Retail TNT

Are Nearby Stores Complementary?
Next review whether the retail space you are considering is complementary to nearby retail establishments. For example, it would not be appropriate to put a liquor store adjacent to a school for troubled children. However, a dry cleaners, nail salon, office supply store and dollar store might all fit well in their neighborhood shopping center anchored by a major grocery chain.

Complementary Stores

Grocery stores, drugstores and gas stations tend to be complementary. In some cases, they are all provided by one retailer. For example, many of the Sam’s Club or super Wal-Mart’s have groceries, a drugstore and sell gasoline. In addition, there has been a growing trend for grocery stores to sell gasoline as a loss leader. Their objective is not to make money selling gasoline. Their objective is to increase the number of trips customers make to the store to buy groceries.
Category Killers

In some cases, “category killers” cluster in a power center. (A category killer is a retailer who stocks every conceivable item relative to a category. Office Depot is a category killer for office supplies. Petco is a category killer for pet supplies.) Having four to six category killers in one cluster is referred to as a power center.
More on Category Killers

The stores are not linked in a physical sense, other than being part of the same planned development. In other words, they were likely developed at the same time on one large tract of land, but there is no enclosed pathway between the stores. Other examples of category killers are Home Depot, Circuit City, Best Buy, Linens N Things and Bed Bath and Beyond.
Example of Complementary Uses

Another example of complementary use retail uses would be to put a beauty products store, hair salon, tanning salon, nail salon and spa contiguous with each other in the same retail center. Customers interested in one of these businesses may well be interested in at least one of the others.
Avoid a Deal Killer

Complementary uses can be a meaningful enhancement of a location. However, uses which are clearly inconsistent with your proposed location may be a deal killer.
Construction

When retail space meets the minimally acceptable standard for the previously discussed criteria, it is time to review the costs to prepare the retail space for your business. In broad terms, the costs include signage and the cost of renovating or redoing the improvements within your space.
Tenant Improvements

At this point, you need to know the landlord’s policy regarding tenant improvements. (Tenant improvements are worked performed to make space suitable for a business. It can include adding restrooms, demolishing and adding walls, floor coverings, window coverings, signage and virtually anything else related to physically preparing the retail space for your business.
Will the Landlord Pay?

The landlord is usually willing to fund tenant improvement expenditures provided he is confident the tenant has the financial capacity to pay rent for the term of the lease. If you’re representing a national retailer with a strong balance sheet, landlords will practically spend as much money as you request on tenant improvements. Of course, the cost of the tenant improvements will be built into the rental rate.
It’s Up to You

If you’re a start-up business with no track record and little capital, landlords will be cautious about expenditures for tenant improvements. They will likely want you to fund tenant improvements for your space. The benefit is your rental rate will be lower. However, you’ll have to include the cost of preparing your space for occupancy in your initial capitalization.
TI Details

Other issues related to tenant improvements include defining the work to be done, and who has financial responsibility for performing the work. If you’re a national retailer, you might provide a landlord with a detailed set of plans for your space. It is then up to him to cost effectively provide the buildout you are requiring. If you’re a smaller retailer, the landlord may provide a tenant improvement allowance, and require you to interface with contractors to have the work performed.
How Much TI?

The cost of tenant improvements occasionally exceeds $100 per square foot for second-generation retail. It is generally much lower. Even if the landlord is willing to provide substantial funds for tenant improvements, be cautious about the scope of work for tenant improvements. The landlord’s expenditure for tenant improvements is essentially a loan which will be repaid with your rent during the term of the lease.
Who pays for ADA?

If the space requires tenant improvements which require obtaining a building permit from the city, review whether you’ll have to replace the restroom because of ADA. (ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act). In most cases, changes to provide ADA compliance are not necessary if you not require a building permit. However, a consequence of obtaining a building permit is typically that the space must be revised to completely comply with ADA. Replacing the bathroom so it is ADA compliant can be expensive.

