Recession-Proof Retail: What’s Actually Working in 2025 w/ Cathy Donovan

In this episode of the Gloria Chou PR Podcast, I sit down with Cathy Wagner—retail industry veteran, founder of RETAILMavens, and host of The Richer Retailer Podcast. With nearly 30 years of experience in independent retail, Cathy has seen it all: running her own brick-and-mortar stores, navigating bankruptcy, and building back stronger to now help small retail businesses scale to 7-figure revenue.

If you’re an independent retailer or product-based business owner struggling to adapt to inflation, tariffs, AI in retail, and shifting consumer behavior, this episode is your wake-up call—and your roadmap to survive and thrive in today’s economy.

Why Retailers Fail (and What the 7-Figure Ones Do Differently)

According to Cathy, retail isn’t dead—but staying stagnant is. The top-performing retail businesses embrace change, silence self-doubt, and make data-driven decisions, not emotional ones. She unpacks the four traits that successful retail founders share:

• Kill the ANTs (automatic negative thoughts)
• Reframe fear as excitement
• Focus on what you can control
• Know and use your numbers for better retail sales growth

Real Tactics You Can Use Right Now to Grow Retail Sales

Forget the hype. Cathy breaks down real, proven strategies that help retail store owners boost profits:

• Adjust your retail pricing strategy to reflect actual cost increases
• Use email marketing for retail (minimum 2x/week) as your most profitable channel
• Curate tighter product assortments to reduce overwhelm and increase conversions
• Host low-cost retail events focused on connection and community
• Build brand trust by leading with your core business values

AI for Non-Techie Retailers: A Simple Hack That Works

No need to master tech. Cathy shares how small retail business owners can use ChatGPT to gain customer insights from top-performing content. Just copy and paste your best emails or product pages into AI and ask:

• Who is my best customer?
• Who is NOT my customer?
• What messaging drives purchase behavior?

This simple AI habit has delivered surprising clarity and results for Cathy’s clients—and it can for you too.

Why Neutrality Is No Longer a Strategy in Retail Branding

You don’t need to be political—but you do need to be personal. Cathy makes a compelling case for ditching generic, faceless branding and embracing authenticity. Whether you’re selling confidence, comfort, or community, your brand story and values should shine through every retail marketing email, event, and conversation.

Final Takeaway

You don’t need to show up everywhere or master every tech tool. What independent retail business owners do need:

✅ A clear brand stance
 ✅ Consistent and authentic communication
 ✅ A community-first mindset
 ✅ Courage to evolve with market changes

Whether you’re struggling to compete or trying to grow a small retail business in a noisy digital world, this episode reminds you: you’re not alone—and the best is still ahead.

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