EDITOR'S NOTE

Gone shopping

Shop till you drop. That's what it might appear is going on in New Hampshire when it comes to retail stores. According to statistics, the per household retail sales average in the state is $54,270, compared with a national average of $35,529.

Of course, New Hampshire residents are not spending that much, but people from out of state who cross the border to avoid sales tax add to the estimate.

In addition, retail provides a huge number of jobs, currently accounting for one in five jobs in the state with a total work force that the Retail Merchants Association of New Hampshire estimates to be approaching 140,000 (Page 10) And there is a great variety of retail offerings, right here on the Seacoast.

It ranges from the Fox Run Mall to the Kittery Outlets to the big box stores along Route 1 (particularly in Seabrook) to the shops in downtown Portsmouth and other communities. (Page 12 through 16)

Each of these various retailers provide their own shopping experience and each are trying adapt with the times and to compete with each other, while coexisting at the same time.

Clearly, walking into a Wal-mart and into a cozy downtown shop are two very different experiences.

It takes experience of a different kind to succeed in retail.

Judson Lovering, for instance, owner of The Baker's Peel in downtown of Exeter, talks about the need to change to meet the demands of customers and fight off the competition.

He says the reason start-up businesses fail is because the owners don't have the proper experience and they don't have enough capital to get through the tough times. (Page 14)

Another reason is that they might have picked the wrong location for their business.

But that, according to Harold Moldoff, a retired executive with nearly 40 years in the retail industry and a SCORE volunteer, is only part of the formula.

Moldoff says business owners need to locate their niche, not just their location. And he, like Lovering, cites the need for experience and knowledge of the business they are in, plus have realistic expectations, before picking a location. (Page 8)

In addition to a location on the street, retail businesses must also put some thought into how they should present themselves on the World Wide Web. Large or small, restaurant or shop, it would be silly not to have a Web site these days.

It's easier than ever to put up a site these days, but businesses owners need to learn and decide what design and content will be best for them.

Local Web site designers say planning the content of a site should be done before it is built. What do you want it to do for you? Who are you trying the reach? What do your potential customers need to be able to find out on the site? (Page 6)

The prices in retail stores are important, but one thing customers will remember and which might be a factor in whether they return is good old customer service. And that's the problem. It shouldn't be old. It should be current and good.

It is talked about a lot, but companies don't always follow through.

ML Hannay, a Portsmouth-based communications and business training consultant, says businesses pay a heavy price for not providing good customer service.

She provides workshops for companies but says the problem starts at the top, which is why she mandates that management must be included in the training. (Page 21)

It's something that we all need to remember and practice, whether in retail or not.

We’d also like feedback on the articles and features in Seacoast Ventures. And suggestions about the kind of information that would be helpful to you that we are not providing.

Reach CAL KILLEEN via e-mail or 610-1193.