September 2025 is here and it’s one of the most important months for retail.
Cathy Wagner breaks down the state of retail and why this season is your reset button. From navigating price sensitivity and tariffs to leaning into localism, Cathy shares how you can use September as a launch pad for business growth.
With your CEO hat firmly on, you’ll discover how team empowerment and stronger customer connection can drive momentum into Q4 helping you scale your store with intention, not overwhelm.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why September 2025 is the ultimate retail reset
- How to respond to price sensitivity and tariffs without sacrificing profit
- The growing power of localism and community collaboration
- Practical ways to invest in team empowerment for growth
- Mindset shifts to strengthen customer connection and thrive as CEO
Key Takeaways:
- [03:43] Navigating Price Sensitivity and Consumer Behavior
- [09:10] The Power of Localism and Community Connection
- [14:46} Empowering Your Team for Success
- [18:35] Strategic Moves for a Profitable Q4
Your Millie Moment: Localism + Team Power = Retail Momentum
- Plan one signature event to strengthen customer connection and community ties.
AI Prompt: Signature Retail Event Planning
Act as an expert retail event strategist.
I own a brick-and-mortar retail store that sells (WHAT) and we specialize in helping (WHO do/achieve what). I want to plan one signature event this month that connects deeply with my community and can be repeated seasonally. The goal is to create sales and traffic and customer loyalty.
I want to spend no more than ($XX) on materials getting it started, and I’d like to minimize my effort wherever positively possible.
Please give me:
- Three event theme ideas tailored to independent retailers like me.
- A step-by-step plan for organizing and promoting the event (timeline, tasks, marketing).
- Ideas to make the event memorable and drive repeat attendance.
- Ways to measure success, both financially and in terms of customer relationship goals.
- Identify one role or responsibility to delegate for team empowerment.
- Ask yourself as CEO: What’s the one move I can make this September that will make Q4 easier, more profitable, and more scalable?
Resources Mentioned:
- #014: Building a Team That “Gets” Your Vision with Holly Floyd
- #041: Why Won’t My Team Just Do What I Ask?!
- #022: Tariff-Proof Your Store with Dana Connell
- #029: Want to Scale Your Retail Business? Fix This First. (Episode on IMUs)
- Ready for your reset button this month of September?? Book a free 15-minute clarity call with our coach Krystal. It’s your next step to simplify, realign, and lead like the CEO you’re becoming with confidence and purpose.
Connect with ambitious store owners in the Richer Retailer Facebook Group.
Share this episode with a fellow store owner and help them tackle cash flow challenges!
The state of retail in September 2025 is full of opportunities. The actions you take now will set the tone for Q4 and beyond. Lead locally, empower your team, and wear your CEO hat proudly as you choose proactive moves that help your store thrive.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.