Operations

All smart decisions are based on research, be it product development, marketing strategies or financial decisions. It’s important to look for trends, industry best practices and any other data that supports those decisions. At the North American Retail Hardware Association …

A question often asked of retirees, whether their career was spent working in a hardware store, leading an office of employees or teaching a classroom of children, is, “What’s next?” Many people get excited to devote more time to hobbies, volunteering …

Through Edgewood Do it Best Hardware & Rental, Jerry Mobley and Dale Streets are able to use lifetimes of knowledge and experience to help customers from their community. Both men began working for the store after long careers in other industries, …

You might do annual employee reviews, but how often do you check how happy and motivated your employees are? High employee engagement at work is linked to a business’ overall success, and companies such as John Deere are taking that …

According to the 2016 National Retail Security Survey (NRSS), conducted by the National Retail Federation and the University of Florida, retailers’ inventory shrink averaged 1.38 percent of retail sales, or $45.2 billion in 2015, up by $1.2 billion from 2014. …

In the July issue of Hardware Retailing magazine, we discuss the succession planning process for the entering generation in the article, “Stepping In.” In the story, we share best practices and real-life examples from retailers who have gone through or …

When a customer walks through the doors of your retail operation, do they make a beeline to the items on their list? Or do they browse the store and discover items they’d like or forgot to pick up last time they …

  Are you ready to buy a business? In the July issue of Hardware Retailing, we talked with four owners who had recently purchased a business, or are in the process of purchasing a business. They talked about their experiences …