Don’t Steal My Joy — Weekly Retail Tidbits #274
“We sell feelings, status, and connection, not tasks or stuff.”
— Seth Godin, author of This Is Marketing
“Don’t steal my joy,” one of you said to me.
Those were the final words of our discussion.
My intentions had been good. I was trying to buy something – but she wanted to make it a gift to me.
Her 4 words shifted my mindset instantaneously.
I remember when I was helping one of my sons furnish his home. I walked in a store I was excited to explore – hoping to be inspired and find things to share with him.
A salesperson greeted me. I told him I wanted to look. He proceeded to tell me all about their sale before walking away.
You know what my intentions were. How do you think he shifted my mindset?
It’s your busiest time of year. It’s the easiest time to forget what’s important.
Remember to help your customers get to where they want to go. You have a special experience waiting for them. If they just wanted stuff, wouldn’t a click have been easier?
You are doing important work. Enjoy November.
xoxo,
❤️ AmyFay
Technology Tip
Take Your Name Off People-Search Sites
Whitepages, Spokeo and dozens of sites like them post your home address, cell number, age and relatives’ names for anyone to find – a scammer included. Each one has a free way to take you down.
I went through 15 of them myself and put every link on one page. The steps are the same on almost every site: find yourself, fill in the form, then click the link they email you. That last step is the one people miss, so check your spam folder too. Then set a reminder to check again in three months – these sites put people back.
Remove your name: all 15 links →
What the Headlines Mean for Your Store
Fewer shoppers plan to buy online this holiday season: 53%, the lowest since 2015, according to the National Retail Federation’s October survey. Online is still the top destination, but the shoppers skipping it said why: 38% of them want to see and evaluate items first, 23% say shopping in person is more thoughtful, and 22% enjoy the in-store holiday ambiance.
For your sales floor: all three are things a store gives that a website can’t match. So put things in their hands: open a tester, light a candle, let them try it on. And 64% say they’re likely to wait until Thanksgiving weekend for most of their shopping, so reorder your best sellers now and have full shelves for Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28.
3 Tango Tidbits
Fresh Picks for Your Shelf
True South Puzzles — New and Now Shipping
Classic Christmas Movie Map
True South is stocked up with new designs – and the classics that always deserve a place on your shelf.
Lenny & Eva — Stackable Pearl Bracelets
The style is wildly popular. The gold is made for long wear – tarnish-proof plating over solid brass, not gold-filled – so the price point is substantially lower.
Retail (better than keystone): $22 each
Bunnies by the Bay — Pre-Order Spring 2027
The Spring 2027 catalog is here, and pre-ordering is going on now: some pieces ship now, more over the next few weeks, and Bunnies expects everything by December 21.
The Posie and Sea Glass Nibble Bunnies are early favorites, along with the new polka dot and wildflower ear styles.
And just for Tango customers: pre-order in November or December, and Bunnies plans to double the free gift in its upcoming show special. Details coming soon.
Classic quality, made to love and last, with hand-blushed cheeks.
“Hospitality is present when something happens for you. It is absent when something happens to you.”
— Danny Meyer, author of Setting the Table
| Shop Tango here → |
The Tango Showroom is open 10 to 4, Monday through Friday, at AmericasMart in Atlanta, Georgia. Come see us! 🌟
AmyFay Chandler
AmyFay Chandler started out as a teacher, then spent 15 years as an independent retailer. Along the way she bought for multiple stores, dabbled in wholesale with two lines of her own, and found her way to repping. Today she is a sales rep for the brands she represents. That view from every side of the table shapes Weekly Retail Tidbits, which she writes from Knoxville, Tennessee, to help local retailers feel connected and maybe see something they do every day in a new light.
Also from AmyFay
Two of the brands I represent run their D2C side through me, with brick-and-mortar partners prioritized at every step:
- Sweet Tree Jewelry — school-spirit polymer-clay earrings
- Caroline B Cook — children’s books (the Virtue Series, Church Kitty)
Wholesale questions? [email protected]
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