The Market Research and Consulting division of OConnor & Associates provides information necessary to make decision to commercial real estate professionals. Occupancy and Rental Data, ownership and management information are routinely gathered for four major land uses multifamily, office, retail and industrial. This information allows investors to compare competitive properties, facilitate business decisions and track market and submarket performance. In addition the data is useful to brokers who for example continually monitor Houston retail space leasing, Houston office space leasing, Houston industrial space leasing, Houston apartments, Dallas apartments, Ft. Worth apartments, Austin apartments, and San Antonio apartments.

As a criminal defense lawyer in Chicago, it seems that every day I get calls from potential clients who have been arrested for retail theft, or what you may call shoplifting. Most of the people are very nice and are quite embarrassed. These men and women are also concerned about the potential consequences of an arrest for retail theft offense. To be honest they should be, it can be quite trying. For any of you out there considering taking merchandise from a retail store without paying for the items, don’t do it! For those that have already been arrested for shoplifting / retail theft crime, then the following summary will provide a look at what may lie ahead.

In Illinois, retail theft is defined as taking items offered for sale in a retail store without paying the full price of the items. The most common violation of this law involves individuals that conceal items and then walk out of the store without paying for the items. Some individuals pay for some items while concealing and not paying for other items. A less common violation involves switching of price tags, and then paying a price lower than the store offers the item for sale. Though they may seem like minor crimes, all of these violations are criminal offenses and can lead to arrest, prosecution, and even county jail.

Most people arrested for retail theft are charged with a Class A misdemeanor. In Illinois, a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500 or both. If the person arrested stole items with a retail value of over $300 they can be charged with a Class 3 felony, punishable by from 2-5 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and a fine of up to $25,000 or both. If the person arrested has a prior retail theft on their record, the prosecutor can elect to charge the person with a Class 4 felony, punishable by from 1-3 years in prison and fine of up to $25,000 or both.

Fortunately, most people arrested for retail theft are not given the maximum sentence or fine. In fact, if properly represented, there are many options available to stay out of jail, avoid a large fine, and possibly have everything expunged and erased from your record. For example, in Chicago IL and other Cook County courts, first time offenders of retail theft are sometimes offered an opportunity to take part in a theft deterrent program. This program typically involves a one-time, four hour class. The purpose of which is to discourage first time offenders from shoplifting ever again. At the conclusion of the class, each person attending receives a certificate of completion. At the next court date, your criminal defense lawyer presents the client’s certificate of completion and the case is then dismissed. This is a great opportunity to avoid a lifetime of living with a criminal conviction on your record. Even convictions as minor as shoplifting can present problems for current or future employment, or make it difficult for getting approved by the board or association in a place you would like to reside.

Should you find yourself facing criminal prosecution for retail theft / shoplifting, you should immediately consult with an experienced criminal defense lawyer. A skilled and knowledgeable criminal attorney will guide you more easily through the process and give you the best opportunity to avoid jail, large fines and a criminal record.

Andrew M. Weisberg is an aggressive criminal defense lawyer Chicago who has been serving clients throughout Illinois for many years. Areas of expertise are in laws relating to murder, traffic violations and more. Hire an experienced retail theft lawyer Chicago.

Businesses have to change with the time if they want to stay competitive. Today, one can see companies making some changes in the way they market their products. One such change is focused on how they make use of good packaging to attract new buyers. The biggest reason for this is that the practices of buyers have changed a lot in recent years thanks to the advent of the internet. Although the importance of product packaging has been acknowledged long time ago, its development and changes to how it is used has received plenty of attention in recent years.

Product packaging though is not only used for branding purposes. It should first serve its main purpose which is providing consumers with a good way to carry the product they just bought. For shopping bags for example, it should be made to be sturdy to ensure that the product can be safely transported from the retail store to the consumer’s place.

