back on the road by 6:50.
It’s difficult but not impossible to duplicate this in our business. Customer pick-up merchandise can be waiting up front for people who tote their own boxes. Closing paperwork can be pre-printed and ready to sign. On the delivery truck, products for the next drop-off can be moved toward the tail of truck before arriving at the customer’s home.
You Wanna be Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Cheers to the staff at our last vacation destination. Within 48 hours of arriving they were calling me and my ever-lovin’ bride by our first names and knew our dining and beverage preferences. This all added to our comfort level and made the vacation experience remarkable.
Addressing shoppers by name can be useful in a retail setting too. People like the sound of their names and they like to buy from people they know, rather than from a stranger. Knowing and using your shopper’s name doesn’t make you their friend, but you are no longer a stranger either.
Your retail sales associates (RSAs) can make it a point to always introduce themselves. Then follow up with “… and your name is?” They can commit the shopper’s name to memory with a simple “It’s great to meet you (Name)!”
Sprinkle their name on lightly during the sales presentation. For couples shopping together, remember to ask and use both names. You’ll provide a warm, friendly, remarkable experience for them too.
The Breakfast Club
The products we sell may be different but all businesses are essentially the same.
I re-learned that lesson after attending a meeting of business leaders. There was a drywall manager, someone who restores older homes, an IT specialist and a few others. Only one other person was in the home furnishings biz.
We discussed issues and roadblocks to success, and how to deal with this economy and the one to come next year. One of the attendees shared a presentation on how his company conducts its annual planning meeting. Another discussed the fine points of office holiday parties.
In 2025 you should run, not walk, to your local Chamber of Commerce. It may have a similar forum. If not, start one of your own. If you are in a strip center, consider hosting a meeting for the owners and managers of your neighboring stores. Chances are good they have similar problems and challenges. They may even have the answers you are looking for.
Don’t You (Forget About Me)
The realtor who sold our last house still sends me birthday cards. Even though we moved away. He calls or texts just to see how we are doing.
We have a local handyman who fixed a few things in our new castle. He always calls to see if we are satisfied with the work. And if we need anything else done.
The big-box grocery chain in our neighborhood knows our birthdays (not years) through its loyalty program. This year they invited me to the store to pick out a birthday cake. No charge!
If you are reading this article, then you work for a company selling big-ticket merchandise. Most purchases total over one week’s pay for your customers. They have hundreds of items to choose from and dozens of places to buy. Online or bricks-and-mortar. It’s a big, painful decision for them.
Somehow a shopper chose your store. Congratulations.
It used to be a required practice to send a thank you card or make a follow-up satisfaction call. But common courtesy has become uncommon.
It takes little more than a simple mind to know that it takes less than a minute to text a “Thank you” to a shopper. In 90 seconds you can address a postcard that extends gratitude. That follow-up post-delivery satisfaction call is usually pleasant. But if there is an issue you can nip it before it goes on Facebook.
In 2025 you have an opportunity to be the retailer remembered as a Favorite Thing about shopping. The result will be success, delivered to you like brown paper packages tied up with strings.

Gordon Hecht is a consultant to the home furnishings trade with over four decades in retail and manufacturing and more than 500 industry newsletters and articles under his belt. His award-winning experience includes tenured time with Ashley Furniture Industries and Serta Simmons Bedding, with progressive responsibility for large and small retailers. Contact him at gordon.hecht@aol.com.