How Retailers Can Use Data to Master Merchandising | Seasonal Purchasing I Ashley Alderson of The Boutique Hub

In this episode of Let’s Talk A Little Shop, Stephanie Beringhele talks to Ashley Alderson, Founder and CEO, of The Boutique Hub. 

• 1:20: There is no way to lay out a perfect business plan. A business should start with a purpose and a why. 
• 3:00: How The Boutique Hub found their niche and made a pivot to support small retail businesses. 
• 5:45: From inventory to merchandise, how The Boutique Hub supports retailers’ business questions. 
• 7:05: Helping small retailers leverage their sales and marketing data to improve their e-commerce sales and marketing efforts. 
• 8:15: As you take over a legacy business, if you don’t have a website and e-commerce, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. 
• 9:00: Shopify makes e-commerce development a low barrier effort for small retailers. 
• 11:02: Mindset matters, don’t let your energy and excitement drop in your slower months. Your sales reflect your belief for your monthly sales. 
• 12:04: Use slower times to develop better marketing efforts, invest in automations, and manage what sets your success. 
• 14:30: Relationship first, sales second - make sure you understand your customers’ lives.
• 16:00: Merchandise and selecting the products you carry in your store. Product assortment falls into four categories - trend, bread and butter, margin builders, add-on and upsells. Master all four to find success. 
• 20:00: Use bi-monthly collections in order to create seasonal stories and reasons for customers to buy. 
• 22:58: Time, money, and energy. You need to allow for the seasons of your personal life to ebb and flow. Balance is hard, but it’s important to define it. 
• 26:49: Stop being so hard on yourself. Give yourself credit for your accomplishments. 

To learn more about ASD Market Week, visit https://www.asdonline.com