Since a manufacturer needs to ensure that the products they are making would be in its perfect state when they are shipped to consumers. For example, a manufacturer of mobile phones should design a packaging for their product that would ensure that the phones would be in perfect condition when they reach the end client. With a flimsy packaging, the phones could end up damaged along the way and it is never good for any business.

After making sure that your product packaging is durable, you should also focus on how you use it for brand awareness. If your brand is as big as Nike or Starbucks, then you could probably get away with a simple or even borderline bland packaging since buyers are already aware of what you bring to the table. On the other hand, if you are just on your way to building a buyer base, then you would need a packaging that would make a good connection with buyers.

Once your packaging has attracted the attention of buyers and the buyers found out that your product is a good one, you could end up getting repeat customers. If your packaging is unique and it stands out even in a crowded retail shelf, it would make it easier for your buyer base to see your products which is very important in today’s world where buyers take about 20 seconds to browse through a retail shelf before making their choice.

Danica Pemberton Green writes articles and tips on how business owners could take part in mitigating global warming by using green reusable shopping bags and retail packaging in their retail business. Let us all build a sustainable business for a brighter future.

Certain principles of life and business never change. Like with the law of gravity, for example, its just plain better to know how it works even if youre not sure why.

I was reminded of this last week when the mens fashion clothing trade magazine Daily News Record (DNR) ran a story (Retail Graveyard, October 29) about a guy named Peter Divietro in Sloatsburg, N.Y., who annually for Halloween decorates his front yard with tombstones to commemorate dead retail stores.

That in turn reminded me of a failed chain of hip-hop clothing stores in Chicago called The Lark. Do you remember The Lark?

The owner was Lenny Rothschild. I met him on a sales visit at his suburban Chicago office one summer day in 2003 while my company was still making Black Fives throwback jerseys for wholesale distribution to stores. The Lark was an important account because it commanded the urban fashion retail market in Chicago.

FLYING HIGH; WITH AN UPSCALE APPROACH TO MERCHANDISING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE, THE LARK SOARS IN CHICAGOS URBAN MARKET, read a headline in DNR earlier that year. As Lenny Rothschild pilots his silver Mercedes-Benz coupe around Chicago, his love for the city is obvious, is how that article began (DNR, February 10, 2003).

If you wanted your goods in Chicago, you had to sell Lenny. All the biggest streetwear brands loved him, and Lenny was the gatekeeper who could make or break small, upcoming apparel brands like Black Fives. And he knew it.

Lenny was smart, and he wanted people to know it. His Harvard diploma hung prominently on the wall. Lenny delighted in explaining how to introduce new merchandise to coincide with welfare check and tax refund arrival dates, to maximize sales to his most faithful customer base, low-income inner-city residents. His stores were concentrated in those areas.

I showed and pitched my unique, attractive, high-quality, economically priced jerseys and matching fitted hats. Lenny looked them over and shrugged, and asked me how I expected anyone to know about the history of these Black Fives teams and players. I showed him some big press clippings and also explained that each jersey comes with its own informative hang tag, reminiscent of a collectible vintage basketball card, with images on one side and history text on the other. I handed him one of the cards.

This wont matter because black kids dont read, said Lenny.

Today, when I think of the immutable principles that work in life and in business, I think of two of them that applied to Lenny that day. One is that how you do anything is how you do everything. The other is that what you focus on expands. The trick is that these principles work the same whether in the negative or in the positive realm.

Lenny gave me an $8,000 order that afternoon. I shipped it, but what he didnt realize is that his loyal customers had already begun a quiet revolt. Instead of buying $300 retro jerseys like the kind The Lark was selling, his clientele had flipped the script, now buying plain white tee shirts to make the same fashion statement at three for $10. It was the revenge of the lowly urban consumer. It happened across the country. It was swift and it was bloody. Many urban retailers didnt make it.

Within two weeks, Lenny returned his Black Fives order unopened.

Whenever I shopped at The Lark, customer service didnt exist. Young African American employees were distant and resentful, usually the sign of low wages, cheap thinking, and lack of appreciation by management.

