TOM’S Tips
H aving spent my adult life engaged in retailing, I have observed that many store owners and managers have given a great deal of thought as to what results they want to see their respective businesses achieve. They can tell you what products they wish to sell. They know how much margin they wish to gain from the sale and even when they would like to sell them. They decide how they would like their store displays arranged, how the staff should dress and what music they would like to hear playing in the background. They say that they want to sell better quality goods than in the past. They feel that they have properly planned for favorable business results from each customer sale. While this may appear to be impressive, and certainly beats failing to plan at all, I find this “store centered” business philosophy to be flawed. Why? Because no one bothered to ask the customer if any of this was relevant. Have you ever asked your customers what are truly the most important elements of a sale to them? What is it that turns ordinary product into extraordinary fashion in the customer’s eyes? I have found that a profitable use of time is to tour businesses successfully specializing in fashionable products not sold in our industry. These businesses may be selling anything from clothing to home décor, kitchen ware to eye wear. They do have one common goal – to make the customer’s buying experience fun and fulfilling. There are lessons to be learned at every turn. IT HAS TO FIT THEM PERFECTLY!
Tom Jennings Retail Training Expert A lifelong flooring industry member, sold his family’s retail business in 2006 and now serves as an educator and speaker. A past WFCA board chairman, he is currently chairman of WFCA Services, Inc. tomg.jennings@gmail.com “ When they
say ‘one size fits all,’ what they really mean is that one size fits nobody.”
52 Premier Flooring Retailer tise | 2026
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