We’ve all been there. You walk into a trade show looking for ideas about the next hot product. Yet, a nagging doubt lingers: are these trends relevant to my customers?

Too many local small business retailers have a blind spot when it comes to what actually sells in their shops. This can cost the business a chunk of money.

I was talking to a newsagent not long ago who said they can’t  sell gifts prices at more than $30. When I asked why that was the case, they didn’t have an answer.

Another newsagent told me that they can’t sell pet related gifts. They, too, could not explain why.

Another newsagent told me that they could only sell cards priced at under $5.00. When asked, they told me they had never stocked cards worth m ore than $5.00.

These barriers we put upon ourselves created the narrative we listen to when stocking our shops. We make decisions that make the narrative in our head true.

You are not your customer.

Listening only to ourselves and surrounding ourselves with people who think like us limits what we see and hear. Sales reps push what’s hot with other stores, trade shows limit who can display and industry publications focus on broad trends. This can create an echo chamber, making it hard to hear the whispers of what your specific customer base truly wants.

Sticking with what’s “always sold” feels safe. Customer needs and preferences evolve. Clinging to the past can leave you with a dusty inventory and dwindling sales.

Data. Numbers don’t lie, but sometimes we don’t listen. Are you analysing sales data to see what moves quickly and what languishes? Ignoring your own in-store intel is a missed opportunity.

How do you fix this?

• Watch TikTok. Currently, it provides the best out of left-field ideas from what I see. I have picked up excellent retail related ideas that I have not seen elsewhere from TikTok. Some have shocked me. Every single one of them has taught me something.
• Embrace Customer Feedback: Talk to your customers! Conduct surveys, run polls on social media, or simply chat with them at the counter. What are they looking for? What problems do they need solved?
• Listen: Everyone else working in the business, on the front line, hearing customer needs directly. Empower them to share insights and make informed suggestions about product selection.
• Dig into the Data: Sales figures, abandoned carts, website click-throughs – these numbers tell a story. Use analytics tools to understand customer behaviour and tailor your offerings accordingly.
• Embrace Experimentation: Don’t be afraid to test the waters with smaller batches of new products or surprise pop-up displays. See what resonates with your customers and what doesn’t.

What we can sell in the local newsagency is not bound by any rules. Play as far and wide as you are able. See how far you can take your business.

Be ready to be surprised. Embrace it.

We tried a category this past week in one of my shops, a category several thought would never work for us. $500 in sales in 5 days. 60% GP. It was an easy and valuable win.

You don’t know what you don’t know!

You are not your customer.

If you find yourself blaming others or external factors for situations over which you have some level of control, it may be that you have a victim mentality.

While it can be easy to blame others and be self-forgiving, it serves no value to you or your business, though.

Some examples of blaming others are worrying about competitors who you think are copying your business, complaining about employees and things they did did that did not work out, being upset about the rent you pay, anger at being short of cash.

You choose what you stock, you hire and train employees, you signed the lease and you decide what money is spent.

Blaming others for any situation over which you have had some control holds you back; it denies you the opportunity to learn and improve.

Wallowing in self-pity can be destructive; it can lead one to want the comfort of failure, the right to blame anyone but themselves for a negative situation. It can see you seek negative situations, which is an utterly destructive place to be.

I have encountered plenty of newsagents with a victim mentality. In such situations, they miss what could be achieved by spending all their time blaming others.

If blaming others for business situations is something you notice yourself doing, consider seeking professional help. While you can break the cycle yourself, a professional can help you understand why and provide ways to identify and deal with it.

If seeking professional help does not appeal, consider meditation as a way to find calm and stillness and to be less controlled by negative victimhood thoughts.

I am no psychologist or therapist. My recommendation is that you start with a professional. That said, here are things I have done that help me focus on my role and the positive.

1. On a noticeboard, at your desk, or somewhere in the business, have photos and other reminders of your successes. Be sure to look at them regularly.
2. Celebrate your failures, the product that bombed, the ad that achieved nothing, the business initiative that lost money. Own them and your role in them.
3. Exert your control. If you see something impacting your business you don’t like or want, be the business owner and say no early.
4. Trust your gut. If you sense something is wrong somewhere in the business, address it immediately rather than wait for it to become an issue.
5. Say no. If you don’t want to do something, say no.
6. Make more informed decisions. Research more. Learn more. Be smarter.
7. Always look beyond your border. Victims can think of their world as one in which they have minimal control when, in reality, they have control beyond what they allow themselves to see. Find a way to jump that wall.
8. Nurture a workplace of accountability, where it is okay to make a mistake or take a bad decision.

Blaming someone else or other factors for something over which you have some control does not help you or your business. It may feel good. It achieves nothing.