Retailers' Elephant In The Room - It's All About Us

Updated August 5, 2024

Have you ever been jilted and blamed the other person for being a jerk? We all have. Not until a good friend tells us like it is that we are not that great to be around do we look in the mirror and change.

Dear Macy's, Best Buy, Pottery Barn, and the like, now is your wake-up to look in the mirror!

For the past twenty years, you have given us your idea of hearts and flowers: 20% off coupons, secret Saturday sales, friends and family nights, and shopping for charity tie-ins. These have all danced around the elephant in the room - like having a boring date who only talks about himself; we just don't want to visit you.

You'll continue to try to get us to "come home" for the holidays. We'll take the deals and run when we finally break down and go. Then you'll keep contacting us like the Jon Favreau character's awkward answering machine scene from the movie Swingers.

Here's some news for you. We're not that into you. It's about us.

Many major retailers tout "experience," but in many cases - can we admit it - you are just Wal-Mart with less polyester.

You'd find the same unenthusiastic, bored employees seeing their lives slip away at a mass merchant. The hive mentality that lets them find security stocking shelves, avoiding customers, and sticking together behind the counter has left us shoppers aloof and alone. Your pleas to return go unnoticed because we know you haven't changed.

Sure, you'll try pop-up stores and special events, but the headlines will keep reading Shoppers Hold Back because you hope we'll change, not you.

The retailers increasing market share - and they're out there - took the long view of the pandemic as an opportunity to change.

Whether you're a major player or a mom-and-pop, are you looking to increase sales? Look in the mirror—it's time for a makeover. Now! Otherwise, we'll sit at home eating our Chunky Monkey ice cream until someone better comes to sweep us off our feet. And that's the next elephant in the room. Here are some good places to start: 

Training and Development Platforms

• LinkedIn Learning: Offers courses on change management and related skills.
• Coursera: Provides access to courses from top universities and institutions.
• Udemy: Offers a variety of courses on change management and leadership.
• SalesRX Retail Sales Training: Courses and training to teach retail managers and associates how to engage with customers, increase sales, and grow business. 

What if we stop looking and accept our aloneness, looking at a blue screen and shopping online? Then what are you going to do?