Main Street Matters by Heart on Main Street

Episode 10: Visual Merchandising Techniques with Lyn Falk and Suzanne Rafenstein of Retailworks Inc.

Effective visual merchandising allows your products to stand out from the crowd and can set your store apart. But truly good visual merchandising is a skill that has to be learned. Lyn Falk and Suzanne Rafenstein of Retailworks Inc. join the Main Street Matters webinar to discuss visual merchandising techniques that all retailers should know about!

https://retailworksinc.com/
Heartonmainstreet.org
heartonmainstreet.org/education
https://www.facebook.com/donate/1238433293395477/

Episode 9: Interviewing for Retail positions with Bob Negen

So, you have people who have applied to a job posting for your retail store; how do you construct interviews to ensure you make the best hire possible? WhizBang Retail Training founder, Bob Negen, joins the Main Street Matters by Heart on Main Street to discuss interviewing for retail positions., This topic is one that retailers across the United States are struggling with, and Bob gives excellent advice on how to alleviate the issue. This episode is a recording of a webinar from August 2023. The video for this webinar can be found at heartonmainstreet.org

Links mentioned in the episode:
heartonmainstreet.org
heartonmainstreet.org/education
https://whizbangtraining.com/


 

Episode 8: Stories from the Road pt. 2

Over the last several months, Heart on Main Street has been visiting retailers in towns across the US to see their stores, learn their stories and discover what makes the independent retailers in these towns so special. Every city has its unique feel, just like its retailers.  One of the amazing things about independent retail is the ability to get a sense of the owner's style and personality as soon as you walk in the door. You get to see a slice of themselves and what they care about. In this episode, I talk about our visits to the towns of Carmel, IN; Woodstock, IL; Kirkwood, MO; and McKinney, TX. There are some great learnings from the towns and from the retailers about how to support each other and how to create memorable experiences that create long-lasting customers. 

Episode 7: Winner Her Business: Customer Experience Strategies for Independent Retailers with Bridget Brennan

Creating a great customer experience can create loyal customers and advocates for your store, but it doesn't happen by accident. Our guest, Bridget Brennan, has spent decades studying the way customers, in particular women, interact within a store and provides her insights on how to create a great customer experience.  We cover types of products, ways to display them, and ways to bundle items together to make the experience more convenient for your customers.

Links mentioned in the episode:
https://www.heartonmainstreet.org/
https://www.heartonmainstreet.org/education
https://www.instagram.com/heartonmainstreet/
https://www.facebook.com/heartonmainstreet
https://thefemalefactor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/bridgetbrennaninsights/

Episode 6: Stories from the Road pt. 1

Since its conception, Heart on Main Street has been working to provide independent retailers with resources and tools to help grow their businesses. We have had the opportunity to work directly with a few retailers impacted by natural disasters and help get their stores up and running again. We have also been out traveling the country to visit different towns and meet retailers. Every retailer has a story. Every story is unique. In this episode, we tell the stories of those retailers that we were able to aid with donations and talk about our first stop on our Main Street Monday tour. Owner of The Clothes Gallery in Crystal Lake, IL, Sherree Rothstein, tells us her story of ownership and how she's run a successful business for nearly 30 years. 

Links mentioned in the episode:
https://www.heartonmainstreet.org/
https://www.heartonmainstreet.org/education
https://theclothesgallery.com/
https://www.instagram.com/heartonmainstreet/
https://www.facebook.com/heartonmainstreet
https://www.facebook.com/myclothesgallery
https://www.instagram.com/theclothesgallery/

Episode 5: Attending a Trade Show With Beth Rich and Mary Liz Curtin

Main Street Matters welcomes back retailers Mary Liz Curtin and Beth Rich to discuss how they prepare for show season and their approach to visiting different vendors at a trade show. Beth and Mary Liz are recognized as two of the nation's top retailers by the Retail Excellence Awards, so their thoughts and opinions come with years of experience behind them. 

Episode 4: Creating Job Postings to Find the Best Retail Candidates with Bob Negen

Main Street Matters welcomes the founder of WhizBang Retail Training, author, and world-renown speaker Bob Negen, to discuss how to create job postings to attract the best candidates for retail positions. This topic is one that retailers across the United States are struggling with, and Bob gives excellent advice on how to alleviate the issue. This episode is a recording of a webinar from April 2023. The video for this webinar can be found at heartonmainstreet.org

Episode 3: Social Media Strategies that Drive Foot Traffic with Crystal Vilkaitis

Founder and CEO of Crystal Media Co. Crystal Vilkaitis joins Main Street Matters to talk about social media strategies that drive foot traffic to retail stores.