You Don’t Have to Be Excited About AI
When you run a small business, every hour of every day is already accounted for. There’s no oxygen left for “and also let me reconsider what a computer can do.” That’s not a flaw — that’s survival.
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Walmart Got Tariff Refunds. Your Manufacturer Didn’t.
Big-box retailers are filing tariff refund claims for billions. The small manufacturers behind your shelves can’t — and most never passed the full tariff bill on to you in the first place.
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Going Analog — Weekly Retail Tidbits #250
Tidbit #250. The country turns 250 on July 4. Both milestones are about staying with something. Plus three picks for the Fourth, a market prep checklist, and a tech tip on the two data sites quietly listing you.
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Memorial Day 2026: One Holiday, Two Customers in Your Store
AAA projects 45 million Memorial Day travelers — but 40% of lower-income households can’t afford to go anywhere. Two very different customers will walk into your store this weekend.
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Ownership Compounds — Weekly Retail Tidbits #249
Five years of merchandising cards taught me what compounds when one person owns a section of the store. Plus: the full Tango lineup as of May 2026 — four new lines have joined since January.
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Compendium Fall 2026: The Catalog Is Here + Product Videos
Compendium’s Fall 2026 release is here. Eight short videos from Carly’s team — Sloth Plush, Hedgehog Plush, The Ripple Effect, the Grandma/Grandpa pair, and four more — and how I’d pitch each one in a TN/KY store.
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The One Thing AI Still Can’t Do (And You Do Every Day)
Tacit knowledge — what your team notices in conversation — is your store’s moat. Here’s how to capture it before it evaporates.
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If the NYT Can’t Catch AI Slop, You Won’t Either
The NYT just quoted words a politician never said — an AI hallucination. Three checks every retailer should run on AI-written copy before publishing.
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What Mother’s Day Shoppers Are Asking ChatGPT This Year
ChatGPT just became smarter overnight, and your Mother’s Day customer is using it. What that means for your product page copy this weekend.
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Your Store Has Five Landlords — Weekly Retail Tidbits #248
Last week I said the stack is the moat. This week: how much of your stack do you actually own? Five landlords every independent retailer has — and one fix per landlord.