Not to pick on Lenny, because he wasnt alone in this approach to the so-called loyal inner-city consumer, but didnt you have that experience too, nearly everywhere you shopped?

By 2005, The Lark lay buried in the retail graveyard. AFTER THE LARK: MORE HIP, NO HOP; CLOSING HIS HIP-HOP APPAREL CHAIN, RETAILER OPENS ESSEX5, DEVOTED TO PREMIUM DENIM, SPORTSWEAR, read the DNR headline this time. The Lark is grounded, the article began. Lenny Rothschild has closed all 10 of The Lark stores he owned and operated, making the once-high-flying hip-hop apparel specialty chain a thing of the past (DNR, December 19, 2005).

What Ill always remember about The Lark are Lenny Rothschilds famous (last) words: black kids dont read.

The principles of life and business always work the same. Beliefs do become reality. Thoughts lead to feelings lead to actions lead to results. This works both ways, in this case to the advantage of the consumer and to the dismay of the retailer. Lenny couldve avoided it all if there had been any books like T. Harv Ekers brilliant Secrets of the Millionaire Mind available for him to read at the time. But there werent. And he didnt.

Thus, the Larks tombstone might have the epitaph, Gee, I guess black kids read after all.

Was Lenny right? Or do all kids read less? Or is it only online reading they do? Or something else? Whats your opinion?

Accessibility is never an issue now that Internet dominates the world. Anyone wishing to buy jewelries will be swept over by assortment of designs in the zenith with just one keyword. Hence, its retail world has varied from exclusive elite shops to regular department stores to internet sites. Yet, the cycle of change hasn’t stopped.

The coolest mobile device opened a new opportunity for industries in a very promising way- this is through smartphones. With augmented number of users of this newest -it- phone, mobile retailing is now greeting the horizon.

Users of this gadget are interestingly stuck with their phones, on its every activity and more. They can afford to have active social life, go out and have fun while fasten full blast to its every nook and crook. Thus, business people couldn’t help but see the intensifying possibility of conquering even these tiny gadgets to enforce industrial businesses, especially jewelries; because if carried out successfully, this has high percentage of becoming a breakthrough project.

But just like all other big ideas, as high risk renders high reward, so does its critiques. This idea garnered a lot of arguments disbelieving in its potential and magnifying its awful to-be consequences.

Convenience spells good business to end-customers. In any form, they make sure that they patronize those which offer them products most conveniently. So as smartphones are always glued to them wherever and whenever, nothing beats the idea of selling stainless steel jewelries on their own free time and space, in a device just right on their hands. It is now never limited to place-bound shop or specific websites, it goes more personalized and accommodating that way.

But the million-dollar question is how are you going to initiate a mobile retailing? It always starts with what you already have. For one, you need to make sure that your e-store can make way to a mobile version of it which is trouble-free on small screens- because even though smartphones are -smart- to showcase desktop, investing on a phone adaptation can convince your potential buyers to stay longer and browse some more.

Downloadable inventories specially made for mobile devices are also a good point to persuade customers to survey your products, especially for newest collections.

Another one is to ascertain that your physical jewelry shop is available information at the Internet, more so linked to your mobile platform. That way, they can always find you easily.

Also, if you want more for the project, putting up an application that works to notify constant shoppers when new designs come out would be best way to go. Adding in a QR (Quick Read) codes on brochures, posters and flyers scan-able by smartphones so to give out coupons is absolute on customers’ satisfaction.

Moreover, through mobile retailing, flash sales and daily deals for your stainless steel jewelries can spot one limelight-lit place taking hold of consumers’ thoughts; unlike if it is just sent off to e-mails or what-not/s; chances are it will just be over-piled with other important mails for the customer, rendering the blasts useless.

Despite jewelry is part of human’s life way past medieval times, consumers’ demands for a masterpiece are never old and instead it grows more rapidly strenuous. With mobile retailing, these can be met.