When the economy slows down, the pace of decision making has to speed up. You cannot put off the tough decsions any longer.
Being on the downside of a business cycle is not any fun.
Customers are telling us that the demand is softening.
Don't just sit there!! , figure out an escape plan.
Use this as an opportunity to improve management, strategy, merchandise selections.
Step out of the box.
In the mid 1990's, I worked as a buyer for an LA based buying office , representing at the time some of the nations largest specialty stores.
On one particular market the CEO of an (unamed) specialty chain, had the nerve to ask my GMM,
"Does she know what she is doing?"
Thank God, my GMM had all the confidence in me, and replied, "yes"
I preprared myself well. At market as I walked the hallway's in the California Mart, on my way to a destination showroom, this CEO would ponder thru the glass walled showroom's and inquisitvely ask me, "what is that?', or "who is that line?"
I made sure I had shopped every line in every showroom, and had an immediate and informed answer. I made sure to cross my T's and dot my I's. "I was not going to get caught with my pants down".
My point, is, this is not rocket science. You cannot predict who will have the next hot item, and where it shall derive from. But, if you're prepared and you have an open mind, you should most definitley "shop the market" and look under a rock, and the worst that could happen, is that you could land on a trend or a new vendor, that just makes YOUR season.
And lastly,
Please shop our showrooms, please look around the corner in the CMC to the other wings , such as the A bldg, The B, Bldg, and C.
We are here to do business, we will bend over backwards and do flips, if you would just "give us a look"
