The Local Advantage

☀️ Good Morning, this is Points of Sale: the newsletter written exclusively for independent retailers. It takes 5 minutes to read and is packed with tangible insights to run your store more effectively. Written by a retail veteran with 30 years under her belt.

In today’s newsletter:

• Thinking inside the box for a collab

• Rethinking your loyalty program

• A PSA on replenishment

• Get inspired by STASHED

🪄 Collabs are not just for big-box retail

On a recent stroll through the fourth street shops in Berkley, California, I stumbled upon a unique line of handmade bags and backpacks called Inside Line Equipment. Two things stood out - the bags are handmade and sewn right on the retail floor, and a collaboration with a local artist had the place buzzing.

There are always talented artists, bakers, knitters, seamstresses, and more right in your community. Take a page out of the DTC and influencer playbook with a limited-edition collab or in-store experience. It’s something fun and different, and at the very least will introduce your store to new customers.

For some inspo, check out Backdrop’s collab with Porsche in July.

🔗 Reframing your loyalty program as a membership program

This tweet from earlier in the week got me thinking:

I see stores everywhere positioning loyalty as “membership.” Lululemon has a free tier with early access to launches and a paid tier with fitness content. REI offers members extra discounts and free shipping. Restoration Hardware offers members 25% off purchases and free shipping. There’s countless members only clubs with offerings from lounge access to exclusive pricing…

Consider implementing a membership program for your store, it can be as casual as offering newsletter subscribers or instagram followers exclusive deals or access to limited-edition products. Even perks like early access to new inventory can make people feel special. A little insider treatment goes a long way.

📣 Prioritizing fresh inventory

Now that we’re a few weeks into season, the early data and customer reactions should give you a sense of what’s working. As you replenish inventory, allocate a portion of your OTB to fresh, new products. Introducing new items regularly, even if in limited quantities, keeps your loyal customers engaged and coming back to see "what's new." It’s not a nice to have, it’s an expectation in a world where online marketplaces and big-box retail add new stock every week.

How? Look at the data in your inventory system - If a particular product or category is popular, double down on it. Replenish your stock quickly and add complementary products that unlock new merchandising opportunities. Keep a pulse on what’s trending and talk to your customers. What are they looking for? What do they want to see more of? Sometimes there’s no need to guess, just ask.

Pro Tip: A marketplace like Max Retail or Ghost can help you sell surplus inventory to other retailers to clear cash flow for new goods without the need for heavy markdowns.

💡Borrowed Inspiration

Stashed is a streetwear shop in San Francisco divided into three distinct galleries to showcase products. Each gallery features a different style and price tier. The unique layout feels like you're discovering a "hidden stash."

Consider using galleries or vignettes to merchandise different tiers of products. Enjoy these photos and read more about Stashed’s creative retail design (link).

🔗 A few good reads & listens:

• That cool new bookstore? It’s a Barnes & Noble (link)

• Shopping streets and districts will be revitalized by focusing on community (link)

• How Burberry is building the store of the future (link)

• Good takeaways from INBOUND, Hubspot’s marketing conference focused on the "power of customer connection” (link)

Thanks for reading. Talk next week.

xx

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