Dear Fellow Store Owner,

Stop complaining about how bad sales are and look at how you can keep your customers.

Did you know that most folks would rather buy locally than long-distance? Its true....while many people shop on-line and get their information off the web, when it comes right down to it, they would PREFER to buy locally. But you alienate your customers because you are clinging to a pricing structure from the go-go early 90's, when margins were high and consumers spent freely. That ship has sailed, and isn't coming back.

In 2010, everyone knows how to search Google and find a place like this forum, and with a few more mouse clicks they get a price from a store like me and ..... !WOW! They discover your prices are much higher. So what do you do? You make a photocopy of the quote and then get on the phone to the manufacturers and complain about 'that guy on the internet' who is stealing your business.

Here's an idea. Rather than whining and reaching for the phone, evaluate your price structure and realize that even if 'that guy' goes away, another ten will be there to sell at the same price point and fill in the void. A savvy consumer will always price shop a large purchase, and base their decision not only on price, but on service level, knowledge of the staff, and confidence that any issues will be solved. Get your staff up to speed and educated, realize that you can live on less margin if you pick it up in volume, and don't play games with the silly "On Sale" pricing all the time when in fact your 'sale' price is nothing more than your too-high everyday selling retail.

Your customers are walking out the door from a combination that high pricing and lack of knowledgeable sales staff. They find a place like my store either in the flesh or on the web, where I have the knowledge AND the aggressive pricing structure and now you've just lost the sale - and rightfully so. You didn't earn their business. Today's shopper demands more than just a bright red sale sign and putting a catalog in their lap, and if you're too high on price by a thousand dollars on a sofa, they're not coming back.