9 Quotes from Successful Retailers That Will Inspire You

to Run Your Store Better

The best in the industry offer their hard-won wisdom to you,

free of charge.

9 Quotes from Successful Retailers 2

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9 Quotes from Successful Retailers 3

“Retail is a customer business.

You’re trying to take care

of the customer – solve

something for the customer.

And there’s no way to learn

that in the classroom

or in the corner office…”

– Erik Nordstrom, President, Nordstrom Direct

“My company is an extension

of me, so when I designed my

stores I wanted people to feel

that they were in my home.”

9 Quotes from Successful Retailers 4

– Tory Burch, Founder & Creative Director, Tory Burch

“I was reading all these reports that were down

on retail brick and mortar, saying it’s all about

online… I think brick and mortar

is an amazing opportunity to use

our stores and our store staff

as a vehicle to truly engage

with the community in a way

no other retailers are doing.”

9 Quotes from Successful Retailers 5

– Jim Brett, President, West Elm

“Businesses often forget about

the culture, and ultimately, they

suffer for it because you can’t

deliver good service from

unhappy employees.”

9 Quotes from Successful Retailers 6

1. Authenticity

2. Positive

3. Ethical

4. Natural

– Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos

“[The Apple Store Staff’s] job is to figure out what you

need and help you get it, even if it’s a product Apple

doesn’t carry. Compare that with other retailers where

the emphasis is on cross-selling and upselling

and, basically, encouraging customers to buy more,

even if they don’t want or need it.”

9 Quotes from Successful Retailers 7

– Ron Johnson, Former Senior VP of Retail at Apple

9 Quotes from Successful Retailers 8

– Joe Coulombe, Founder, Trader Joe’s

“This was one of my most

important principles: Never have

a mandatory sell. This rule gets

violated all the time; it just drives

me nuts: ‘Buy Now!’ You never

give an order to a customer.”

“We know who our customer is

and we’re a company standing

firm with our point of view.”

9 Quotes from Successful Retailers 9

– Ralph Lauren, CEO, Ralph Lauren

9 Quotes from Successful Retailers 10

“Too many businesses today are

based on driving prices lower

by screwing over somebody: Pounding

suppliers or squeezing employees.

We’re the opposite. We put employees

first, radically… If you take care of

them, they will take care of your

customer better than anybody else.”

– Kip Tindell, CEO, Container Store

“Why are you doing this?

How are you making a difference?

What is your reason for being,

besides making money? There

is no engine or vehicle like

business to make a difference.”

9 Quotes from Successful Retailers 11

– Walter Robb, CO-CEO, Whole Foods

9 Quotes from Successful Retailers That Will Inspire You

to Run Your Store Better

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