David vs Goliath

In this age of Amazon, Google, and online ordering, sometimes it's hard to remember the days of brick and mortar stores, when you could walk into a physical store, and touch, see, smell the food, clothes, books. Brick and mortar (or B&M, as we will refer to it in this book), are those retail businesses that are located in an actual building (as opposed to an online retailer, or e-tailer, who rarely has a physical location for shoppers to visit). Retailers today no longer have the biggest inventories, best selections or best prices. Brick & Mortar retailers don't have the best hours of operation and cannot compete with the giant on-line retailers or can they? Yes they can, but they need to change the game, and play to the advantages they have and there are many advantages and strengths that must be utilized to not just compete, but beat the on-line giant. In this book you will learn 100 proven promotions and lots of advise and wisdom to win.

In a relatively short period of time, total retail e-commerce sales across the world has reached $3 trillion. Were all those sales taken away from the B&M retailer? Is the rise of e-commerce threatening the existence of the traditional retail stores? I don't think so, but B&M retailers need to be aware of their market, and adapt as necessary. Maybe that means changing the way they run their shops, making a shift in their product mix or simply operating differently than they had in the past. The one thing that won't work is playing the pricing game that online discounters are engaging in right now, because that could lead to the B&M demise. If you, as a B&M shop owner, try to compete with lowest price and biggest selection the e-tailer offers, you will lose. We no longer have the biggest and best selection at the best prices, it's just that simple. The best selection is online, with every item and every color in stock right now. Almost every time, there is someone selling the same product as you for less money. A B&M just can't compete with the e-tailers' buying power, giant warehouses of inventory and the fierce competition of the online marketplace (sometimes against the very manufacturer of the product). Sometimes the manufacturer is selling directly to the end user, who used to be your customer. Is all hope lost? Not at all. It just requires a rethinking of strategy, and to work smarter, not harder. B&M retailers need to play to their own strengths, which are totally different than those of online retailers. The B&M retailer needs to be great at what the online shop can't ever be good at, and deliver what the consumer can't get on their computers or cell phones. The B&M retail experience must be better than sitting at home and clicking a button. It must motivate the customer to get off their couch and go to your establishment. To help make this happen there must be a form of "retail-tainment" which is a cross between retailing and entertainment. That's what this book helps you deliver—a reinvention of a staid, predictable B&M environment with fun, interactive attention-getters. In a word…Promotions! Some of the promotional events detailed in this book are new, some are decades old, and some are even centuries old. Some promotions have been tweaked with new twists and turns, but all are proven winners that I have personally tested, experienced or developed over my forty years in retail sales. Some can be used as they are and some may need to be adapted to work in your shop but they are all worth a try. Not only will these tools—because that's what marketing and promotions are, tools of the trade—get your customers engaged, but they will also give your staff an additional means of socializing with your customer, thereby building a friendly and fun environment. Be open to trying new techniques, because your goal is the same as mine—to help you make a successful financial change in your business, one that lasts for years to come. This book is compiled with plenty of real-life case studies, along with some words of wisdom and experience to help you make the most of all the ideas in these pages. We've made it easy by including a prep list, an overview, and some hints and tips for making the promotions in these pages work for you. In addition, you'll find retail wisdom sprinkled between the pages—insights into the retail world that I have learned over my years in business and share to help you utilize those strategies for success too!

David Garofalo is known these days as The Cigar Authority. His chain of cigar stores, Two Guys Smoke Shop, are internationally recognized as the highest volume, independently owned and operated brick and mortar retail cigar shops in the world. He is also the founder of Studio 21 Podcast Café, where he helps promote and market other small businesses in his United Podcast Network, hoping to achieve similar success. David made his debut into the business world in a much different place. Armed with a freshly printed high school diploma, a strong work ethic, and his trademark creativity, David's first venture was to purchase a cable car diner without any available cash. Starting with literally nothing, he grew his new business, and then sold it within three years, paying off his debts and making a decent profit. David next moved into the fast-growing nightclub market, taking control of neighborhood bars and turning them into profitable nightclubs. As his staff of DJs spun the popular disco hits of the time, David was spinning his marketing, experimenting with ground-breaking promotional events that brought patrons to his popular nightspots. From there, David purchased his first cigar shop, and as they say, the rest is history. His entrepreneurial experience, combined with his knowledge of promotional marketing, has set the stage for retail achievement, helping him reach the pinnacle of success.