Operations

It is no secret that identity theft continues to plague our personal and professional lives. It leads the list of consumer privacy concerns and has ranked as the No. 1 consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission for the past …

Once a year at the Tratensek household, which is run like a well-oiled Fortune 500 company, I sit down with our Chief Financial Officer (read, my wife) and we take a look at all of our expenses to determine if …

Want to know a secret about amazing your customers? Here it is: Don’t start by focusing on the customers. To consistently deliver high-quality customer service that will give your business a competitive edge and keep customers coming back, you must …

Looking for a way to make your store stand out to customers? Think big! Whether it’s a hobby-turned-community project or an outside-the-box way to draw in customers, a couple of retailers found large statues in their stores created talking points …

With the holiday rush approaching and a new $100 bill in circulation, it’s imperative for retailers to support their sales associates with tools to identify phony bills before hundreds of dollars of merchandise walks out their doors for free. Use …

The holiday season is fast approaching, and for many people, this time is all about giving to others. Donating time and materials to a local charity or hosting a fundraiser in your store shows your customers you support the community …

When it comes to being successful selling builders’ hardware, it is important your employees understand and embrace the category’s somewhat split personality. On one hand, builders’ hardware is one of the most dynamic, fashion-forward categories found in home improvement stores, …

The Vendor Center™ President, Darrell Wabschall, announced the launch of a new website, www.TheVendorCenterOnline.com, a secure business-to-business website that allows hardware retailers to access a wide range of vendor information including pricing, catalogs, educational and demonstration videos and order products …