Gem and I have pulled two massively long days this week getting in all the newness into our cabin at Heal’s and our flagship at Essex Road. Both stores now look the best they have ever done. The branches and autumnal foliages are beyond this season, it makes us want to keep pushing and reinventing faux’s like no one has ever done before. We are pretty proud. We are also pretty much done in! I guess the two go hand in hand right?
Today on the biz column I wanted to talk about slumps in retail especially with all the news on it right now its a bit of a roller coaster – sales go up and sales go down. It can be hard to keep the faith in the retail game sometimes. Read any paper and you will here that retail sales have been slumping a little of late on the high street, with unexpected summer weather going on forever, economy worries – there’s been a bit of a slowdown. That is the nature of retail – the ebbs and the flow. You can’t do much about that other than staying committed to what you are doing and staying strong. We seem to be in this bubble where it hasn’t actually effected us which is a good thing although it worries me (I worry about everything you know) because I’m not actually sure why it hasn’t effected us. When I don’t know why I worry. Anyways Autumn and winter certainly in my field the homeware industry are much stronger in terms of sales in the cooler months than the warmer months. Like I said this is the nature of retail I’ve been in this game a long time and we’re quite fortunate we’ve just opened a big new store so the newness factor has probably helped in our favour (there you are I just answered my own query as to why we’ve been in this bubble by talking to you guys – love this blog)! Although now I’m going to worry it might burst – but lets not go there!
If you have seen sales drop a tad (and they do – it comes and goes all the time!), don’t let market forces define your success, stay positive and read this instead.
Believe in what you are doing
The power of positive thinking basically. How you think and what you think is what you experience. This might sound super new age but I do think you can program yourself for success. I used to poo-poo yoga but I actually think it’s rewiring my brain it’s changing my thought patterns making me much more considered. Yoga is so about positive thinking about getting rid of negativity. Now no one can be positive 100 percent of the time (especially moi) but pep talk yourself all the time and believe in yourself is my point. That is not to say don’t worry or have concerns I believe the day you are satisfied is the day its over – you should always want to do more and achieve more – just in context and not letting it get you down.
Keep the momentum going
Have plans. Don’t just coast along, prep for all eventualities and execute as many as you can. You might not be able to achieve or get through your whole list but there’s nothing wrong with putting a little pressure on yourself to thinking bigger and getting things done.
Get up earlier
I’ve spoken about this before but getting up earlier, exercising, eating healthier helps your body and your mind. It’s called making an effort – a well oiled machine (your body) achieves more – to stay at the top of your game you have to change your lifestyle to be super successful – says this yoga loving matcha latte obsessive who has gotten up at 4am twice this week! I don’t advise that by the way the 4am starts because today I am suffering a little!
Focus on what is important
It’s so easy to get distracted but teach yourself to shut down the outside world and focus on you and your business. I’ve taught myself this – not to constantly compare my company against others, instead staying focused and thus making my business even more successful than it currently is.
Retail is tough the biggest tip I can give anyone is differentiation. If you’re stuck in the middle you loose, if you differentiate you stay strong and get lots of opportunities you never even imaged as a result.
Have a lovely weekend. I’m planning on doing not a lot other thing getting all the new botanicals in and around my pad!