Monday, September 28, 2009



too early

I just read an article about a retail firm in Canada that decided to mount Christmas last month. The result was not what they expected...I understand the motive,this has been the worse year ever but they should have known what would happen. I have worked for a retail luggage outfit for almost 20 years, we used to have 7 stores, before the collapse. Seven stores to make ready for Christmas is a load, so I started to merchandise right after Halloween, to be finished by Thanksgiving [and remember I have 6 others who all want to be ready in time]. Every single time I had to suffer the disdainful looks and verbal abuse of those who thought I was starting too early. My reply was always the same,"Speak to management" which never seemed to make them any less disapproving. I must admit that I agree with them, to a degree, and frankly if there is anyone who should dislike Christmas its me.The burned out lights, the shedding garlands, the glitter in my eyes, the 12 foot ladders, believe me I am anything but cheery in November. There is an old saying, "Make hay while the sun shines" at one time I used to make plenty of hay during the holiday season, so I would tough it out, but those days are gone. Christmas has become so exploited and overblown that it can't help but be disappointing. We have raised the bar on greed so high that the holiday is a anticlimax.This years sales figures will certainly break no records so I think this year we should cancel it all together, give it a rest for a year, then maybe we would miss it.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

the client of the year




I suppose there is no need to tell anyone how bad business has been this year, more than once I have considered getting away from all the doom and gloom and selling pizza, hot dogs or maybe doing a Laundromat, something mindless and profitable. Just when I thought the last 30 years have amounted to nothing, along came Debbie. Debbie is one of those disappearing breed of retailers who actually understands that one really has to work to succeed. She is an old school retailer, no attitude, no pretense, she even does her own window, her mission is to be the best, my kind of shopkeep. The only client this year who has not blamed anything on the economy. Debbie owns a children’s wear store, which is in my opinion is the hardest category in retail world next to the supreme pain, BRIDAL! and M.O.B. for those of you not in the business its “mother of the bride” watch for that post I have a whopper.

I have paid my dues as far as kidswear is concerned, back in the Reagan years one of my accounts was a kid’s store. Working with all the little outfits was fun and the window themes are endless. I tend to build kids theme around adult activities which can be very entertaining, little dinner parties, little cooking classes, little lawn maintenance, little bands of thugs and maybe a Tom Thumb wedding. Getting back to Debbie, she is the only kids act on Philadelphia's lower Mainline, the seat of suburban wealth and Olympic style competitive child dressing. Absolutely nothing is denied the all the Adams, Westleys, Zoeys and Melissas, after all a trophy wife must be accompanied by 24 karat trophy children..

This new crop of rug rats is demanding, they know what they want as long as it is what all the rest of them are wearing. It’s frightening how the media has twisted their little absorbent minds. Debbie called one day after tracking me down thru other clients. She related a story about her previous designer, she was not happy, in fact she removed all the adult outriggers he installed which are now rusting in her basement. If there is one thing I know about kids stores it’s about slatwall and binning….endless folded merchandise and face-out display…all those cute little outfits staring out from the walls just begging to be bought by a helpless bubba. The other problem with kids wear is the size runs from newborn to infant to toddler to 2,3,4,5,6 then the 8,9,10. Its goes on and on and on. The amount of product is daunting, and don’t forget, sleep wear, outer wear, toys socks and hair accessories. Lest I forget the latest version of the infamous Beenie Baby...every year someone tries to recreate that fraud of "perceived value" as a collectible item but no one has done it yet.


Debbie had a problem. I’ve seen some pretty awful stores in my day but Debbie’s won the prize. A nightmare of merchandise disorganization, stuff everywhere ,the floor, the counters all brimming with products totally out of control. She felt overwhelmed and distressed. The store was simply getting harder to handle and was in need of a new floor plan.

I am always amazed that considering I make my living in beautiful retail spaces [that often do very little business] that a store like Debbie’s was packed with customers dispite its condition, 3 sales people plus debbie,a herd of children and happy moms waiting gladly to give her their money. Debbie has what they want, and honestly that’s what counts…the rest is window dressing, [I cant believe I said that.] Debbie works real hard to make sure she has the goods. She bends over backward to satisfy customer’s needs, kisses babies, asks how their fathers operation went and gives free gift wrap. That’s why she is busy. Her customer could easily hit the baby gap, but they don’t because Debbie really cares.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

my name

For my entire life I have had to explain upon first meeting anyone new the origin of my name. I would like to get this out of the way as quickly as possible. My full name is Vardis Ellis Kriaris and its a whopper of a name,especially when you are 8 years old. Yes I am of Greek descent,in fact more rightly Cretan,[no jokes please] Three of my grandparents migrated to the U.S. from the island of Crete in the early 20Th century. The tradition among Greeks is to name the first born son after first the paternal grandfather,in my case Vardis and the second name the maternal which was Elias,but for some reason the name was morphed into Ellis,which I still cannot explain. perhaps to make it more American? how funny is that. My last name Kriaris is also a small short legged breed of goat that wanders the rocky hills of Crete,I always thought that appropriate esp. when you get to know me. My nick name is Vori, there are a number of stories about its origin, the one I prefer is the following. When my papou [grandfather] arrived here a railroad Foreman for whom he worked renamed him Vori, they say he was German, but there is no proof of that. I am second generation born here,which make me far less "Greek" than the image of the Gus and Nicks you find in pizza and diner restaurants thru out the states, although as I mature the Greek traits become more apparent to me. I am hard working, stubborn, self sufficient, opinionated and slightly suspicious of others motives. True to the image of Zorba, being spontaneous, hedonistic and a fatalist make me a proud member of the Greek-American family.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

my purpose for being here


The intent of this blog is to share my experience and thoughts however great or tragic on retail. Starting with my paper route and a bicycle to the present [and into the future, if there is a future in retail ]. The current economic conditions are a factor in my decision to share my knowledge. I would like to pass on my experience from a past retail world before the memory of how to "Keep Shop" disappears completely or falls deeper into corporate parody. I am dismayed at the proliferation of "Big Box" retailers who have all but destroyed our local retail identities. I am even more appalled at the current trend to replace shopping malls with artificial "Main Street" mixed use travesties posing as town centers all populated with national chains, while small town retail streets languish and are forced to gentrify and become, gift, card, antique and ice cream "Walk and Eats". Where are the hardware, stationery, news stands, grocers and army navy stores which used to be every towns mainstay. Local shops have fallen prey developers high rents and our increasingly media driven madness to acquire the latest, the biggest and a whole array of items we do not need. I intend to use this forum to educate, entertain and enlighten. To bring to the forefront retailers whom I,ve worked who shaped my opinions and taught me the skills which I will pass on to my readers.

Lagho,my rabbit


how it all started

I've always had retail in my blood, one of my first memories is my mother removing the the price tag from the plush rabbit that became my steadfast friend through my early childhood. He accompanied me on all of the outings my mother and I made, he sat next to me in the shopping cart while she pushed us around the Kroger market, he kept me company while I conducted myself like the perfect little gentleman as she searched the sale racks at the Halle Brothers Department store and he was there when I tried on my first pair of Stride Rites, Church shoes, she called them, for Sunday School. My mother was responsible for my first exposure to the "shopping experience" that launched me on my career in the glamorous, frustrating but always entertaining world of stockrooms and rolling racks.